Don’t let a bad wine ruin your big day

Coming up with a total
How much wine to purchase will depend on various factors, including the number of guests, whether it's a wine-drinking crowd, the format of the reception, the time of year, time of day, and the menu. Here are some general rules of thumb provided by wedding planners, caterers, and married couples who have been through it already:

• It's better to have too much wine than not enough. Guests grumble when the wine runs out and they still have prime rib on their plate, or if they have an empty glass for the toast. Unopened leftovers can usually be returned to the seller (or taken home, of course).
  
  
• The standard 750-ml wine bottle holds 25 ounces; count on five servings of wine, at five ounces each, from one bottle. For sparkling wines served in flutes, allow for four ounces per serving (plus foam), which equals six servings per bottle.
  
  
• Most caterers count on each guest consuming one-half bottle of wine — roughly two glasses — every two hours. If the party lasts four hours, count on one 25-ounce bottle per person. These calculations allow for the fact that some folks will drink more, some less and some not at all. One bottle each might seem like a lot of wine, yet many attendees want to sample everything, even though they don't drain their glasses (half your wine may sit at the end of the night in half-empty cups).

Procuring the bottles
Local and state laws — and individual wedding venue policies — determine whether couples can bring their own wine to the site or if they must choose from the venue's (or caterer’s) list. Sometimes, you can convince a venue to special-order, but don't count on it. If wine service is to be a highlight of the big day, ask about options and restrictions before booking the wedding site or hiring the caterer. A hotel, for example, may not allow couples to bring their own wine, yet its banquet wine list could be uninteresting or overly expensive. Many caterers have reseller licenses and can purchase the wine for the couple; those who don't have the license require that clients purchase the wines themselves, though a competent caterer will make suggestions and help match wines with the meal. Ask questions about wine options before site and catering contracts are signed. If you're ordering online, don't forget to factor in shipping costs. Wineries are popular wedding locations (there's at least one winery in every state of the union); the majority of them, naturally, insist that only their wines be served on site.

Personalize your bottles
Giving guests stemware engraved with the couple's name and date of the ceremony has been popular for decades, but the trend today is to personalize the wine bottles. Web sites such as Signature Wines & Beverages, Personal Wine, and Windsor Vineyards sell wines bearing labels that you can custom-design online. Alcohol shipping laws vary from state to state, so check the Web sites to see if delivery is allowed in your state. Federal regulations require that wine be shipped with labels affixed; consumers can't buy the labels only, nor can they buy unlabeled wines (though you could surely affix labels of your own over or next to the originals on your favorite wine if you're handy with a color printer and don't mind the DIY look). Prices range from $10 to $100 per bottle, depending on the quality of the wine and intricacy of the label. Windsor Vineyards makes its own wine at its winery in Sonoma County, California, and offers 30 different choices of red, white, blush, sparkling, and dessert wines. Personalwine.com has an international selection of wines made by producers such as Rutherford Ranch in Napa Valley and Gagliardo in Piedmont, Italy. All of the dozen or so signaturewines.com offerings are from California, and include Clos du Bois Chardonnay, Monticello Cabernet Sauvignon, and Ariel nonalcoholic wines.

Several Web sites sell wines bearing labels that you can custom-design online.

Time of day
According to wedding planners, guests tend to drink less and lighter wines in the daytime than in the evening. Buy chilled white wines, rosés, and lighter reds if you're expecting a sunny afternoon. In the evening, temperatures drop; if you're having a sit-down dinner and want guests to linger longer, caterers suggest budgeting for more red wine than you would for the day.

Consider the season
Brisk white wines, dry rosés, and light- to medium-bodied reds are ideal for warm-weather weddings because they offer more refreshment than heavier Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, and Zinfandel.

Brisk whites include Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris/Grigio, unoaked Chardonnay, Riesling, and sparkling wines.

Medium-bodied reds include Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Italian Valpolicella, Spanish Rioja, and Rhone Valley Côtes du Rhône.

For winter and fall weddings, wines with more weight and power (Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, and the like) pair best with chilly temperatures and rich comfort foods.

Seek advice
Most caterers, banquet managers, and hotel beverage directors will help you select wines based on personal taste, budget, and the menu (be sure to taste the recommended wines with the dishes when choosing the menu). Critics' scores and descriptions can be helpful as well; visit the free Web site snooth.com for aggregated reviews from users, and top wine publications such as Wine Spectator magazine and Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. More than 200,000 wines are on the Web site, along with links to retailers who sell them. Robin Garr's wineloverspage.com also has a wealth of reviews dispensed free of charge. Two books are excellent: Leslie Sbrocco's “The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide” and Andrea Robinson's 2008 “Wine Buying Guide for Everyone.” Each is packed with recommendations and pairing tips. If you’re still unsure, you should visit a reputable fine-wine shop and let a salesperson recommend wines that will work for the time of day, season, food, and budget. If you're not in a rush, you should have time to take a few of the recommended wines home, taste them, and, if they're delicious, go back for more.

Reliable brands
Hundreds of brands consistently deliver good quality at very fair prices. Here's a very short list:

• California: Chateau St. Jean, Geyser Peak, Joel Gott, Kendall Jackson, Rosenblum, and Sebastiani
  
  
• Washington: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Hogue, and Reininger
  
  
• Oregon: Argyle, A to Z Wineworks, Belle Vallée, and Firesteed
  
  
• Australia: Greg Norman Estates, McWilliam's, Rosemount, and Yalumba
  
  
• New Zealand: Brancott, Matua Valley, and Villa Maria
  
  
• France: E. Guigal, La Vieille Ferme, Louis Jadot, and Perrin & Fils
  
  
• Argentina: Alamos, Andeluna, and Bodega Norton
  
  
• Chile: Concha y Toro and Vina Santa Rita
  
  
• Italy: Castello Banfi and Falesco
  
  
• Spain: Bodegas Montecillo and Bodegas Muga    

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