Thoughts on wedding wines (Champagnes, Whites and Reds)

[mse]

Dear all,

My high school friend is getting married in October this year, venue is Curzon Hall in Marsfield, he preferred castle layout rather than postcard view (i.e Quay Restaurant or Shangri-La Hotel). The wedding will caters between 150-160 guests, he could get the beverage package (bubbles, whites and reds) from the "Prestigious" list offered by the infamous, greatest corporate of all time "Treasury Wine Estate". The groom-to-be thought of BYO (corkage is $15/bottle) and asked me for some recommendations for the whites and reds which are from Australian small producers not so common that we can see those on the Bottle-O shelves. The budget for all 3 wines per guest is roughly $25-30/head including corkage. Can anyone kindly provide their 2 cents on which Champagne + White + Red could fit this budget?

Thanks
Michael

[Polymer]

Well I'd say 160 x 30 = 4800. I think they generally say half a bottle per person so that is 80 bottles. 4800/80 = 60 dollars per bottle - 15 byo = $45 per bottle (which is pretty nice for a wedding of that size IMO).
You could probably do 20 bottles of a sparkling so everyone would get a bit under 100ml which is probably fine.
30 red / 30 white depending on what mix you'd like. Obviously if you don't think that is enough, you'll need to get more. The 30/head the budget but not everyone will drink wine..some will want beer, soda, etc...and that also isn't reflected in the budget...

You can probably find a Gimmonet or Piper Champagne for 45-50 each..Tattinger as well..
You can go Arras Grand but that'll be just as much (but if you want Aussie)
A vintage Jansz is decent for the price and it'll be below 40..

Whites..I hate to say it but you're probably better off going Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris if you want to cater to everyone..on the plus side, you'll have a lot of extra money to use on other stuff... (or he can save it or buy more wine). A lean Chardonnay might be ok too...
Almost any NZ Sauvignon Blanc around 20 will do. If you want something more interesting, Cloudy Bay has a bit more depth.....
Almost any Pinot Gris around 20 will do...There are some interesting ones out of Tasmania but they tend to be pricier and not sure most people will like the added texture...Pooley is one example..

Personally I'd rather go Semillon/Riesling/Chardonnay but for a wedding I'm not sure that would be the way to go....but if you did...Thomas Braemore is an approachable young semillon I think most will like...If you go Riesling, a Peter Lehmann Wigan won't be like hard steel and tends to go over well. Tertini would also be good.

Reds...I'd probably go with something relatively big (McLaren Vale or Barossa) since I think most people will enjoy that.....either that or Victoria would be a good middle ground.
Or you can even go something like Mike Press for 13 dollars or so...that will probably go over well...but at this point, you probably have 50 or so a bottle to spend..you can really get so many different things...
Or even Heathcote..like a Tyrrells Lunatiq will appeal to most but still have decent acid...
Or St. Hallet Blackwell..
There's so much stuff..I'm just throwing stuff out that I think would have broad appeal....
At that price point you can go John Duval Entity, Plexus...Shaw and Smith...
You can even try to pick up some Greenock Creek....

But lets just say you said..no..too complex..20/bottle..
Jansz is ok at 20
Blue Pyrenees I've seen some that are good at 20..and some really bad ones.
There are some Cremants and Proseccos that might do the job too..sometimes they overdeliver..sometimes they're bad...You'll want to try them first...
Whites just get a NZ SB...can't go wrong..cheap..will taste all the same...everyone will be happy...Pinot Gris if you're around 20 you're ok.
Reds. I'd go Mike Press...Maybe West Cape Howe Cab Merlot..both will be well under 20..

I'd suggest trying them first too...will cost a bit but it'll be fun...

[simon1980]

On the sparkling side of things, I'd generally stay away from bottom end Champagne...and go for a higher end Aussie sparkling. Personally I'd grab a bottle of Clover Hill Vintage for $35 and see what you think.

Sadly, SB is prob the way forward for white drinkers...so I'll leave this well alone.

For reds, I'd recommend Alex Head's "Head Red" Shiraz. I'm sure it would be possible to find around $20, and it's a real crowd pleaser. Gavin should be able to help as he knows Alex pretty well. Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir is a winner for this situation too.

I hope that's a little help.

[catchnrelease]

Spend less on the reds/whites and focus more cash into the sparkling. Go for higher end Aussie sparkling, although the NV Brown Brothers fizz is pretty good for the money ($20 or so). Look into the 2012 Partisan Trenchcoat GSM for a great all round red for <$15. It got 92 points from wine front. 2012 Fermoy Estate SSB is decent value at $15ish and very crowd pleasing.

[mse]

Thank you Polymer, Simon1980 and catchnrelease for your ideas. I have thought about getting the Greenock Creek Cab/Sav for reds and some sub-$20 Clare Riesling and sub-$50 vintage Champagne like Lanson. It doesn't matter anymore, as the bride-to-be made the final call and decided to ditch the idea of BYO and stick with the food+drink package. They will just accept the great Treasury Wine Estate portfolio and pick the ones they like.

[rossmckay]

Thank you Polymer, Simon1980 and catchnrelease for your ideas. I have thought about getting the Greenock Creek Cab/Sav for reds and some sub-$20 Clare Riesling and sub-$50 vintage Champagne like Lanson. It doesn't matter anymore, as the bride-to-be made the final call and decided to ditch the idea of BYO and stick with the food+drink package. They will just accept the great Treasury Wine Estate portfolio and pick the ones they like.

Slippery slope you're on there, allowing the wife to decide what wine you will drink. I see friday night trips to the BWS to pick up a bottle of the catalogue special and two cans of Woodstock.

[mse]

Thank you Polymer, Simon1980 and catchnrelease for your ideas. I have thought about getting the Greenock Creek Cab/Sav for reds and some sub-$20 Clare Riesling and sub-$50 vintage Champagne like Lanson. It doesn't matter anymore, as the bride-to-be made the final call and decided to ditch the idea of BYO and stick with the food+drink package. They will just accept the great Treasury Wine Estate portfolio and pick the ones they like.

Slippery slope you're on there, allowing the wife to decide what wine you will drink. I see friday night trips to the BWS to pick up a bottle of the catalogue special and two cans of Woodstock.

Hi rossmckay,

Although I have to say what you said is something I would have in mind. But I still refrain from saying it out aloud in front of the couple to offend them. It's not my wedding and that is not the only opportunity I have to drink wines. As long as they are happy with the Grandin, I am perfectly fine.

[Thommo]

Probably a reasonable approach in the end. You don't want to over think wine catering at a wedding, as most people are just happy to get smashed on free booze and are not generally too picky. My wife and I had a lunch time reception and served abundant quantities of windy pinot from the much overhyped (but still delicious) 2008 vintage, tahbilk cleanskin white, and a cleanskin rococo blanc de blanc that was going around at the time. All sub 12 dollar wines and food friendly. Having fancy labels is nice for show, but after the second glass, most of the guests won't notice what they are drinking

[Phil H]

Recently went to a wedding of a friend who enjoys his wine. I was impressed with his selection which included Brown Bros N/V Sparking (Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier) as suggested by Catchnrelease, showing a lot of class and character, and a selection of Logan Weemala Vineyard wines including the Pinot Noir. All these wines are just under $20 and excellent value. To complement throw in a decent Barossa Shiraz -.perhaps 2012 Grant Burge Filsell.
However no matter what you choose could be severely degraded if it is served in substandard glasses. Maybe worth checking out beforehand.