Reception Wines That Take the Cake

Making the perfect wine selection for your wedding reception is an important - and often overlooked - detail. Since you can enjoy it during anniversaries and other life celebrations in honor of your special day, your wedding day wine becomes a lasting memory throughout the marriage and should be chosen with care. Take a look at my top tips for finding the perfect wines.

THE FIRST IMPRESSION
-The first thing guests look for when they arrive at the reception is a beverage, and the presentation truly becomes the first impression of what's to follow. For many of my clients, I arrange for the servers to line up at the entrance with beautiful flower-adorned trays filled with glasses of wine, water, and perhaps a signature cocktail.
-Wine-tasting bars at wedding receptions are very popular now, and some of my clients even hire a wine expert to help the guests with the wine experience. This adds an element of elegance, and can serve as an icebreaker at the beginning of the reception.

PAIRING WINE WITH YOUR MENU
-Make an experience out of the pairings by serving a different wine with each course and even including a note about the wine on each bottle at the tables. Guests will enjoy learning why each particular wine was chosen. It can be a great conversation starter.
-While menu planning, couples should keep in mind complementing aromas, textures and dominant flavors with the wine - it's not just as basic as white wine with fish, red wine with meat, and champagne with dessert. The main cue in wine pairing is the type of sauce or spice used on each dish.
-If you need more help matching a wine with a dish, look to textures to point you in the right direction. If a dish is light and creamy, consider white; full with full, light with light. Whether you're serving just one white and one red or a selection of wines, it's best to opt for fruit-forward styles, which tend to be more food-friendly.

PAIRING WINE WITH WEDDING CAKE
-When pairing wine with cake, the guideline of matching textures and spices still apply. Focus on the strongest flavors, particularly the frosting and filling:

-Lemon, mango, apricot or melon filling: Sauvignon Blanc
-Butter cream or coconut cream filling: Chardonnay
-Vanilla or almond flavored cake: Chardonnay
-Carrot or spice cakes: Riesling
-Berry filling: Pinot Noir
-Chocolate filling or frosting: Merlot
-Chocolate cake: Cabernet Sauvignon
-Mocha or espresso filling: Cabernet Sauvignon

COST-CUTTING TIPS
-A Chardonnay offered during the cocktail reception will please most everyone. Try to avoid overly "oaked" Chardonnays, especially since this will be served either before food or with hors d'oeuvres. A light, fruit-forward white wine is ideal.
-When couples are looking for a good cost-cutting technique for the beverage tab, I always recommend cutting the champagne toast and having the guests toast with the wine that's been served to them. A glass of wine goes a lot further than a sip of champagne.

 

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