Wines for the Wedding : How (and How Much) to Choose

We get asked a lot of questions about alcohol and weddings -- from whether to have a cash bar (depends on your budget and your guests' expectations but is best to avoid) to who should give the champagne toast (the best man, and sometimes the maid of honor; the host or hostess may wish to give a toast, too).

One of our favorite topics is selecting wines for a wedding. What could be more special? You'll be remembering your choices for years to come. Depending on where you live, the variety of wines you have to choose from is either vast and perhaps daunting or less generous and more accessible. You may or may not have the option of choosing wines for your wedding, depending on your caterer or banquet hall manager. But if you do plan to play sommelier for your wedding reception, we're here to help.

First, we must admit that it's impossible to give wine-picking advice that will work for everyone. Which wines you choose for your wedding and how much you order depends on many factors specific to your wedding, such as the number of guests and their ages, the food you'll be serving, the time of the reception, your budget, the length of the reception and whether there will be dancing, the type of meal and service (sit-down, buffet, hors d'oeuvres only, etc.), and so on and so on. That said, here are seven quick tips to help bring out your inner sommelier.