A wedding is a very special occasion in anyone’s life. One of the things that a New Zealand wedding can’t do without is wine. Providing your own wine, if the venue allows it, is a great way to save money. Here at The Wine Cellar we specialise in supplying wine for special occasions and we may be able to offer a volume discount depending on your order. Deciding on which varieties of wine and how much to order can be difficult, so here are some tips from us.
Sparkling Wine & Champagne
Depending on your budget you may want to splurge on a French champagne like Collet Ay Brut Art Deco or go with a more budget friendly but no less delicious Cloudy Bay Pelorus for arrival and toasts. Either way you’ll probably need 2 to 3 glasses of sparkling wine per adult. A standard bottle of Champagne is the equivalent of 6 flutes. So if you’re catering for 80 guests; 80 x 2.5 glasses = 200 flutes, which is equivalent to 34 bottles. When choosing your canapés keep in mind that champagne and sparkling wine match well with caviar, fish and shellfish, cheeses and fruity and tangy condiments.
White Wine
It’s a good idea to provide at least one variety of white and one variety of red wine at your wedding to cover your bases. Sauvignon Blanc is the most popular variety of white wine in New Zealand and we have a great range to choose from. The Marlborough region is world famous for its Sauvignon Blanc and we can offer great value for money with Rock Ferry Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with salads, grilled fish and chicken. If you’d like to offer another variety of white wine or go for something a little sweeter, we can recommend Grava Riesling. Most New Zealand Rieslings pair well with intense, Asian flavours.
Red Wine
We all have friends who only drink red wine and if you’re offering red meat dishes, we recommend having a red wine to match. When it comes to red wine, you can never go past a Central Otago Pinot Noir. This Valli Bannockburn Pinot Noir is absolutely stunning and would satisfy the most discerning of wedding guests. Pinot Noir pairs beautifully with game birds like duck and as well as venison and pork. For something a little more full-bodied, try this Dunleavy ‘The Grafter’ Syrah. Syrah (or Shiraz) pairs well with red meat, especially lamb.
Wine Quantities
To recap, you’ll need 2-3 glasses of sparkling wine per person for the arrival of bride and groom and toasts. For the rest of the wedding you’ll need, on average, 1 glass of wine per hour per adult. If your dinner starts at 6 and you have the venue booked until midnight, you’ll have to supply enough wine for 6 hours. Using the same formula for 80 people; 80 people x 6 hours = 480 glasses. One bottle of wine is enough for 6 small glasses of wine, 480/6 = 80 bottles. If you split that 50/50, you’ll need to be getting 40 bottles of white wine and 40 bottles of red wine on top of 34 bottles of sparkling wine.
If you have any questions, or would like to find out if you qualify for a volume discount, you can call us on 0800 33 22 33 or email us at info@thewinecellar.co.nz; we’re happy to help!