Help with Wines

snowdaisy822

Hi! So I love wine, but have never been great at pairing wines. I need a white and red option for both our cocktail hour and for the reception. We are doing crab cakes and a tortellini with soy sauce for the cocktail hour and dinner has a flat iron steak with chimichuri sauce and chicken with a roasted red pepper sauce. What would you suggest? I'm pretty sure we'll have reisling for the cocktail hour since that's my favorite, but I need a red. We're thinking maybe a pinot gris for dinner, but again, I need a red. Haha! Can you tell I like white and don't know much about reds? What would you do? Thanks!

Maggie0829

I would also add that a nice pinot grigio would be a great white wine option.

unchatenfrance

Tastes vary, but I find pinot gris better to sip on its own and a chardonnay, riesling or sauvignon blanc pairs better with food. For the red, you can't go wrong with a merlot-cabernet sauvignon blend. A pure cabernet sauvignon might be too tannic, while a pure merlot often has a weak finish. A blend has the best properties of both and goes marvelously with steak!

melb2013

I'd go with a chardonnay or a pinot grigio for the white- unless you get a dryer german reisling, reislings are very sweet and not universally liked.  Have you thought about a meritage for dinner?  It's a cabernet blend that's very full and goes well with meat.  I'd go with something lighter and slightly sweeter like a pinot noir for cocktail hour.  I'm no expert, these are just things I like and observations I've made about wines. 

snowdaisy822

Thanks, ladies! That helps a lot! I'm leaning towards a pinot grigio and pinot noir for cocktail hour and sauvignon blanc and possibly a blend for the reception. Thanks!

jessicabessica

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_help-with-wines?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:1e8bb0f7-42ab-42de-ba87-cf5d3e861a10Post:0b297776-3487-417b-a008-3e24950de62a">Re: Help with Wines</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks, ladies! That helps a lot! I'm leaning towards a pinot grigio and pinot noir for cocktail hour and sauvignon blanc and possibly a blend for the reception. Thanks!
Posted by snowdaisy822[/QUOTE]

<div>Is there a reason why you wouldn't offer all the wines throughout the night?  Different people like different things, and it doesn't seem like you're being super deliberate with the pairings if this is the extent of your research (which is totally fine), so I would offer all 4 all night.  Also, if you really like riesling, then you could do 2 whites, 2 reds, and include riesling as one of the white options, since guests would have another white option.</div>

snowdaisy822

All 4 will be offered, but there will be butlered wines during the cocktail hour and dinner and they'll have different wines, but if they want a different kind, it'll be available, they'll just have to go to the bar.

jessicabessica

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_help-with-wines?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:1e8bb0f7-42ab-42de-ba87-cf5d3e861a10Post:fa12e061-c066-4aae-9de7-d305af4e1cee">Re: Help with Wines</a>:
[QUOTE]All 4 will be offered, but there will be butlered wines during the cocktail hour and dinner and they'll have different wines, but if they want a different kind, it'll be available, they'll just have to go to the bar. :)
Posted by snowdaisy822[/QUOTE]

<div>Ok, that sounds great.  </div>