Hi Berserkers, I could use your help! I’ve been tracking down wines for my wedding next year in advance as I want to 1) save money but also 2) get things that would be above the norm of what’s expected. Not everyone who we’re inviting is a major wine drinker but it’s something I love and want to share that love with others. Since this only happens once in our life, what better excuse than to have a wedding wine bar with a few special bottles and formats.
Where I could use your help is 1) helping me figure out amounts. We’re inviting 50-60ish people for a summer evening backyard party (saving so much money this way) and I want to make sure I have enough bottles. 2) helping with the whites specifically (and any other suggestions you have!). I’m flexible in this category and have a few ideas/open questions. My partner primarily likes Chardonnay but also Assyrtiko and Sauvignon Blanc. I’ve got some thoughts below!
The Menu:
Sparkling
- 15L of Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve (acquired - picking up in a few weeks). Genuinely so excited about this. My guess is most guests will prioritize finishing this.
Rosé
- 3L, Tempier Bandol Rose, 2017 (acquired - thinking I’ll need to find a few extra 750 ml bottles - any vintage is fine - since it could be a warm night).
Red
- Cabernet Sauvignon - Corison, Napa 2019 (6 bottles acquired, OWC). Do I get a few more bottles just in case?
- Pinot Noir - Fourrier, Gevrey Chambertin VV 2023 - 3L (Acquired. Shipping hopefully before tariffs kick in…)
Additional red options that I’m down to toss in the mix to balance things out:
- Pinot Noir - Goodfellow, Willamette Valley, 2023. We love Goodfellow at our place and want to have additional pinot noir in case the 3L of Fourrier runs out. At $20ish a bottle, this is a no-brainer. Keeping an eye on my email for this release.
- Rioja - Lopez de Heredia Tondonia (any vintage)
- Cabernet Sauvignon - Dame de Montrose, 2019.
- a Malbec?
Whites (where I’m struggling)
- An Oregon chardonnay. I really want to surprise people here. Goodfellow, Kelley Fox, Evening Land, Morgen Long… I’m trying to decide on something great that’s also not $100+/750 ml.
- Maybe a bottle or two of Hubert Lamy - St. Aubin En Remilly. There’s a silly reason for including this but it’d be the most expensive/750 ml.
- Lopez de Heredia Gravonia Blanco? Never tried this before but I’m comfortable with the price.
- Assyrtiko?
- a Sauvignon Blanc?
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For Oregon Chardonnay one to consider would be Walter Scott La Combe Verte. I would love to sip on this wine at an outdoor wedding and it is priced right.
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This is a great idea and right about what I’d want to spend too. Going to need to sample this ASAP 
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Generally speaking you will be fine to have at a wedding fewer wine options than you are considering.
You have the 15L and the two 3L and the 6 bottles of Corison those are great. Total that’s equivalent to 34 bottles of wine, which for a 50-60 person wedding will be enough if you are also offering at least beer and possibly spirits.
I would suggest keeping the total selections to a minimum but going deep in total bottle count with the thought that you will have some leftover to enjoy across the years.
2019 Corison is a 30+ year wine so sure buy more then enjoy on anniversaries. But given the math above you may not even open 6 bottles.
Good fe good source so get some too.
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These are great points. Definitely want to make sure there’s enough but you’re right - we’re in a good spot as is.
Corison was the first winery I went wine-tasting with my significant other. Definitely need to find more of their 2019. Thank you!
Keep in mind too to be mindful of directing the bartender not to open too many bottles so that you have too much wine leftover at the end.
The 15L and the Tempier seem like great choices for the wedding.
I’m sure the Fourrier is great too but if you are also pouring a white and possibly Goodfellow PN then perhaps you keep the Fourrier unserved, it will certainly cellar.
Are you serving food? Before our wedding (also 50/60 people, also outside) I handed over a number of prospective bottles to our caterer who let me know which would go best with what she was preparing. And people drank a lot less than I espected.
We will yes! There’ll be dinner + passed bites
True!! I was thinking having them prioritize the big bottles and saving the 750 mls for later.
Personally, I wouldn’t serve a big young cab on a warm summer night. And keep the number of different wines on the low side. You are trying to please everyone, but everyone is just happy to be there sharing your big day, and they are going to be flexible when it comes to drink choices. Plus, I assume some would be drinking beer. But as Karl mentioned above, do not let the bartenders open all the bottles in advance. I would also try to select wines under screwcap v. cork, especially for the whites.
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La combe Verte is probably my favorite entry level Oregon chard - if you like white burgundy this is an amazing value! another choice would be Cristom mt Jefferson - roughly the same price and a little bit rounder of a wine. You could also do Lingua Franca AVNI which is even more oaky but all are lean and mineral driven wines
Another ringer chard thats just a bit more (roughly $50/ 750) is the Bodega Chacra Mainque from Patagonia. This is a project with Jean Marc Roulot and is one of my favorite new world chardonnays ive ever had. Electric stuff!
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Get some riesling magnums. In addition to being perfect for an outdoor party, there’s no big bottle that looks as cool as a riesling magnum.
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Great tips! I think I’m going to emphasize prioritizing the big bottles. Agree I can cut back on options here!
I do like Cristom! Will need to try that Lingua Franca.
I’ve heard amazing things about that Bodega Chacra
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its fantastic stuff. Their reds are great too. Barda is an amazing wine for the price and the Cinquenta is truly a special wine. I haven’t ever had the top cuvee but id imagine it’s fantastic. All these wines drink way above their price point imo!
you cannot go wrong with Walter Scott though, and they’re available here on berserker day at great great values - if your wedding isn’t until next summer it might be the move to just wait til January and then just grab a case of Walter Scott
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GREAT call.
I can wait until Berserker Day for that.
I think you’re way over thinking this. Your friends and family are going to be there to celebrate you as a couple, and not going there for wine tasting. The wine is going to be a long forgotten afterthought. One red, one white, and your sparkling is going to be all your guests are going to care about. Have a couple of beer options, and if your guests want hard alcohol, have a clear and a brown option, or a premixed cocktail.
You’re going to be so busy at your own wedding that you probably won’t enjoy the wine. I barely recall eating, but I remember the faces that day. It’s nice that you want people to share in your love for wine, but I get that your guests will assume that any wine you pour will be good, because you’ve likely established yourself as ‘that wine guy.’ I would say that 60% of the wine used for our toast went unconsumed in glasses. I would expect that you’re going to get huge waste out of that 15L bottle and you should absolutely make sure your bartender has the right training and equipment to open and pour that thing because it’s a 30+ pound bottle he’s is going to try to pour into flutes. That’s a liability waiting to happen.
All in all, simplify your wine list, make it easy, and enjoy your wedding.
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I was thinking, “Whoa—maybe rein it in a bit!” The 15- and 3-liter bottles alone should more than cover 50 people, assuming some stick to one glass while others go for two or three, plus a little beer in the mix. Unless you’re planning a full-blown, wine-fueled wedding rager.
Then again… buy it all. It’s not like the leftovers will go bad. I’ll crash the party for the Lamy St. Aubin En Remilly (though Joseph Colin or de Montille’s versions are less than half the price and perfectly suitable for a wedding). Still, a few bottles of Kelley Fox or Goodfellow Chardonnay wouldn’t hurt either.
Cheers, and congratulations!
Warren
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It’s an impressive wine list @robertl! I also vote for La Combe Verte–ridiculous bargain for what it is. I hear people about keeping it simple, but you should also go ahead and enjoy yourself, if sharing special wines with your guests gives you (and your partner) pleasure. One possibility is to hold back a few for those more in the know? Not everyone is going to be into wine, but presumably some of the guests will be and possibly the Corison or even the Fourrier could be held back for those. A lot of course, also depends on the food that you will be serving; I assume it won’t be just champagne and wine? But while Dame de Montrose is a good bit, older 5th growth or Haut Medoc can also be a treat. At my first wedding we poured 1982 Camensac (it was the '90’s) and that worked really well with the mains and was delicious. (We had a Burgundy at the second, something from Girardin, if I recall, since I was just getting into Burgundy, maybe a Volnay, which caused a dispute with the incoming step mother-in-law who had lived in France and thought it was crazy to serve Burgundy to that number of people.)
In any event,congratulations and enjoy!
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This is totally fair. I definitely don’t need all of these options. The other reds were ideas just in case. What can I say - I’m a people pleaser haha
I think I’ll keep it to the cab, Pinot, rose, champagne, and the Oregon Chardonnay 
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