Welcome to Mark O’Neill’s Wine Blog

First of all, are you absolutely sure you want to get married? If so this article is for you!

Of course I am just kidding… Choosing wines for wedding is just like choosing a wedding dress in that it is something personal that should not be left for someone else to decide. It requires thought and planning like everything else for the big day and the right selection of wines can add an extra sparkle to the celebrations.

Having named the day, selected the venue and made the list of people to invite, there is only one thing of great importance to decide on…… the wine!!!

How much wine should you order? What type of wine should be ordered?  How much should you pay?  Be smart and do your homework, take some time to discover the wines you like as they will make a statement about the newly weds and whoever is paying for the event.

Here are some of the basics that you need to bear in mind. Firstly, fix a budget, it could be 50 or 500 per person, which has to cover the venue, food and the wineIn order to work out how much to spend on wine you need to know how much wine you are going to require. I tend to work on 1 bottle per 2.5 guests. So if there are 100 people buy 40 bottles.

The big day itself, is it a lunch or a dinner? Formal or casual? Which wines are best to be served by the glass for the cocktail? Which wines for the aperitifs, which are for main dish and for the desserts? How many bottles of red, white and sparkling?

If it is a summer event, held in the open air I would recommend a mix of  50% white, 25% red and 25% sparkling.  However, if the event is in the autumn or winter and inside then I would change the mix to 50% red, 30% white and 20% sparkling. By the way if there is any wine left at the end make sure to take it home and enjoy it while recalling the special day.

Having decided on a budget for each bottle then I suggest you get some advice from a wine professional. There are so many good wines from which to choose.

When selecting the wines you need to take into consideration what is on the menu. This will involve having the pre-event lunch or dinner with the dishes that are going to be served to pair them with different wines to see which combinations work best for you. Also you can have some fun with your friends by organising a tasting of different wines and decide which you prefer for the big day.

To show a modern touch, don’t be afraid to include a Rosé, there are so many good rosés around and depending on the time of year, a rosé made from Garnacha could be a huge success.

Selecting a sparkling wine can be tricky. You can go for a well known brand, however, most people prefer a wine that is ‘off dry’ or semi sweet, such as a Moscato d’Asti.

The key is to know the wines and avoid any unpleasant surprises. Your guests will remember your wedding day for the delicious wines that you served during the event.

If you would like to find out more about to choose wines, drop me line!

Written by

I am a Northern Irishman based in Valencia. My career in wine began more than three decades ago, in London. I am the founder of TheWinePlace.es, an online store, where wine enthusiasts can enjoy a selection of international wines and Verde Marte, a company dedicated to exporting Spanish wines. Also, Thewineplace.courses, an "approved program provider" of the courses of the prestigious WSET. I share my passion for wines through my media work writing weekly columns for the Spanish newspaper El Mundo and 5 Barricas, an online wine magazine.

No comments

LEAVE A COMMENT

  I have read and accept the privacy policy of markoneill.es

Information about data protection

  • Responsable: Verde Marte S.L.U
  • Treatment: Control spam, comment management
  • Legitimation: Your consent
  • Data communication: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  • Rights: Access, rectification, elimination and forgetting.
  • Contact: info@verdemarte.com.
  • Additional information: our privacy policy.