Wine with Leslie: How to select wines for your wedding and how much you should buy
Close up of new married couple toasting champagne glasses at wedding party. Bride and groom hands clinking glasses at wedding reception. wine with leslie wedding toast champagne
Some thoughts on wine for weddings and parties in general. For my own wedding, we had a small reception for around 32 people in our house with a meal cooked by chef friends, and a much larger party a week later. I served a different wine with each of the seven courses, but such extravagance was only possible thanks to the small numbers.
If choosing wines for a large wedding or party (assuming you can bring your own for a corkage fee), aim for a half bottle of wine per person. Hence 100 guests require 50 bottles of wine, a figure that allows leeway for non-drinkers — err on the side of generosity and look for a sale or return option.
You want your day to feel special so recognisable supermarket wine may not be the best option: ask your local off-licence if they have any suggestions and look at online retailers. I would once have recommended French wines for their higher quality perception, but these days we are more educated so feel free to pick anything from Argentinian Malbec to Romanian Pinot Noir.
One idea to help you choose is to have a meal (or bites) similar to what will be served on the day, invite parents, cousins and bridesmaids/groomsmen, and vote on the best wine – the bride and groom should get two votes each as it is their day.
The cheapest best quality wine in the market at the moment is from Spain, particularly from smaller wine regions such as Castilla Y Leon — Portugal and Chile are also worth considering. For fizz, the only inexpensive option is Frizzante Prosecco which avoids the double tax applied to full-fizz wine such as Champagne and Spumante Prosecco.
I do not particularly recommend taking the boat to France as, with the price of the ferry, savings may be minimal. Champagne is however significantly cheaper in France so for a large wedding serving Champagne it may be worth it.
There are some wines with Irish connections so if your name is Lynch or McCarthy it is perfectly acceptable to have Ch. McCarthy or Lynch-Bages on the top table.
: Feb 4-6. 'Meet The Makers' Wine Weekend, Ashford Castle. Two-night getaway with 6-course dinner and tastings with four French winemakers. Cost: €950 per person sharing. Contact: reservations@ashfordcastle.com, Tel: 094 954 6003
Stockist: Aldi
This might be the best full-fizz wine on the market here and worth the minor 'scandal' of serving supermarket fizz at your wedding. The Jura is in the French Alps between Burgundy and Switzerland and Chardonnay is a commonly grown grape here and can be of the highest quality. This has lemony-ciitrus and ripe fruit aromas, zesty and clean with a solid mousse and a cream-tinged lime-lemon finish.
Stockist: O’Briens
This is reduced from €9 this month and just over the minimum price for wine in Ireland. I rarely recommend wines at this price point as it is tough to make drinkable wine for such a low cost. A blend of Sangiovese and Negroamaro with lots of plum and cherry fruits that should find few complaints. The Giacondi Bianco is also worth a try with a nice white flower fragrance and a bit of zing.
Stockists: NOffLA Independents nationwide, 1601, O’Donovans, Ardkeen Stores, World Wide Wines, Vintry.
This won the best old world wine under €10 in the 2021 National Off-Licence Assoc Awards and is a great example of the value to be found in Spain. This has good concentration and fruit density with red and black fruit flavours and a touch of spice. The White Maximo is also good and the New World Winner Coral Reef Shiraz-Cabernet is also recommended.
Stockists: Ardkeen, 1601, JJ O’Driscolls, Vintry, McHughs.
This a fine alternative to Champagne should you have any reasons to celebrate this month — I find the arrival of February and escape from dark January as good a reason for fizz as any. This is pure Chardonnay from a good co-operative with light toasted brioche aromas and citrus brightness, a touch of creamy lemon curd on the palate and a dry crisp finish.
Stockist: O’Briens
If serving a drink with the speeches and toasts is a tradition you want to continue then this would be a lovely option instead of Sherry. A small glass would be sufficient. A vin doux natural (fortified with brandy) with aromas of hazelnuts, dried fruits and cooked apricots — sweet lime and praline flavours with fascinating complexity and elegance and a long dry finish of sultanas and citrus.
Stockists: Bradleys, Vintry, Corkscrew, Baggot St. Wines, Independents
Another suggestion for after dinner: Kopke was founded in 1638 making them the oldest Port House. All their wines are worth trying including their White Port and Ruby, but I think they do Tawny best — this has fig and dried fruit aromas with rounded baked fruit flavours and hints of spice. Perfect for the dessert or for sipping in front of the fire.
Stockist: tribegin.ie, seeking a distributor.
Yet another Irish gin, and sure why not. This new gin from Galway was developed in 2021 and is brand new on the market so currently only available via the Tribe Gin website. A Tribe Gin School is due to open in Galway any day now. Founded by proud Galway men this uses locally sourced seaweed and botanicals native to the West coast along with lemon, heather, cassia, and cardamom
Aromas of juniper and citrus with a touch of brine and aromatic cardamom shining through — creamy and fruity on first taste, with a pleasing floral note on the mid-palate and a lingering herbal-spicy finish. A fine debut.
