Red, White or Sparkling? The best wedding wine pairings

By MiNDFOOD

Newlyweds clinking glasses and enjoying romantic moment together at wedding reception outside. Bride and groom drinking champagne at wedding party. (Newlyweds clinking glasses and enjoying romantic moment together at wedding reception outside. Bride a
Newlyweds clinking glasses and enjoying romantic moment together at wedding reception outside. Bride and groom drinking champagne at wedding party. (Newlyweds clinking glasses and enjoying romantic moment together at wedding reception outside. Bride a

When planning your big day, it’s hard to know where to start with your celebratory wines. How much do you need? Red, white or sparkling, or all three? The perfect food pairings for your chosen wine? With the help of Grant Burge Wines, we shed some light on the ins and outs of choosing your wedding wines.

Grant Burge Wines is a leading Barossan producer of sparkling, red, white and fortified wines – so it’s no surprise that Chief Winemaker, Craig Stansborough, knows a thing or two about the perfect wedding wine drop. “We believe that life is full of extraordinary moments worthy of celebration but sometimes there are special occasions that are elevated above all others, such as weddings,” Stansborough says. He adds that the wines he crafts are perfectly suited to such events.

When it comes to compiling your perfect wedding wine list, we suggest asking yourself these all-important questions:

How much wine will I need?

This largely depends on the number of guests on your list, and the number of wines you want to serve. A good ‘rule of thumb’ is to allow 2-4 glasses of wine per person for the duration of the wedding – with a standard bottle of wine giving 5 pours.

If you are serving different wines, spread the ‘rule of thumb’ number across your chosen wine styles.

How many wines do I serve? …and with what food?

Most weddings will have a sparkling wine option – be it a Champagne, Prosecco or even one of the many top quality Australian sparkling wines that offer great value for money, especially with a guest list growing in number by the day. To complement your chosen meal options, generally a minimum of one red and one white style is the norm – but depending on your own preferences you may wish to include different varieties of red or white styles – rosé is also becoming increasingly popular.

The most popular wines for weddings are usually ‘lighter’ in style, simply because they will appeal to the tastes of the majority of your guests. When it comes to choosing a sparkling wine to serve, Stansborough recommends the Grant Burge Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay. “Made with the very best fruit from premium cool climate vineyard sites such as the Adelaide Hills and the alpine regions of Victoria. The grapes from these regions produce delicate, yet quite intense flavours; and a natural acidity and lean, elegant structure which is the foundation of a quality sparkling wine,” he explains. This wine pairs beautifully with shellfish and cheeses.

As for white wine, the Grant Burge East Argyle Pinot Gris is a lovely lighter style with its rich aroma of citrus blossom and hints of white florals. On the palate, it is textural and creamy with a natural fruit sweetness. A full-bodied Pinot Gris is quite versatile when it comes to food pairings and is easily enjoyed with meaty fish, cream sauces, veal, chicken, and even pork dishes.

Finally, Stansborough says that the Grant Burge Miamba Shiraz is a stand out red from the Barossa and will go well with any number of dishes. It has depth and intensity of flavour – overflowing with aromas of red fruits and the palate mirrors the bouquet with raspberries and blackberries – perfect with the main and a chocolately dessert.

That special touch

A nice touch to add to your printed food menu – because not everyone is a wine connoisseur – is little tasting notes on which of your selected wines to pair each dish with. Remember, it’s the small details that make a lasting impression on your guests.

Just be sure that there is enough bubbly for those all-important toasts.

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