Great Matches for Wedded Bliss
By Erin
We spent the weekend at a couple of bridal shows, and wow, what an eye opener.
As someone who’s never been married or even paid much attention to weddings (even when I was in them, I was known as the go-with-the-flow bridesmaid), I never realized the choice facing brides today: an contemporary or traditional dress?, chicken or beef?, DJ or band?
There’s an amazing amount of decisions to be made, and navigating that pre-nuptial minefield, brides & grooms (and anyone within their vicinity) will surely need a drink.
But there’s just as much confusion to be made surrounding the beverages of choice that will be used to celebrate the Big Day. Understandably, the lucky couple will want to honour their guests with the best they can afford, but just as understandably, the economic reality of keeping the Dom Perignon flowing for 250 people means many Just Marrieds will have to look for reasonable facsimiles.
If I was going to the chapel, I would ditch the notions of champagne & pricey reds & whites. Your friends and family are there to see you, not judge the wine … and chances are if there anything like my loved ones, if it’s an open bar, they’re going to suck it up like water in a desert, no matter what you’re serving.
You’re going to need sparkling for sure. C’mon, this is a celebration of the biggest day of your life! If you’re not going to drink it now, when will you? Going with one of these options is always a sure-fire winner in our books.
Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine Brut Rose $29.95
Pretty wedding pink with delicious fresh cherry & cherry blossom notes, a nice bit of acidity keeps things crisp & refreshing.
Jackson Triggs Method Cuve Close $14.95
A blend of the traditional champagne grapes chardonnay & pinot along with riesling, it offers a tiny bit of sweetness in orchard fruit and floral notes. The fact that JT does it’s second fermentation in a tank and not in the bottle (known as the charmat method) keeps the price down, but doesn’t sacrifice flavour by aging on its lees for a little less than a year.
For white & red wine, I try to go for inoffensive crowd pleasers: yes, Aunt Mabel will only drink oaky chardonnay, and yes, crazy cousin Beth just loves Aussie Shiraz, but they’re not the only ones at the party.
Inniskillin Pinot Grigio, VQA Niagara Peninsula $14.95
A fresh, and easy drinking wine with lovely flavours of fruit cocktail and lemon-lime with bright acidity and huge crowd appeal. Simple, refreshing, and will go with most wedding fare from chicken to pasta.
Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone Reserve $15.95
This is a nice wine. Medium bodied, light tannin and approachable flavours of dark cherry , plum and black pepper spice, make this an easy going, very drinkable wine. And who doesn’t like easy going at a party?