Best wedding wines: Top picks and buying guide
So you need to find enough wine to satisfy guests ranging from troublesome Aunt Lynne, who only drinks rosé, to your university and college friends, plus that distant uncle who knows his Beaujolais from his claret. And you also need to save money for a honeymoon, ideally in a beautiful wine region. Buying wedding wine is certainly a challenge.
Here's 10 wines that we recommend looking at, as well as our tips on how to increase your chances of a good deal.
So you have a wedding coming up but don’t know where to start when it comes to picking your wedding wines?
Read on for recommendations, plus some useful tips that could save you time and money.
Scroll down for Decanter’s tips on buying wedding wine
Recommended wedding wines:
How to buy wine for your wedding
While many people attempt to match the wine to the food for their special day, our advice would be to keep it simple.
Choose a red and a white (or rosé) for the table that will please the majority of guests
People will be far too distracted by the glamour and buzz of the occasion to consider whether a Rioja would have been a better match with the lamb, unless your guests include almost exclusively Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers, of course.
In general, remember that acidity is your friend if trying to match a wine to a variety of foods.
Prosecco, Cava and Crémant make great alternatives to Champagne
Prosecco is a great choice for the summer, because it is light and fresh.
Traditional method styles (i.e made in the same way as Champagne) include Cava, Franciacorta, and many Crémants and English sparkling wines. They tend to have more richness and complexity of flavour than Prosecco; more akin to Champagne itself.
One bottle per adult is a good rule of thumb
Don’t be tempted to increase the quantity too much further – by the time you have factored in beer, spirits & cocktails, designated drivers and tee-totallers then you will find an average of a bottle of wine (about five glasses) each is about right.
That said, a couple of reserves wouldn’t hurt. Unless you have the ability to replicate the ‘first miracle’ – ie, turning water into wine – it would be poor form to run dry.
Experience counts
Independents and high street chains have vast amounts of experience when it comes to helping people choose their wedding wine. Most will also offer free delivery to the venue and help out if you have any last minute hiccups.
Supermarkets can be great if you know what you want, but the personal service of a good wine merchant can pay dividends.
Make use of sale or return policies
A common mistake is to panic and over-order. Luckily, many wine merchants and some supermarkets offer a sale or return policy, meaning that you can return anything that has not been drunk.
But it is far better to get your quantities accurate and take the odd leftover case or two back to your house, rather than dragging a van load of alcohol back to where you bought it from.
Don’t forget to haggle – especially at the end of the month
Buying in quantity may give you some serious bargaining power. Many wine merchants will be happy to strike a deal with you, especially if you walk in at the end of the month – you may be the difference between hitting their targets or not. Beware though, this rarely works in supermarkets.
Use a wedding calculator
Many merchants and supermarkets have calculators that will help you determine how much wine you will need, although they work with varying degrees of accuracy. Here are a couple of reliable examples:
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Champagne and Prosecco: What’s the difference?
Not all sparkling wines are created equal…
Sainsbury's, Taste the Difference English Sparkling Brut, England, United Kingdom, 2011
91
Produced by Denbies for Sainsbury's, this has a bready nose with lovely clean, fresh lemon and dough flavours in the mouth. There is a chalky acidity, not as tart as some, and the wine is well balanced with a stone fruit and honeycomb richness coming through on the finish.
2011
Sainsbury's
De Telmont, Grande Réserve, Champagne, France
89
<p>A delighful Champagne, made by a family-owned Champagne house. A Chardonnay/Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier blend, presenting complex richness and elegance with lifted toasty, yeasty, brioche notes and apple and honey-touched flavours. Creamy, delightful fine mousse and bright acidity.</p>
De Telmont
Mionetto, Prestige Collection Treviso Brut, Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
89
Mionetto are one of the leading Prosecco producers and certainly one of the oldest, dating back to 1887. This is fresh and light with aromas of white peach, ripe Charentais melon and a touch of elderflower. The palate is crisp and refreshing with some sweetness, as you expect, but it is in harmony with the overall balance. All in all, a cut above your average Prosecco and the perfect summer drink to enjoy throughout the day.
MionettoProsecco
Tesco, Finest 1531, Blanquette de Limoux, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, 2014
88
Named due to the widely held belief that the first sparkling wine was produced in Limoux in 1531, at the abbey of St-Hilaire. Made from local variety Mauzac, blended with smaller quantities of both Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, with some of the Chardonnay fermented in French oak barrels to add texture before the finished blend undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle. Slightly steely, minerally and quite aromatic, the fresh green apple flavours carry a bit of residual sweetness that comes across as ripe pear fruit. A refreshing alternative to Prosecco or Crémant.
2014
TescoBlanquette de Limoux
Alfredo Arribas, 4 Gotes, Priorat, Catalonia, Spain, 2015
93
Clean and fresh on the nose, but relatively unfocussed, though there is a sense of earthy, liquorice refinement. More in the offing than in the glass right now, however the palate is bright, acidic, stony and spicy; a tumbling mountain stream of purity and freshness, which is pretty good going for Priorat.
2015
Alfredo ArribasPriorat
Porta 6, Lisboa, Portugal, 2015
90
From the indigenous varieties of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Castelão, this is a straightforward, medium-bodied red with blackcurrant and floral notes. It is very refreshing and vibrant with smooth tannins and, more importantly, it is worth every penny.
2015
Porta 6
Zensa, Nero d'Avola, Puglia, Italy, 2015
90
The name ‘Zensa’ is the Italian phonation of the word ‘senza’ meaning ‘without’, relating to the fact that no chemical pesticides or fertilisers were used in the making of this charming red. It’s vibrant and full of life, with a red cherry and spice character. The palate is quite juicy, cut through by a hint of vanilla on the finish. This wine is crying out for Italian sausages or meatballs.
2015
Zensa
Ca'Mandato, Pinot Grigio, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy, 2016
90
If you ever need proof that you get what you pay for, this is it. For less than £2 more than Asda's Extra Special Pinot Grigio, you get a beautifully soft example showing flavours of bruised apple, pear, melon and citrus. It's round and vibrant and definitely worth the extra pennies in my opinion.
2016
Ca'Mandato
Aldi, Freeman's Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2016
89
Typical Sauvignon aromas full of ripe green apple, lime and goosberry. The palate is very much faithful to these fruit characteristics, full of beautifully balanced sweetness from the fruit and a dry, crisp acidity. Perfect summertime drinking.
2016
Aldi
Domaine des Lauriers, Picpoul de Pinet, Prestige, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, 2015
90
A really nicely balanced wine with light citrus fruit and a hint of garrigue. It has good intensity and purity with a delightful fresh finish with some soft spices. A great alternative to Muscadet.
2015
Domaine des LauriersPicpoul de Pinet
Château de Berne, Grande Recolte, Côtes de Provence, Provence, France, 2015
89
A classic pale, crisp, dry Provencal rosé. Clean and fresh - a good match for fresh seafood. Strikingly expensive looking bottle looks twice the price. Drink with: fruits de mer, fresh crab.
2015
Château de BerneCôtes de Provence
Cavalchina, Chiaretto, Bardolino, Veneto, Italy, 2016
89
Founded in the early 1900s, Cavalchina is an important producer in the area of Custoza. In the 1960s they made the pioneering decision to stop selling their white as 'Soave' and instead promote it as 'Bianco di Custoza'. This rosé is made from a similar blend to what you might find in Valpolicella. It has a fresh, light red cherry aroma, with flavours of strawberry and cherry. It has a light citrus freshness and a clean, juicy finish, making this an ideal wine to pair with salads.
2016
CavalchinaBardolino
Sacha Lichine, Single Blend Rosé, France, 2016
87
A simple and refreshing Grenache-based rosé made by Sacha Lichine, who also produces Whispering Angel at Château d'Esclans. Fresh pears with summery strawberry and raspberry aromas are combined with mineral notes on both nose and palate, leaving a pleasing strawberry finish. With a retail price of around £11, this is a value for money choice from an illustrious producer for your summer holidays.
2016
Sacha Lichine
