Where are my wine pros?

novella1186

I just got the bar info from our liquor supplier for the wedding. I hate the wines he recommended. Hate. Hate. One more time for good measure: Hate. He's a little slow to respond to e-mails and he's too far away for me to meet him in person. I don't really feel like giving him a call cuz there's not really a quiet/private place to talk around my office. So I wanted to e-mail him back with some of my own wine suggestions to get the ball rolling on what we want to actually order. (This is all just preliminary stuff)

I don't need brands (yet). Just types. 

If we do 4 different kinds, I was thinking:

Pinot Noir 

Cabernet 

Chardonnay 

Pinot Grigio 

If we did three I think I would drop the Chardonnay based on what my "white drinkers" have said. If I did 2 I would probably drop the Pinot Noir. But is this good? Does that give a good range, or should I consider different types? The people I know well enough to know what kind of wine they do and don't drink would be covered by these, but what about the rest of the crowd? Would one of these types be good for them? Or is there a different one that's really common/popular that I've left out? Should I include a lighter red and a sweet white? What do you guys most commonly drink? 

TIA! 

WinstonsGirl

I usually only drink white and I hate chardonnay.  It always tastes cheap to me.  I find that reisling always seems to go over well with more people.  Can't help you with the reds.    

esstee33

I drink merlot almost exclusively for most of the year, and pinot grigio in the summer. If my only red options were pinot noir and cabernet, I'd be OK with that. 

Kahlyla

I would switch the chardonnay, and I would possibly switch the cab for a malbec or a good merlot, just for broader appeal (I do like a good cab, though, nothing wrong with that choice). A lot of chardonnays are just nasty.

novella1186

esstee33 said:

I drink merlot almost exclusively for most of the year, and pinot grigio in the summer. If my only red options were pinot noir and cabernet, I'd be OK with that. 

My wine snob friend told me Merlot is too heavy for him, and I've had other wine drinker friends tell me that (although that used to be all I drank). So I just assumed the majority of people avoid it? But to me it had seemed like a pretty common/popular type. Aren't cab and pinot noir pretty similar? Should I switch one of those out for Merlot? 

novella1186

WinstonsGirl said:

I usually only drink white and I hate chardonnay.  It always tastes cheap to me.  I find that reisling always seems to go over well with more people.  Can't help you with the reds.    

Reisling is pretty sweet isn't it? Maybe I should swap the chardonnay for that? I know some people would prefer sweet wine, I'm just not familiar with those cuz I can't drink them :S 

novella1186

Kahlyla said:

I would switch the chardonnay, and I would possibly switch the cab for a malbec or a good merlot, just for broader appeal (I do like a good cab, though, nothing wrong with that choice). A lot of chardonnays are just nasty.

Ok I don't think I've ever had a malbec. Is that really similar to merlot? 

lacqueredlover

I think Pinot Noir and Cabernet are great red options.  It gives one lighter and fruitier and one much bigger and bolder.

Merlots can be very specific and people usually really love or hate them, and Malbec is still pretty up and coming so people might not recognize it/want to drink it because of that.  People go for what they "know."  When I was working as a som, I found people were more hesitant to drink those two than a cab or a pinot noir because those seemed more familiar to them.

For white, I would stay away from Chardonnay.  If you want 2, i would do maybe a Sauvignon Blanc for a dry, light wine and a more buttery Pinot Grigio.

cupcait927

novella1186 said:

WinstonsGirl said:

I usually only drink white and I hate chardonnay.  It always tastes cheap to me.  I find that reisling always seems to go over well with more people.  Can't help you with the reds.    

Reisling is pretty sweet isn't it? Maybe I should swap the chardonnay for that? I know some people would prefer sweet wine, I'm just not familiar with those cuz I can't drink them :S 

You can get dry Riesling that is not sweet at all. It all depends on the RS rating (residual sugar) and the brand. Look for labels that specifically say dry Riesling. Anything that's semi-dry will be sweeter.

 

My recommendation would be to keep all four, but if you have to limit, then go with the pinot grigio, the cab, and put in a sweeter wine. I didn't include a sweet wine on the list for my venue (a winery) but the coordinator included one anyway. I'm SO happy he made the executive decision to do that because it ended up being the most popular wine of the evening. Even people who didn't normally drink wine loved it. It was a loganberry wine that they make and was a huge hit.

novella1186

lacqueredlover said:

I think Pinot Noir and Cabernet are great red options.  It gives one lighter and fruitier and one much bigger and bolder.

Merlots can be very specific and people usually really love or hate them, and Malbec is still pretty up and coming so people might not recognize it/want to drink it because of that.  People go for what they "know."  When I was working as a som, I found people were more hesitant to drink those two than a cab or a pinot noir because those seemed more familiar to them.

For white, I would stay away from Chardonnay.  If you want 2, i would do maybe a Sauvignon Blanc for a dry, light wine and a more buttery Pinot Grigio.

If you were gonna throw a sweet wine (or at least a "semi-dry") into the mix, which one would you do? 

lacqueredlover

novella1186 said:

lacqueredlover said:

I think Pinot Noir and Cabernet are great red options.  It gives one lighter and fruitier and one much bigger and bolder.

Merlots can be very specific and people usually really love or hate them, and Malbec is still pretty up and coming so people might not recognize it/want to drink it because of that.  People go for what they "know."  When I was working as a som, I found people were more hesitant to drink those two than a cab or a pinot noir because those seemed more familiar to them.

For white, I would stay away from Chardonnay.  If you want 2, i would do maybe a Sauvignon Blanc for a dry, light wine and a more buttery Pinot Grigio.

If you were gonna throw a sweet wine (or at least a "semi-dry") into the mix, which one would you do? 

I personally find Pinot Grigio fairly sweet.  rieslings tend to be VERY sweet when they are sweet (like bordering on dessert wine sweet) and I Honestly don't know people who really drink that at a wedding.

kat1114

I prefer dry whites, so I would recommend swapping out the Chardonnay for a dry Sauvignon Blanc. That way, you will still a sweeter and drier wine to appeal to both palettes. 

I enjoy most reds, so I would be happy with whatever is served. Have you considered doing a blend? There are some really good ones out there.

amelisha

If I were to add an off-dry it would be a Riesling or Gewürztraminer, personally. Lots of good reasonable options there and not as cloying as, say Moscato (which I would never serve to a group.)

I wanted to give a word of caution on the Pinot Noir though - while a good Pinot Noir is a wonderful, delicate option of a red, lots of inexpensive ones are just not good. Pinot Noir is a finicky grape to grow and I can't think of any under $30 I'll drink (and I'm not a snob - there are plenty of $10 wines I enjoy.) For that reason I'd be very hesitant to choose it for a group unless I had the budget for a decent one.

The thing about cab sauv, too, is that while it's popular it is a big, oaky wine so it wouldn't be the only red I serve either as it can be off-putting for some people. If I'm trying to please a crowd I like to choose something like a Valpolicella (light to medium bodied) and a Syrah/Shiraz (full bodied and fruit-forward, not heavily oaked). GSM (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre) is another great choice for crowd-pleasing red and has lots of reasonably priced ones. I might also consider a South American red like Malbec (waning a bit in popularity though) or Carmenere.

kat1114

amelisha said:

If I were to add an off-dry it would be a Riesling or Gewürztraminer, personally. Lots of good reasonable options there and not as cloying as, say Moscato (which I would never serve to a group.)

I wanted to give a word of caution on the Pinot Noir though - while a good Pinot Noir is a wonderful, delicate option of a red, lots of inexpensive ones are just not good. Pinot Noir is a finicky grape to grow and I can't think of any under $30 I'll drink (and I'm not a snob - there are plenty of $10 wines I enjoy.) For that reason I'd be very hesitant to choose it for a group unless I had the budget for a decent one.

The thing about cab sauv, too, is that while it's popular it is a big, oaky wine so it wouldn't be the only red I serve either as it can be off-putting for some people. If I'm trying to please a crowd I like to choose something like a Valpolicella (light to medium bodied) and a Syrah/Shiraz (full bodied and fruit-forward, not heavily oaked). GSM (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre) is another great choice for crowd-pleasing red and has lots of reasonably priced ones. I might also consider a South American red like Malbec (waning a bit in popularity though) or Carmenere.

GSMs are so good!

emmaaa

I think the Cabernet and Pinot Noir are good options for red wine.

I also think Pinot Grigio for white is a big hit but would do Reisling instead of Chardonnay. 

labro

I'm seconding everything @lacqueredlover and @amelisha said.

If it were me and I were doing 4 wines it would be:

Pinot Grigio

Sauvignon Blanc

Cab Sauvignon

Red Blend like the GSM...I loooovveeee blended reds

For the whites if you really want something sweeter and off dry I also love the Gerwurztraminer suggestion! They are fairly inexpensive and I think it would be a crowd pleaser.

plainjane0415

novella1186 said:

I just got the bar info from our liquor supplier for the wedding. I hate the wines he recommended. Hate. Hate. One more time for good measure: Hate. He's a little slow to respond to e-mails and he's too far away for me to meet him in person. I don't really feel like giving him a call cuz there's not really a quiet/private place to talk around my office. So I wanted to e-mail him back with some of my own wine suggestions to get the ball rolling on what we want to actually order. (This is all just preliminary stuff)

I don't need brands (yet). Just types. 

If we do 4 different kinds, I was thinking:

Pinot Noir 

Cabernet 

Chardonnay 

Pinot Grigio 

If we did three I think I would drop the Chardonnay based on what my "white drinkers" have said. If I did 2 I would probably drop the Pinot Noir. But is this good? Does that give a good range, or should I consider different types? The people I know well enough to know what kind of wine they do and don't drink would be covered by these, but what about the rest of the crowd? Would one of these types be good for them? Or is there a different one that's really common/popular that I've left out? Should I include a lighter red and a sweet white? What do you guys most commonly drink? 

TIA! 

I would definitely keep Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio for your options.  Those are solid red and white options that I think a lot of people would like.  If you want to add one more, I will echo what previous posters have said and go with a cabernet, and drop the Merlot.  I know you said no brands, but I have to give a major shout out to my favorite Pinot Noir "Meomi".  It's sooo delicious. And a good mid level price point Hope this helps!

melbenso

If you are doing 2 reds and 2 whites, I would do one sweeter/fruitier and one drier for each.

KytchynWitche

Please, please, PLEASE switch the Chardonnay out for something like a Chenin Blanc instead! Chardonnay is a polarising wine - you either love it or hate it, and in my time at the wine mag I used to work for, I learned that the vast majority of white-drinkers hate it.

I'm not a red-drinker, so I can't really offer any input there, but your red selection looks pretty good to me.

Remember also that you don't have to serve single varietal wines, you could serve blends instead. There are some very tasty (and low cost) blended wines out there.

novella1186

KytchynWitche said:

Please, please, PLEASE switch the Chardonnay out for something like a Chenin Blanc instead! Chardonnay is a polarising wine - you either love it or hate it, and in my time at the wine mag I used to work for, I learned that the vast majority of white-drinkers hate it.

I'm not a red-drinker, so I can't really offer any input there, but your red selection looks pretty good to me.

Remember also that you don't have to serve single varietal wines, you could serve blends instead. There are some very tasty (and low cost) blended wines out there.

No worries! I already decided chardonnay is definitely out :P 

Between what my wine drinking friends have said about it, and what you guys have said, it doesn't seem like a very good choice. Thank you! 

KytchynWitche

novella1186 said:

KytchynWitche said:

Please, please, PLEASE switch the Chardonnay out for something like a Chenin Blanc instead! Chardonnay is a polarising wine - you either love it or hate it, and in my time at the wine mag I used to work for, I learned that the vast majority of white-drinkers hate it.

I'm not a red-drinker, so I can't really offer any input there, but your red selection looks pretty good to me.

Remember also that you don't have to serve single varietal wines, you could serve blends instead. There are some very tasty (and low cost) blended wines out there.

No worries! I already decided chardonnay is definitely out :P 

Between what my wine drinking friends have said about it, and what you guys have said, it doesn't seem like a very good choice. Thank you! 

Awesometastic! I'm sure whatever you pick will be delicious, now that Char is out of the way! ;P

dolewhipper

plainjane0415 said:

novella1186 said:

I just got the bar info from our liquor supplier for the wedding. I hate the wines he recommended. Hate. Hate. One more time for good measure: Hate. He's a little slow to respond to e-mails and he's too far away for me to meet him in person. I don't really feel like giving him a call cuz there's not really a quiet/private place to talk around my office. So I wanted to e-mail him back with some of my own wine suggestions to get the ball rolling on what we want to actually order. (This is all just preliminary stuff)

I don't need brands (yet). Just types. 

If we do 4 different kinds, I was thinking:

Pinot Noir 

Cabernet 

Chardonnay 

Pinot Grigio 

If we did three I think I would drop the Chardonnay based on what my "white drinkers" have said. If I did 2 I would probably drop the Pinot Noir. But is this good? Does that give a good range, or should I consider different types? The people I know well enough to know what kind of wine they do and don't drink would be covered by these, but what about the rest of the crowd? Would one of these types be good for them? Or is there a different one that's really common/popular that I've left out? Should I include a lighter red and a sweet white? What do you guys most commonly drink? 

TIA! 

I would definitely keep Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio for your options.  Those are solid red and white options that I think a lot of people would like.  If you want to add one more, I will echo what previous posters have said and go with a cabernet, and drop the Merlot.  I know you said no brands, but I have to give a major shout out to my favorite Pinot Noir "Meomi".  It's sooo delicious. And a good mid level price point Hope this helps!

OMG I LOVE MEOMI! 

plainjane0415

dolewhipper said:

plainjane0415 said:

novella1186 said:

I just got the bar info from our liquor supplier for the wedding. I hate the wines he recommended. Hate. Hate. One more time for good measure: Hate. He's a little slow to respond to e-mails and he's too far away for me to meet him in person. I don't really feel like giving him a call cuz there's not really a quiet/private place to talk around my office. So I wanted to e-mail him back with some of my own wine suggestions to get the ball rolling on what we want to actually order. (This is all just preliminary stuff)

I don't need brands (yet). Just types. 

If we do 4 different kinds, I was thinking:

Pinot Noir 

Cabernet 

Chardonnay 

Pinot Grigio 

If we did three I think I would drop the Chardonnay based on what my "white drinkers" have said. If I did 2 I would probably drop the Pinot Noir. But is this good? Does that give a good range, or should I consider different types? The people I know well enough to know what kind of wine they do and don't drink would be covered by these, but what about the rest of the crowd? Would one of these types be good for them? Or is there a different one that's really common/popular that I've left out? Should I include a lighter red and a sweet white? What do you guys most commonly drink? 

TIA! 

I would definitely keep Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio for your options.  Those are solid red and white options that I think a lot of people would like.  If you want to add one more, I will echo what previous posters have said and go with a cabernet, and drop the Merlot.  I know you said no brands, but I have to give a major shout out to my favorite Pinot Noir "Meomi".  It's sooo delicious. And a good mid level price point Hope this helps!

OMG I LOVE MEOMI! 

It's the best! 

theartistformerlyknownas

I would never order Riesling with food. Way too sweet. And I think even if you find one that's drier, people may assume it's sweet and not order it. 

amelisha

lolo883 said: I would never order Riesling with food. Way too sweet. And I think even if you find one that's drier, people may assume it's sweet and not order it. 


(where'd my box go?)

That's true for most people who actually like wine and know anything about it, but in my experience, people who DON'T drink much wine will sometimes still want to drink it at a dinner event and then they want mommy-juicebox wine, with food or not. So if I'm serving a crowd, I do usually include it (but would never make it the only option.) I'd serve it as a third wine with a PG or SB and a Chard, or maaaaybe as a second white with a very crowd-pleasing white as the other if the group was, shall we say, less sophisticated.

I bartended in a steakhouse for years and in a theatre too, and if there's one thing I learned from that, it is which varietals are nearly universally popular and what is chosen by different types of people on different occasions. I like to think I have a gift for finding the most inoffensive selections, actually, hahaha. I'd never serve to a large group what I prefer to drink for myself because I know my taste isn't necessarily the popular vote. So I think when wedding planning if you're having a larger group it's better to go with stuff that the majority will find drinkable. Which is usually medium-everything: not too tannic, not too oaky, not too full- or light-bodied, not too sweet or too fruit-forward, etc etc.

[Deleted User]

WinstonsGirl said:

I usually only drink white and I hate chardonnay.  It always tastes cheap to me.  I find that reisling always seems to go over well with more people.  Can't help you with the reds.    

IMO, not a sweet reisling though...  this wine can run the gamet from dry to sweet, so I wouldn't get anything that would put it closer to the "dessert" wince category.  Don't have a specific brand I can offer though unfortunately; I'm scared to try a lot of reislings simply because the few I've had have been on the sweeter side and weren't pleasing to my pallet.

RebeccaFlower

WinstonsGirl said:

I usually only drink white and I hate chardonnay.  It always tastes cheap to me.  I find that reisling always seems to go over well with more people.  Can't help you with the reds.    

I agree with this exactly. 

kaos16

lacqueredlover said:

I think Pinot Noir and Cabernet are great red options.  It gives one lighter and fruitier and one much bigger and bolder.

Merlots can be very specific and people usually really love or hate them, and Malbec is still pretty up and coming so people might not recognize it/want to drink it because of that.  People go for what they "know."  When I was working as a som, I found people were more hesitant to drink those two than a cab or a pinot noir because those seemed more familiar to them.

For white, I would stay away from Chardonnay.  If you want 2, i would do maybe a Sauvignon Blanc for a dry, light wine and a more buttery Pinot Grigio.

Any brands on a buttery pinot grigio?  I have never heard of that before.  Any pinot grigio I have ever had tends to be light crisp and dry.  

novella1186

kaos16 said:

lacqueredlover said:

I think Pinot Noir and Cabernet are great red options.  It gives one lighter and fruitier and one much bigger and bolder.

Merlots can be very specific and people usually really love or hate them, and Malbec is still pretty up and coming so people might not recognize it/want to drink it because of that.  People go for what they "know."  When I was working as a som, I found people were more hesitant to drink those two than a cab or a pinot noir because those seemed more familiar to them.

For white, I would stay away from Chardonnay.  If you want 2, i would do maybe a Sauvignon Blanc for a dry, light wine and a more buttery Pinot Grigio.

Any brands on a buttery pinot grigio?  I have never heard of that before.  Any pinot grigio I have ever had tends to be light crisp and dry.  

Ditto this. The ones I've had have been more citrusy. The chardonnays I've had are always pretty buttery. I don't know a ton about wines, though. 

amelisha

novella1186 said:

kaos16 said:

lacqueredlover said:

I think Pinot Noir and Cabernet are great red options.  It gives one lighter and fruitier and one much bigger and bolder.

Merlots can be very specific and people usually really love or hate them, and Malbec is still pretty up and coming so people might not recognize it/want to drink it because of that.  People go for what they "know."  When I was working as a som, I found people were more hesitant to drink those two than a cab or a pinot noir because those seemed more familiar to them.

For white, I would stay away from Chardonnay.  If you want 2, i would do maybe a Sauvignon Blanc for a dry, light wine and a more buttery Pinot Grigio.

Any brands on a buttery pinot grigio?  I have never heard of that before.  Any pinot grigio I have ever had tends to be light crisp and dry.  

Ditto this. The ones I've had have been more citrusy. The chardonnays I've had are always pretty buttery. I don't know a ton about wines, though. 

That is typical - classic chard profile is buttery and rich (I've even heard "wobbly" as a descriptor) while a PG tends to be light, citrus-y bright, and crisp (but lacking the green herbaceousness and crispness of a sauv blanc.) Not to say there aren't wines that don't fit the typical varietal profile but typically that's what you can expect.

cupcait927

amelisha said:

novella1186 said:

kaos16 said:

lacqueredlover said:

I think Pinot Noir and Cabernet are great red options.  It gives one lighter and fruitier and one much bigger and bolder.

Merlots can be very specific and people usually really love or hate them, and Malbec is still pretty up and coming so people might not recognize it/want to drink it because of that.  People go for what they "know."  When I was working as a som, I found people were more hesitant to drink those two than a cab or a pinot noir because those seemed more familiar to them.

For white, I would stay away from Chardonnay.  If you want 2, i would do maybe a Sauvignon Blanc for a dry, light wine and a more buttery Pinot Grigio.

Any brands on a buttery pinot grigio?  I have never heard of that before.  Any pinot grigio I have ever had tends to be light crisp and dry.  

Ditto this. The ones I've had have been more citrusy. The chardonnays I've had are always pretty buttery. I don't know a ton about wines, though. 

That is typical - classic chard profile is buttery and rich (I've even heard "wobbly" as a descriptor) while a PG tends to be light, citrus-y bright, and crisp (but lacking the green herbaceousness and crispness of a sauv blanc.) Not to say there aren't wines that don't fit the typical varietal profile but typically that's what you can expect.

For those of you that don't like chardonnay - have any of you tried unoaked chardonnay? It's usually aged in stainless steel, which tends it leave it crisper, lighter and without that buttery, oakey taste. H and I don't usually like unoaked chardonnay because we love the butter, but we find that unoaked chard tends to be much more pleasing across the board.