Choosing the menu of your once-in-a-lifetime wedding reception is a supreme task. You can’t be in total control of the quality of the dishes served because that depends on the cooks. What you can control is the flavor of alcohol that you will offer your guests. Popular beverages like the wine can not only make the food more cherishable, but it also refreshes the overall mood of the gathering.
Why wine?
Wine is one of the most well-known alcoholic beverages in the world. The primary ingredient of wines is grapes. Wines are mainly of two kinds: red and white wines. While making red wine involves soaking the grapes with their skin, white wine requires the removal of the grapes’ skin.
Red wines that are a favorite in cold places, get their color from the skin of the red grapes. Red wine is a popular choice in cold weather conditions as it helps to warm up the body. White wine does not have any color, and its source is the white grapes. When wineries make white wine from red grapes, they have to remove the red skin. There is also rose wine that sits right between red and white.
Wine’s popularity in merry occasions is because of its various flavors that cater to all kinds of ambiances. The different varieties of wine also make it consumable in different climates. Since there are people from all walks of life at a wedding party, the diversity of wine makes it a perfect choice for this memorable occasion.
What to keep in mind when selecting the wine for your wedding:
There is no one-size-fits-all rule for picking the right wine because all your guests will have different choices. You should keep in mind various factors to cover most of the guests’ choices, such as:
A. The food you will serve
When wine accompanies dishes, it must complement the taste of the food. For protein-rich and fat-rich food, try dense wines high in alcohol. If the food is simple, targeted at older people, go for the softer variants of white wine.
When serving with food, you can never go wrong with Bordeaux Wine, a famous white wine with a rich history. You may also take into consideration the Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a famous red wine suitable for heavy meals. If you have Beef or Pork in your menu, consider Grenache and white Burgundy.
B. The time or season of the year
The choice of wine differs with the change of seasons. Nobody likes a high-acidity, condensed wine in a hot summer. Select the variant according to the time of your wedding ceremony. If it is in spring or summer months, you can go for the most famous white wine, Chardonnay. For people who love red wine, Pinot Noir is a great option.
C. The favorite flavors of your guests
You should know the wines that your friends and relatives love. Some people prefer red wine no matter which season it is. For others, it can be the light rose wine. The best solution for such a dilemma is to mix your collection of wines. You can choose the Cabernet Sauvignon which is a dark-colored, full-body wine with moderate alcohol content.
D. Bottle Quantity
After you have decided on the wines, it’s time to know how many bottles you’ll need. Not everyone is a drinker. When estimating the number of bottles you’ll require, leave kids out of the count. For the rest of the invitees, have one bottle at least, for each of them. To be safe, have an extra stock of about 20% of your estimate. Unless the drinking session happens at a bar where people may drink excessively, you can stick to this measurement. If you end up with some extra bottles after the festivity, you can always sell those back or return them to the dealer.
E. Managing your expenses
When planning for the expenses, keep a separate budget for the wines. How much value for money you will get from the wine depends on how you buy it. The same wine purchased directly from wholesalers will cost much less compared to caterers or restaurants. If you want the best wine for your money, buy it yourself at bulk rates and let the caterers handle the serving responsibility. Calculate the number of bottles you need to avoid wastage.
F. What about a personal touch?
If you want to do something out of the ordinary, like having a message written on the bottle or the names of the partners engraved on it, deal with wineries or wholesalers directly as bars may not have this option. Several online vendors provide personalized labels to put on your wine bottles.
G. Opt for bulk wine packages
When you order a large number of bottles, you can get the most value out of your purchase. When ordering in bulk, negotiate with the choices as well as the price. If the catering service is going to order the wine for you from a locale that you specified, then there is nothing to worry about. If you are going with the wine your catering service suggested, you may want to taste it beforehand to avoid any unwelcome surprises.
Final Word
The choice of beverages is a personal thing, and you shouldn’t lose your night’s sleep over it. To be more versatile, you can go beyond wines and have some vintage beverages like the kraken rum. More than the collection of liquors, it is how you welcome your guests with them that matters. Hence, be cheerful and let your guests have a memorable drinking session at your wedding!
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