The Auswine Forum

Hi all long time lurker first time poster now based in Sydney
Without going into too much detail I am very keen on wine and the industry and have been for quite a few years now. Love tasting and reading about it. Fave styles are Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and Riesling but drink nearly all
I am about to be married for 2nd time with a fairly small and low key reception, somewhere around 25 adults.

Little over a 1/3 enjoy decentish wine, little over a 1/3 will drink just about anything 1/3 dont/cant drink and the remainder wont/cant drink wine, those that will consume will do so in fairly large quantities.
The reception will be a mainly stand-up affair with finger food and buffet style and last for between 4 and 6 hrs.

Trying to provide wines with some diversity as well as matching people’s preferences as fas as I can and I know that will be very hard for others to attempt to advise me on.
Most of the cheapies like their wooded chard, sav blancs or old style shiraz so was thinking of getting something around $10 to $14 mark for them like a read leaf limestone coast chard and tasted a Cambrian soil shiraz (not that old style but thats ok) which should be somewhere close to the mark.
Perhaps 6 to 8 of these then
Say mixed dozen pinot gris/sav blanc/chard/pinot noir from miller dixon in Yarra Valley for average price of $18 pbottle
then a 8 or 9 slightly more premium bottles:
central otago pinot noir for around $30 if possible was thinking of a rapaura series PN if I couldnt
Shiraz: 05 Watershed Marg River
Pauletts have tasted and really enjoyed the 08 or Steingarten Riesling (can someone advise on the latest vintage of this)
Cabenet: enjoy central Vic, Clare and McLaren Vale more than other areas would look at something between $15 and $22.
Champagne/Sparkling: French * 2 or 3 bottles (looking at cheap end between $35 and $55 but probably something other than Moet) for toasting after ceremony
and 4 bottle of local sparkling at around $15 for starters back at Reception
And of course enough beer for the non wine drinkers.
Will be a bit tricky to cater for range of tastes and to get waiters to serve accordingly but look forward to the challenge.

I know Im closer to 3 dozen but left overs wont go astray although the bigger consideration will be the cost so I might have to cut back to closer to 2 dozen.

Would appreciate your thoughts.

and I forgot dessert wine the crokenbouche with white mouse cake probaly wont take the Deen De Bortoli Semillon

Hey there, welcome and congrats on the second time lucky!

Looks like you've put a lot of thought into the wine but I really think for a wedding, you're really over complicating things especially for only 25 people.

My advice is to get a cheapish sav blanc (they are cheap anyway) and a middling chardy. If you like pinot and want a half decent one then get that and a shiraz or a cab sav. As you'd be well aware you can get quite decent medium bodied and drinkable reds at the $20-25 mark.

I'd mainly just try to cut down on the variety offered as it will be a nightmare for the waiters and even for the guests when they can't top up with the same as what they've just had as there was only one bottle of it. The last thing you want to be worrying about on your wedding day is what's going on with the wine. You just want to know that everyone's going to be happy.

If there's beer as well and you're starting on a sparkler, you can average half a bottle a person. With only 25 people, that's really only a case that you need. To be on the safe side, get two dozen which is still only 2 dozen wines.

With that number of people, why don't you splash out on champagne for everyone. A case of 6 which will be more than enough will only be a bit more than $300 or less if you can get some on special somewhere. People will talk about it forever as many folks don't get to drink the french stuff very often. My friends are STILL going on about my 40th where I served a LOT of champagne. For some, it was the first time they'd ever drunk it so it left a lasting impression.

So how about:
6 * champagne $40-$60 each
6 * Sav Blanc $12-$15 each
6 * Chardy $15 - $20 each
6 * Pinot $30 each
6 * shiraz or cab sav $20 - $25 each

There are plenty of choice within these price points but just make it 6 of all the same. KISS is the guiding principle here.

Good luck and have a great day.

Hello , I got married in 05 and had the recepption at home .

I made up a wine list and had some people who loved wine and some who went for what everyone drinks

What was really interesting was i Had a case of Penfolds koonunga hill shiraz/cab and that was all gone in no time so was the Annies lane range .
Then i also had some whites like brands Chardy, houghtons sav/blanc and some of the Grandin Champagne both vintage and their base one which was about 15 Bucks (these went) but the vintage version did not now price difference was 15 a bottle but people had not related to it so didnt drink it (apart from the wino's who knew what it was) also had some red Sparkling Bleasdale(whish was excellent at the time)

Alot of the upper end aged reds(30 to 75 dollars) did not get drunk To my amazement so the next day family and friends polished off alot of those off ,, Now the Henshke all went and very quickly(most people will know this Brand)

I find it quite interesting to watch really as there was wines like Orlando Centenary/ hill Shiraz from 96 not touched, also the willow bridge Back dog from 01(Block buster for a w.a shiraz), 98 Bowen shiraz ,wynns Michael shirazetc the list was long and some of them were 60 to 75 bucks a bottle and never got touched

What i am really saying is the every day wines most people recognise so save putting in alot of time on more expensive reds etc (Unless you want the thrill of drinking them after all is over and gone

We Had a ball and Boutique style beer also went down well

as a gift for each guest we gave half bottles of wirra wirra 02 Church block and for the family half bottles of Henschke euphorium .

Congrates and hope it all goes well

P.S I can get out the list and let you know what else there was but point is probably made

Regards Dazza

Thanks Guys,

Stuart really like the Champagne idea although have a total budget thats probably $200 to $300 below your suggestions which will probably mean looking at 3 rather than half a dozen French.
Whats good at the $35 to $60 price I know thats an individual taste thing and I often hear peolpe say they like full Chardonnay style who have given up drinking chardonnay in the last 4 or 5 years.

Thanks Daryl for your recent experience as we will too be having a home reception, interesting that it was the known brands that people got into but I guess that makes sense

Jus thought I would give some feedback on the big day particularly on the the wine selections and their success or otherwise.

Great day firstly for us both couldnt have wished for anything better.

Now for the wines:

3 Pommery NV ($55) for toasting straight after ceremony:

Lovely dry fruit based distinct lack of full chardonnay fruit which I think meant that it appealed to more it did go down very quickly

4 Fleur Dy Lys Brut ($11) quickly consumed at reception
6 Stoneleigh SBs 08 ($12) I think, late request from wife as she pointed out the number who dont drink anything else was enjoyed by those who partook
3 Robinson Pinot Gris 08 ($12) (received one complaint from MIL who asked if I had anything better, tried for second time on honeymoon went well with vietnamese rice paper rolls with bbq beef and lots of chilli, maybe better with food than by itself, reasonably creamy with lack of middle plallet and slightly off dry finish
3 Chardonnay Verse Brookland Valley 07 ($13) More fruit driven with very subtle oak
3 Chardonnay Punt Road 07 ($17) Definitley more popular of 2 chardonayys possibly to do with extra oak although by know means an oak driven wine, stone fruit flavours

3 Stoneleigh Rapura Series PN 07 ($23) Not as good as I hoped for due to my comparisons with 06 still has a little comlexity but probably biggest disappointment in reds
3 Heathcote Cambrian Shiraz 07 ($12) 14.5% full flavoured had alot of appeal although not too complex had that distinctive velvot crimson smell and taste
4 Yalumba Scribbler Only 13.5% ($15) but probably most talked about wine of day as it has a lot of character and punch for the alcohol level. Mainly dark fruits more cab sav than shiraz a beautiful blend
3 Watershed Shiraz 05 ($19) I love this wine and was happy to still see some of this vintage at local DM's. Gorgeous luscious fruit joy to drink alone lots of flavour

More beer than anthing else leftover after 8 hr reception few complaints lots of compliments from a fairly diverse drinking audience

Sounds like it was a great day - congratulations.

Fantastic Great variety and looks like most bases covered

Regards Dazza