How do you choose wine for your wedding pt.1

You’ll be wearing your dream dress. Your cake will be delish and your first dance divine. Each moment of your reception however, will be memorable if you have a wine, champagne or signature cocktail that fits your personality. Beginning today and every Wednesday throughout Sept., you can look forward to information about wine, champagne and spirits. There will be recipes for cocktails as well as some cool 'tools' to add to your wedding registry. If you have any questions, I am lucky to have experts on hand that are ready, willing and able to answer them.

Today we’re going to focus on wine for your wedding and beyond. Like picking out a diamond it’s all about the 4Cs…when you pick a wine, it’s all about the 4Ss.

See: Tilt your glass to a 45-degree angle against a white background if at all possible. Look at the color/intensity of the wine. The rule of thumb is the more intense the color, the more intense the wine will taste.

Sniff: I always thought this was silly but you should give your wine a swirl to release the aromas. Wines that are from white grapes will smell like ‘white, yellow and orange-fleshed fruits like apples, pear and melon. Wines made from red grapes will smell like red and purple fruits like cherry and plum.
(Side note: when you are picking an after-dinner cordial, warm the glass first (with hot water – let the glass get just warmed and then dump the water out!!) and then pour your scotch, brandy or cordial into the glass. You won’t believe how quickly the flavor and aroma will be released. Try it!)

Sip: Take a small sip and swish it around (not like your gargling, but you’ve seen the movies….). Is the wine thick/full-bodied like ice cream or light-bodies like sorbet?

Summarize: Swallow the wine and what lingers? They say the longer the finish, the better the wine. Is the wine crisp and leaves your mouth feeling refreshed? If it’s a red wine, is it a smooth finish or ‘rough’?

Truly the bottom line is that you should really just serve what you like. If you would say “hmmm, I think I’ll have a second glass of that, then your guests are going to enjoy it as well.