|
Buying Wine For Events
You've set your date, found your site, picked the caterer, sent the invitations, ordered the flowers and selected a photographer. Wow, you're all set. Not quite.
What about wine, champagne and cocktails? Who'll select and plan the bar for your event.
For centuries, the gathering of people, has been marked by the celebration of families and friends through food and drink. The single largest expense at most events is food and drink.
To help you with planning, we need the following information: wedding/event date, time, location, number of adults, budget and, most important, the menu. Once each of these items has been determined, the structure of the plan can be broken down into the following categories. Cocktails, champagne toast, dinner wines and after dinner drinks.
For 100 guests, the following quantities should apply:
For Cocktails:
Beer: 2 cases (one regular, one light), bottles not cans
Vodka: 6, one liter bottles
Gin: 3, one liter bottles
Scotch: 3, one liter bottles
Light rum: 2, one liter bottles
Blended whiskey: 1-2, one liter bottles
Bourbon: 1-2, one liter bottles
Tequila: 1-2, one liter bottles
White wine: one case, (12 bottles)
Red wine: one case, (12 bottles)
Dry vermouth: 2, one liter bottles
Sweet vermouth: 1, one liter bottle
For the Champagne Toast
Champagne or Sparkling wine: one case, (12 bottles, if you want to serve champagne during the cocktail hour you will need six additional bottles).
For Dinner Wines
Red wine: 1½ cases (18 bottles)
White wine: 1½ cases (18 bottles)
After Dinner Drinks
Sometimes people want to offer a selection of after dinner cordials, cognac, single malt scotch or port. This can be a nice touch but is not required nor frequently done.
Some suggestions are:
Aged Tawny Port
Highland or Islay style Single Malt Scotch
Small Batch Bourbons
Cognac
Amaretto
Frangelica
LET'S LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL AREA:
For the COCKTAIL HOUR it's important that people do not wait in long lines to be served. There should be more than one bar, staffed with at least two bartenders each. An open bar is traditional and most courteous to your guests. You want people to relax and feel welcome at your event. The drawbacks to an open bar are cost and quantities people can consume. If possible make the bartenders aware of guests who tend to celebrate too much. Basic drinks are all that is necessary especially if the wedding is outdoors. If you offer every kind of cocktail, someone will order it. Theme drinks are popular these days, such as chocolate martinis, cosmopolitans and mohitos are a few that come to mind.
Wines for the cocktail hour should be light and refreshing. Whites can range from Pinot Grigio, California Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, French Sancerre, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or even Dry Rose. Great values can be found in regions such the French Touraine and Bordeaux. Try to stay away from heavy whites such as Chardonnay and Viognier. These are big and full bodied white wines that tend to overpower certain foods, (do not serve artichokes as they dramatically change the taste of wine). Red wines from Beaujolais, the Southern Rhone, Sardinia, and basic Burgundies work well with Hors d'oeuvres. These wines are made from Gamay, Grenache and Pinot Noir grapes. They are all characterized by forward fruit with light to medium body. If you choose to serve Champagne/Sparkling Wine for cocktails good suggestions are French Blanc de Blanc, Italian Prosecco, or Spanish Cava. These are light sparklers with a little more fruit, (not sweet), that tend to fit many different palates.
There are several options for a CHAMPAGNE TOAST:
If the Bride and Groom are real Champagne lovers it is perfectly acceptable to have a high quality Champagne served at their table. We would suggest a nice French sparkler for the toast itself. You will find that many guests sip and toast with what is offered but never finish their glass. It is simply a waste of money to serve real French Champagne at $25 - $40 per bottle. Three great sparkling values are Segura Viedus, Paul Cheneau or Bellusi Prosecco. These are all between $8 - $11 per bottle and are made Methode Champanoise. We can provide other great value sparklers from Southern France, Spain, Italy and Australia all between $7 - $12 per bottle. There are very high quality domestic sparklers such as Chandon, Piper Sonoma, Gruet and Roederer Estate Anderson Valley, these range from $15 - $20 per bottle. Real French Champagne starts at $25 per bottle and proceeds upward. Good values for around $30 are Paul Laurent, Charbeau and Duval Leroy.
DINNER WINES should absolutely match the foods you are serving. If a smoked fish entrée is offered, choices could be a rich buttery California Chardonnay or even better an Gewurztraminer. If beef tenderloin is the choice, a California Cabernet, French Bordeaux or Australian Shiraz match well. Broiled fish with a Saffron cream sauce compliments White Burgundy or a rich Viognier. Nothing goes better with grilled meats than big, fruit forward California Zinfandel. Chateauneuf du Pape or California Rhone Rangers are ideal with duck or pheasant. In today's market, wine selections can hit any price point. Expensive doesn't always mean better. We will fit your budget while providing unusual, high quality selections. It is a good idea to sample wines with your menu tasting and we will provide samples or conduct a tasting for your evaluation.
FOR AFTER DINNER cordials can be offered.
This is a nice touch to finish off the event. It is not the norm but is something to consider.
LOGICSTICS TO BE CONSIDERED:
Set-ups for the bar, limes, lemons, ice, straws, cocktail napkins etc. are generally provided by the caterer. Don't assume this, confirm all details with the caterer.
Soft drinks, mixers and juice are generally provided by the caterer.
Beer cannot be provided by us, persuant to New York State Law.
We will deliver to your event location. You will have enough going on the week of your event without having to pick up wine & spirits.
This information should give you a good foundation from which to do your planning. Done right, your guests will have absolute food and wine satisfaction.
Enjoy your day, Bon Appetite and cheers!
|
