Everything You Need To Know About Buying Wines For Your Wedding

Make your wedding reception unforgettable by preparing the best wine you can afford. Celebrate a new journey as a married couple by drinking sparkling wine.

Your taste dictates the type of wine you choose for your wedding day. Do you enjoy a particular brand of wine as a couple? Think about your experiences and story, and draw inspiration from it so that you can choose the perfect one. While you probably have a tight budget, serving a good wine makes a huge difference.

In this post, you’ll learn everything about buying wines for your wedding to ensure that everybody is happy and delighted as you all toast for the biggest celebration of your life.

Get to Know the Types of Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wine has a rich and well-rounded flavor which goes beyond the texture of the fun bubbles. It is commonly served in wedding receptions, and there are different types of it for every budget.

You can serve it in its purest form or mix it in cocktails. Whether you choose a modern-style wedding or prefer to make your rustic wedding ideas come true, you can always find the best sparkling wine to be served at your wedding.

Here are some of the major types:

• Champagne.

  Real Champagnes are made in France.. It is made by ‘methode traditionelle’ or traditional method, requiring hand harvesting.

• American Sparkling Wines.

  It is produced in the vineyards throughout the United States. It uses both the traditional and Charmat method. Many of the French Champagne houses operate and owns vineyards in this country.

• Cava Sparkling Wine.

  It is a Spanish sparkling wine that is widely produced in Spain. This wine is very affordable which is perfect for a massive audience like weddings and brunch cocktails.

• Prosecco.

  It is a famous Italian sparkling wine from the Northeast region. It has a more sweet flavor compared to others.

Wine Flavor Designations

The flavor designation is marked on the wine bottle which determines the sparkle that the winemaker produces. Each type has a unique taste. When you find something you like, pay close attention to the bottle and remember the flavor designation.

Here are the different wine flavor designations:

• Brut. This flavor designation is the most common which is described as bone-dry to almost-dry wine flavor with less than 1.5% sugar.
• Extra-Dry or Extra-Sec. It is slightly sweeter than the Brut with 1.2 to 2% sugar.
• Sec. It has medium sweetness with 1.7 to 3.5% sugar
• Demi-Sec. It is considered a dessert wine for its unique sweetness with 3.3 to 5% sugar.
• Doux. It is very sweet, which is also regarded as a dessert wine with +5% sugar.

Get to Know Wine Terminology

When buying wine for your wedding, you may encounter some words that are jargon to you. Familiarizing yourself with its terminology will make your search faster.

Here are some of the terminologies that you need to know:

• Vintage. It refers to wines that were produced from a single year’s harvest. They’re always dated, and you’ll see the year marked on the wine bottle. If you want to serve the best Champagnes and sparkling wines, these are the best. Although it is more expensive as compared to non-vintage ones.
• Non-Vintage Wines (NV bottles). These wines came from multiple harvests, which are consistent in flavor. An example of a famous non-vintage wine is Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label.
• Cuvée. It means ‘the contents of the vat’ which are house vintages aged longer than other types of wine. These are special and more expensive than the NV bottles.
• Rosé. These are pink sparkling wines with notes of strawberry and cherry, but are not sweet.
• Blanc de Blancs. These wines are ‘white of whites’ made from Chardonnay grapes with light and clean flavor that is paired very well with your wedding reception food.
• Blanc de Noirs. It means ‘white of blacks’ that is made from Pinot Noir grapes. It has a richer flavor with notes of vanilla and red berries.

Wine and Food Pairing

White and red wines go well for almost any food. You can go for a white wine for pork meals, such as Burgundy.

Choosing a trustworthy and well-balanced wine that can match a wide variety of dishes will free you from hassle and stress. Most importantly, your guests will surely enjoy the meals even more like a royal wedding.

Here are some tips when choosing the best wine for your wedding:

• If you serve mostly plates of seafood, go for lighter white wines (e.g., Greek wines).
• For beef meals, red wines work best (e.g., pinot noir or Grenache).
• Chicken meals are best paired with white wines.
• Sparkling and white wines should always be served on ice.
• Store red wines in the fridge half an hour before serving.
• Choose a white wine that is light and refreshing (e.g., pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)
• Stick with a red wine that has a fruity side and a little bit crisp (e.g., pinot noir)
• Choose mild Champagne or sparkling wine with a bubbly note (e.g., Graham Beck Bliss Demi Sec, Laurent-Perrier Harmony Demi-Sec).

Conclusion

Now you’re ready to serve the best wine on your wedding day. Keep the tips mentioned above, and you’ll enjoy the wine selection journey with your future spouse. It is a fun and memorable activity that both of you will treasure for the rest of your lives. It’s an extraordinary experience of your wedding preparation. Best wishes!

Written by Sarah Morris