THE NECESSITY OF WINE

When I help plan events one of the questions I will ask is what types of alcohol my clients would like served. An answer I get a lot is, “I would like to serve a white wine and a red wine”. Of course event planners don’t see wine in colors as plain as red and white. True, not everyone is a wine buff and that is one of the reasons you would hire me. I make it my job to know these things. However, if you are planning your event without a professional to guide you, then you will want to do some research. Choosing the wine for your upcoming event is an important as well as a challenging job but I would say that it is true for a lot of the decisions you have to make. You have to remember that even if you aren’t a wine buff, there may be a few at your wedding or event. You don’t want to take them or their personal taste for granted. Therefore, you definitely want to make the effort to choose wisely. Even if you don’t have a huge budget there are excellent choices at every price point. All it takes is a little research.


More than likely you will taste various foods and cake choices during the planning process. You can do the same for the wines if you so choose. Pairing the right wines with your dinner choices is an added touch that will let your guests know that you put time and effort into your decisions. Therefore, here are some of the questions I ask when I am trying to help my clients decide what types of wines they would like to choose.


Day or Evening?
One of the first things to consider in this process is what time of day will your event be held? Are you having a day affair, cocktail event or a black tie even? If your event is a daytime event, your guests may want to drink something a little lighter than they would at an evening event. They may be more interested in white wines and champagnes then they would be in the dinner wines. Of course this will change going into the evening. You will want to provide more choices the later your event. These choices will also depend on what you are serving on the menu.


Menu
If you have decided to pair your foods, you will want to pick your wines after you have decided on your menu. If you are serving roasted/grilled Beef or Veal you will probably pair them with a Merlot or Cabernet. However, you will want to provide an alternate choice just in case there are guests that want a light bodied wine. If you are preparing various types of seafood, you will want to consider a Riesling, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Of course you always want to have a vegetarian option for those non meat eating guests. For your vegetarian and pasta dishes, your wine choices will vary on how they are prepared. Just as long as you understand the concept of pairing and where to go to get the answers, you are off to a good start.


What’s Your Budget?
You definitely want to consider your budget when you are choosing wines. One of the things you can do is try your best to estimate the amount of wine you will need. You don’t want to overbuy but it is always better than not having enough. Then you will want to consider the options your caterer may have. They may have discounts if you buy a certain amount and they will most certainly help your budget. However, if you have your favorite wine or winery, you may consider buying in bulk from them. If you take this route, you will want to inquire at the location where you are holding your event because they may charge a corkage fee. A corkage fee is a fee charged per bottle to open and serve wines that are brought from outside the location and not from the providers own wine cellar. For the most part, this fee is usually considered a convenience charge. Yet, it is an expense and one you will want to include and consider it when planning your event budget. The more bottles you have the more expensive this fee may become.


Where is your event
Another thing to consider is the location of your event. Does it have the capability to store the various wines you will have? There are very few places that this should be an issue but it is worth considering. You want to make sure that your wines are kept at the correct temperature so your guests will enjoy them when they are served.


Forever Champagne

It is my personal opinion that every event needs champagne. If it is a wedding you are planning then you will definitely need a champagne choice for your toast. However, even if it isn’t a wedding you never know when a toast will be necessary. Not to mention there aren’t many celebrations that champagne won’t complete. So, don’t forget to choose a champagne that will make a splash.

Well, those are the basics. There are a few other things to consider but this is a great place to start. If you still have questions hiring me would answer them all and ensure that your event comes out perfect. However, there are also quite a few good guides online. If you have a favorite wine you can get information from the winery. You can also get a lot of great information from www.foodandwine.com

For now, pour yourself a glass of wine, relax and happy planning!