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Rehearsal BBQ wines

ScottishSarahScottishSarah member
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in Wedding Cakes & Food Forum
Hi all!
FI and I have a tasting today with our local wine shop to chose our wedding wine and also drinks for our casual rehearsal BBQ.  I would love some additional input on what you ladies would like to drink with BBQ.

I first thought of just ordering extra of the wedding wine to serve at the BBQ but FI wants to 'keep it special' and serve something different than the wedding day which I totally get.  

Our menu for the BBQ is pork and leek sausages, burgers, cajun chicken legs, lemon and garlic shrimp, veg kebabs with and without hallumi cheese, corn on the cob, baked potatoes with toppings, caesar salad, greek salad, garden salad, potato salad, coleslaw and 2 desserts.

Basically we do not want to run out of the correct drinks as the venue is 20 minutes drive to the nearest shop!  Was thinking DUIs do not make a great pre-wedding event!! 

How much would you order for this menu and what split?  We want to offer beer, (what sort?) red, white and rose wine and mixed bottled soft drinks and bottled water.  Although we are serving red meat I was thinking that perhaps white and rose would be more popular due to the nature of the event?


The BBQ will be mid afternoon in the middle of summer (in Scotland so we have a weather plan B lol!) we are inviting 40 guests, and the caterers will be there for 2 hours.   

Thanks in advance for any advice.  Would particularly like to hear from people who have hosted a mid afternoon BBQ.  Xxx
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Re: Rehearsal BBQ wines

  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited April 2016
    I always thought of barbecue as a beer food.  If you want wine, I would offer red and white.
    About the beer - I understand that beer in Britain is quite different from American beer (lager).  I would hesitate to give you advice.

    Your food sounds wonderful!
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
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  • ScottishSarahScottishSarah member
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    FI said the same, he would drink beer, however several of my family are real wine fans, so not sure with which proportions to go with?
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  • ILoveBeachMusicILoveBeachMusic member
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    I was going to say skip the rose, but I love a good rose in the summer! Your food does sound amazing. Can the store where you are purchasing the alcohol give you a guide for how much to order? I know the store where we bought alcohol for DD's wedding had a suggestion for how much to buy. Unopened bottles could be returned (don't know if that is possible in Scotland).
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  • ScottishSarahScottishSarah member
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    Yes they will do sale and return but I think my family would disown me if I sent it back rather than use it up the next night. 

    I think the store will just suggest we get absolutely loads of everything as they know me and FI well and we are a bit of a soft touch with them. 

    I would go with more wine than beer but that's only my personal preference.  Unfortunately I have no idea what most guests would drink with that sort of food. 

    Just thought, must order hard cider!

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  • kvrunskvruns member
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    I definitely think of that as more beer food than wine. But I always think of Europeans as drinking wine with more things than Americans (no idea if that is true, just my thought).

    When you go to a cookout/BBQ at a friend's house, what do they normally have to drink or what do you wish they had? Will the party go longer than the 2 hours the caterers are there - as in ok food is done but will people stay another 1-2 hours drinking or hanging out?

    How early is the wedding the next day. Or rather how early do people need to be getting ready (hair appointments, etc) - that might help guide the amount too if it will be an early day.

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  • ScottishSarahScottishSarah member
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    Wedding at 3pm.  I guess people will hang out a bit longer?  We don't want a crazy one ourselves though as hair and make up starts at 10am.  All good things to consider.
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  • JaxInBlueJaxInBlue member
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    I agree that in my circle, BBQ is generally more of a beer food, but I'm not a beer drinker personally, so I'd want cider or wine. 

    I've found this calculator to be helpful for getting a baseline, and then generally pad a little bit. 

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  • ScottishSarahScottishSarah member
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    JaxInBlue said:
    I agree that in my circle, BBQ is generally more of a beer food, but I'm not a beer drinker personally, so I'd want cider or wine. 

    I've found this calculator to be helpful for getting a baseline, and then generally pad a little bit. 

    Thanks you for this, like this calculator.  I did it and it was about 75% of what I original guestimated.  We had the meeting and I'm currently at my kitchen table tasting wine 1 of 3 with FI and step mum.  All in the name of research of course!
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  • ScottishSarahScottishSarah member
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    On to wine 2/3
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  • CMGragainCMGragain member
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    Ooooh, can you get scrumpy?
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
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  • ernursejernursej member
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    I would go with red and white wine. Rose is nice but I don't see it as a popular choice. Beer could include a Pilsner (or similar), something heavier like a brown and then maybe an IPA or craft choice. 
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  • ScottishSarahScottishSarah member
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    Thanks girls!
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  • madamerwinmadamerwin member
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    ernursej said:
    I would go with red and white wine. Rose is nice but I don't see it as a popular choice. Beer could include a Pilsner (or similar), something heavier like a brown and then maybe an IPA or craft choice. 
    This is what we thought for our wedding, too. We had something like 20 bottles of red, 20 of white, and 10 rose for about 80 adult guests (I know, I know, we overbought).

    At the end of the night, there was half a bottle of Rose left, about 14 bottles of white, and 12 bottles of red. We were really surprised at how many people drank rose. Granted, it was a warm day, but sometimes rose is more popular that you (general) think!

    As for beer, I think one pilsner and one ale would suffice in terms of variety.
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  • ernursejernursej member
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    madamerwin said:
    ernursej said:
    I would go with red and white wine. Rose is nice but I don't see it as a popular choice. Beer could include a Pilsner (or similar), something heavier like a brown and then maybe an IPA or craft choice. 
    This is what we thought for our wedding, too. We had something like 20 bottles of red, 20 of white, and 10 rose for about 80 adult guests (I know, I know, we overbought).

    At the end of the night, there was half a bottle of Rose left, about 14 bottles of white, and 12 bottles of red. We were really surprised at how many people drank rose. Granted, it was a warm day, but sometimes rose is more popular that you (general) think!

    As for beer, I think one pilsner and one ale would suffice in terms of variety.

    I think rose can be a nice addition, but if it means the quality or quantity of red/white suffers ... nope. I actually have a lovely bottle of rose in my fridge right now. I might just go and open it and have a lovely post work glass. Yum!
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  • madamerwinmadamerwin member
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    ernursej said:
    madamerwin said:
    ernursej said:
    I would go with red and white wine. Rose is nice but I don't see it as a popular choice. Beer could include a Pilsner (or similar), something heavier like a brown and then maybe an IPA or craft choice. 
    This is what we thought for our wedding, too. We had something like 20 bottles of red, 20 of white, and 10 rose for about 80 adult guests (I know, I know, we overbought).

    At the end of the night, there was half a bottle of Rose left, about 14 bottles of white, and 12 bottles of red. We were really surprised at how many people drank rose. Granted, it was a warm day, but sometimes rose is more popular that you (general) think!

    As for beer, I think one pilsner and one ale would suffice in terms of variety.

    I think rose can be a nice addition, but if it means the quality or quantity of red/white suffers ... nope. I actually have a lovely bottle of rose in my fridge right now. I might just go and open it and have a lovely post work glass. Yum!
    I agree - red wine is, to me, by far the most important. We spent WAY more on the red than on the rose or white, and we were really surprised (and delighted) at how much of the red we had left over! It's our favorite red EVER (2014 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, for the record), and we even have one bottle saved in our wine cooler for our first anniversary.

    Goes to show that not everyone appreciates a fine Pinot :) 
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  • ernursejernursej member
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    madamerwin said:
    ernursej said:
    madamerwin said:
    ernursej said:
    I would go with red and white wine. Rose is nice but I don't see it as a popular choice. Beer could include a Pilsner (or similar), something heavier like a brown and then maybe an IPA or craft choice. 
    This is what we thought for our wedding, too. We had something like 20 bottles of red, 20 of white, and 10 rose for about 80 adult guests (I know, I know, we overbought).

    At the end of the night, there was half a bottle of Rose left, about 14 bottles of white, and 12 bottles of red. We were really surprised at how many people drank rose. Granted, it was a warm day, but sometimes rose is more popular that you (general) think!

    As for beer, I think one pilsner and one ale would suffice in terms of variety.

    I think rose can be a nice addition, but if it means the quality or quantity of red/white suffers ... nope. I actually have a lovely bottle of rose in my fridge right now. I might just go and open it and have a lovely post work glass. Yum!
    I agree - red wine is, to me, by far the most important. We spent WAY more on the red than on the rose or white, and we were really surprised (and delighted) at how much of the red we had left over! It's our favorite red EVER (2014 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, for the record), and we even have one bottle saved in our wine cooler for our first anniversary.

    Goes to show that not everyone appreciates a fine Pinot :) 

    Oh - we have a bottle of that somewhere. Looking forward to it now! We are spending way more on our red than white. We are offering Zenato Amarone and Planeta Plumbago at our wedding (red choices). I haven't picked white yet but will probably speak to the few white drinkers that will be coming and find out their favourites.
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  • ScottishSarahScottishSarah member
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    edited April 2016
    I think you definitely need to spend more on red than white.  As long as it's cold and pleasant I think you could go with a basic white.  I'm secretly hoping we will have leftovers of our red @madamerwin
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  • STARMOON44STARMOON44 member
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    Can I come?
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
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    beer, wine spritzer (similar to wine cooler), sangria would be good. If you want to create something unique what about an ice tea bar. You get plan ice tea & have flavors people can add like lemonade, raspberry, strawberry & then have something like vodka also for those that want a stronger ice tea.
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  • ScottishSarahScottishSarah member
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    Sangria is an excellent idea!  I make a really nice white version actually.  Thanks for that suggestion.  We are British so I don't think my guests will go for iced tea though, they would probably wonder what it was!

    In the end we have decided on 1/3 wine 1/3 prosecco and 1/3 beer/cider plus lots of soft drinks.  I'm going to see if I can find my punch bowl to add in the sangria as well.  

    Beer wise will be half lager (maybe corona) and the rest a mix of french cloudy cider and light Scottish ales for the groomsmen.  The wine will be equal splits of red white and rose.  

     Like I said in my OP it's important to get the quantities right, as the venue for the rehearsal is 20 minutes drive from any shops.  We have decided that around 5 alcoholic drinks per person plus softs for a 3pm till 6pm event feels about right.  Would that satisfy you for this type of event?  
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