04/18/2026
⭐️When it comes to buying wine for your wedding day, it may be a little daunting, no matter if you're a complete novice or an experienced wine enthusiast.
It's not every day you have to find a variety of options that fit your budget, will taste great, and compliment the day, the weather, and the food.
1️⃣ Keep it simple with variety. Offering too many options will not only slow down service, but will create a lot of wasted bottles, and will increase the likelihood you'll run out of options if you get a little amount of a big variety (varietals and wineries). Instead, opt for a lot of a few well-curated varietals. 1 or 2 reds, 1 or 2 whites, and a rosé or spakling wine. That's all you need.
2️⃣ Buy in bulk. Another reason to stay away from too much variety - you can buy bottles by the case. Almost all retailers discount the price if you buy by the case instead of the individual bottle. Worst-case scenario, you can save extra wine or most places allow returns, so if you buy too much, you can often send it back or use as a keepsake to open a bottle on each anniversary, to experience how it develops over time for a fun date night.
3️⃣ Find a balance in "flavors." When it comes to reds, look for something that isn't too dry, too bold, or too full-bodied, especially on hot afternoons. With whites, choose something crisp and refreshing, light oakiness, and not too sweet but not bone dry - something balanced to beat the heat. Rounding off with rosé, a great way to add a bit more oomph to your wine for the red wine fans, but still chilled and crisp for the weather.
4️⃣ Search for uncommon names, regions, or styles of wine. Wines with uncommon or hard to pronounce names are often a little cheaper than the household varietals like Cab Sauv, Merlot, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio, but are almost always just as good. I don't know if it's just a coincidence or people are intimidated to try something they've never heard of before, but they often are very similar in quality, offer great tasting notes, and are a great way to eliminate people's preconceived ideas that they only like (or dislike) certain wines.
