Unless you’re having an alcohol-free wedding, chances are good that you will be serving wine. So how do you choose which wines to serve at your wedding? The process is similar to last week’s post about how to choose your signature cocktails.

As with most things wedding-related, always start with what you like. It is your wedding, after all. You want to consider your guests and their experience as well, but thinking about what you and your almost-spouse like is a great way to get started.

At a minimum, you’ll want to have one white wine option and one red wine option. It’s even better if you add on a rosé and a sparkling option. The next step up from there would be two white, two reds, one rosé, and a sparkling. Continue adding options until you feel comfortable that you have enough variety for people to enjoy.

TL;DR here’s the video version

Food & Wine Pairings

If you already know what foods will be served at your wedding, both during cocktail hour and at dinner, that can guide your wine choices. The most basic rule of thumb when pairing food and wine is that white foods go with white wine and dark foods go with red wine. So white wine for seafood, chicken, and pork. Red wine for beef.

But not so fast! Because salmon, which is obviously seafood, is actually best paired with Pinot Noir, which is a red wine. And there are a lot of lighter-bodied, fruit-forward red wines that will go well with chicken or pork. Sauces also matter. Richer sauces require a more full-bodied wine to cut through them.

Don’t be overwhelmed though! Your bartender, caterer, or wedding planner can help you navigate wine and food pairings.

Which Type of Wines to Serve

When it comes to varietals (that is, what kind of wine), you can go with very common, well-known wines or choose more unusual, interesting wines.

White Wine Options

Common whites include chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Most people are familiar with those wines and know whether or not they like them. 

Chardonnay is generally a full-bodied wine with a rich mouthfeel. It tastes “round” and “soft” when you drink it. Many California chardonnays can be described as “buttery.” Chardonnay is a great match for cheeses, cream sauces on pasta, and lighter white meats like chicken and pork.

Sauvignon blanc is a more astringent, high-acid wine that can be citrusy or grassy in its flavor profile. Sauvignon blanc is an excellent pairing for seafoods such as scallops, shrimp, white fish, mollusks, and bi-valves. It’s crisp and can be almost tart.

If you wanted to choose a less-common, more unusual white, you could go with a chenin blanc (from France or South Africa) or a pinot grigio from Italy instead of chardonnay. Assyrtiko from Greece or Sicily would be an excellent substitution for sauvignon blanc.

Red Wine Options

On the red side, the most common options are cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and pinot noir. Pretty much everyone is familiar with those varietals. Cabernet sauvignon and merlot tend toward the heavier end of the spectrum. They are generally more tannic and powerful. (Tannins come from the grape skins and are the element of wine that makes your tongue feel kind of dry, like you just rubbed cotton on it.)

Pinot noir is a lighter-bodied red wine, and generally a bit more fruit-forward than either cabernet sauvignon or merlot. Pinot noir from California often has a lot of cherry flavor to it, while those from France or Oregon are a little fuller, with some elements of earth, mushroom, and tobacco. But even a more full-bodied pinot noir is lighter than a cabernet sauvignon or a merlot.

If you want to go off the beaten path with your red choices, you could do a beaujolais instead of pinot noir. By “beaujolais” I don’t mean the Beaujolais Nouveau that you usually see in the wine stores around Thanksgiving. Those are very fresh, extremely fruit-forward wines made from grapes harvested mere weeks before bottling. The Beaujolais region of France also makes more traditional wines that are aged some number of months before release. They are labeled Beaujolais or Beaujolais Villages.

Instead of cabernet sauvignon or merlot, you could try chianti (an Italian varietal), tempranillo (a Spanish varietal), or a GSM. GSM stands for grenache, syrah, mourvèdre. Those grape varieties are all grown in the Rhône Valley in Southern France, and GSM is a typical Rhône blend. 

One reason many people choose the more familiar varietals is that you can find inexpensive versions of those wines a little easier than you can find inexpensive versions of the lesser-known wines. Also, if you decide to serve more unusual wines, you’ll want to give the bar staff or waitstaff some notes to describe the wines. It’s likely that your guests will ask them what those wines are like or what they compare to.

Champagne & Sparkling Wine

When it comes to sparkling wine, you also have several options. Champagne is the most famous (and most expensive) type of sparkling wine. Technically, a wine can only be called Champagne if it’s made in the Champagne region of France. It’s typically made from chardonnay, pinot noir, and/or pinot meunier grapes using a traditional method that goes back centuries. Champagne generally ranges in price from $40 to $200 per bottle, so unless you have a small guest list and a large budget, it may not be the best choice for your wedding.

California sparkling wine is made primarily with the same grapes using the same process as Champagne, but is more reasonably priced. You can find good bottles of California sparkling wine for $15 to $20 per bottle.

Prosecco and Cava are Italian and Spanish, respectively, sparkling wines. They are made using indigenous grapes (meaning, grapes that are native to those countries and don’t really grow elsewhere). Some prosecco and cava are made using the traditional Champagne method, but most are made using a less labor- and time-intensive process, which is why they cost less. You can find good prosecco and cava for $8 to $15 per bottle.

Champagne and sparkling wines are excellent food wines! They pair with pretty much everything. The bubbles and high acidity make them very food friendly; plus, they have a celebratory feel that is highly appropriate for a wedding. Consider making sparkling wine available throughout the night, not just for the toast.

Rosé

Rosé is another food-friendly option. Without going too far down the rabbit hole, rosé is made one of two ways. Either a bit of red wine is blended together with a white wine, or the wine is made with just a little bit of skin contact to give it some light red color. All grapes are clear on the inside, so their juice is clear. The color is in the grape skins. 

After grapes are picked, they are crushed to release the juices. If the skins and juice are immediately separated, the resulting wine will be white. If the juice is allowed to sit with the skins for a period of time (called maceration), the resulting wine will be red. To get a lighter pink or rose color, the skins are left with the juice for a short period of time. Not long enough to make the wine red; just long enough to get a bit of the color.

Along with the color comes some depth of flavor and maybe even a little bit of tannin, which is what makes rosé wines so food-friendly. Plus, rosé has been having a bit of a moment the past few years—#roséallday anyone? No one will be sorry to see rosé on your wedding drinks menu!

Consider Time of Year

As with signature cocktails, consider the time of year when choosing your wines. If your wedding is being held in the hot summer months, you’ll want more whites and rosé on hand. Those wines are served chilled and are very refreshing. (They are also lower in alcohol than red wines, so people can drink more without getting drunk.)

In colder months, you’ll want to skew more toward red wines. The higher alcohol content and warmer serving temperature tends to warm people up a bit, rather than cooling them off.

Where to Buy Wines

If you are providing the wines yourself for your wedding, you’ll want to find the best prices. Costco and Sam’s Club can be cost-effective places to buy wine. They buy in bulk, so they can pass lower prices onto you. However, their selections will be limited.

Total Wine, BevMo, and other “big box” wine retailers are another great option if you have one near where you live. Total Wine has a “wedding” program where you can schedule a tasting appointment. They’ll sit down with you, taste a variety of wines, provide education, and help you make your selections. This is a fantastic option for you DIYers out there.

If you live in a control state, I’m afraid you’re stuck with whatever selections and prices your local state store offers. Ask your caterer, bartender, or planner for some suggestions. Your planner will probably even go shopping with you to make recommendations if that’s in her scope of expertise.

The world of wine is vast. There are so many great options for your wedding! If you’re stuck and need help, reach out in the comments or by email. I love wine and spend a lot of time studying it. I’m always happy to help others who have less experience!