{"id":2631,"date":"2014-06-13T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-06-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.winemonthclub.com\/blog\/?p=2631"},"modified":"2014-06-04T15:27:22","modified_gmt":"2014-06-04T22:27:22","slug":"great-wines-weddings-big-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winemonthclub.com\/blog\/great-wines-weddings-big-events\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Wines for Weddings and Other Big Events"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"iStock_000021066383XSmall\"<\/a>Most of us look forward to weddings and parties, even though the reality is that the wines served at most such functions aren\u2019t always the greatest… and that would be putting it mildly.\u00a0 So what can we do?\u00a0 As I see it, we have several options. We can do nothing and continue to allow banquet halls and event planners trying to maximize profits or minimize costs to choose the cheapest overpriced plunk they think they can get away with.\u00a0 But for anyone who enjoys wine, this is not a viable option.<\/p>\n

The best option is to ask to bring in your own wine.\u00a0 Providing the corkage fee is not insane, you can often buy and provide better wine yourself for the same cost the caterer would charge for lesser plunk.\u00a0 Even if you pay a few dollars more, at least you know what you\u2019re getting and how it tastes.\u00a0 To determine how much wine you will need, it helps to know the crowd, how many guests will likely drink wine and how many teetotalers there are.\u00a0 Once you get a bead on the number of guests, figure at least three glasses or a half bottle of wine per wine drinker.\u00a0 You can always adjust that number with the circumstances (availability of designated drivers and other alcoholic beverages, length and type of affair, etc.).<\/p>\n

Now for the million dollar question?\u00a0 What should I serve?\u00a0 The answer to that question is simple: a variety of as many good white and red wines as you can afford, without confusing the crowd.\u00a0 If I had to pick a reasonable number of wines to offer, I would stick with five or six at most.\u00a0 For starters, a well made Italian Pinot Grigio or similar light white wine is a must.\u00a0 And for that, the 2012 or 2013 Lungarotti Pinot Grigio gets my nod.\u00a0 It\u2019s not the cheapest, but it won\u2019t break the bank either.\u00a0 And of course a decent Chardonnay is obligatory.\u00a0 Casarena from Argentina offers an excellent reasonably priced Chardonnay that will please both Old and New World Chardonnay drinkers.\u00a0 Among reds, Cabernet Sauvignon is the number one favorite, with Pinot Noir coming on strong and gaining favor over Merlot, though Syrah is increasingly a crowd pleaser these days,\u00a0 too.\u00a0 Again Casarena offers a reasonably priced wine in their Cabernet, and it\u2019s better than good for a crowd.\u00a0 For Pinot Noir, why not consider Pietra Santa\u2019s Estate Pinot Noir from Cienega Valley California or Sherwood\u2019s Marlborough Pinot from New Zealand;\u00a0 both present themselves well at a fair price.\u00a0 Given the growing appeal of Syrah, I would choose Syrah over Merlot, unless you know the crowd is definitely into Merlot.\u00a0 Black Pearl from South Africa makes a reasonably priced Syrah that is second to none at the price, so have a party and enjoy!<\/p>\n

Salud!
\nDon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most of us look forward to weddings and parties, even though the reality is that the wines served at most such functions aren\u2019t always the greatest… and that would be putting it mildly.\u00a0 So what can we do?\u00a0 As I see it, we have several options. We can do nothing and continue to allow banquet […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[7,9,11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nGreat Wines for Weddings and Other Big Events | Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To determine how much wine you will need, it helps to know the crowd, how many guests will likely drink wine and how many teetotalers there are.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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