When you’re out wining and dining, do you like to stick to the rules or try something new? Must you have red wine with beef or do you sometimes opt for a beer? Do you begin with something bubbly or have a fall-back cocktail? And do you always return to that same wine by the glass or do you surrender to the whim of a knowledgeable server or bartender?
On your wedding day, the beverages you serve can impart a sense of your personal style, whether you like to take chances for the sake of discovery or staunchly stick to your favorites. Traditional presentation has taken a backseat to expressing something about you as a couple: Champagne isn’t mandatory for toasts; servers need not utter that age-old question (“red or white?”) and they might offer the back-story on a few wines for tasting. They could even circulate through the crowd, passing out a favorite cocktail that’s been perfectly paired with the hors d’oeuvres and saving your guests a trip to the bar.
Wine
When Jess Beckwith and Kari Bailey planned their October 2010 wedding, they wanted to incorporate their enthusiasm for trying different wines. Using food stations, they based their choices on memorable trips they’d taken to Italy, South America and the West Coast. At the Italian station, Three Sons Signature Catering recreated the lemon ricotta ravioli they’d had in Italy, served alongside Italian cheeses and marinated vegetables. A refreshing bianco from the Trentino region of Italy and the Ruffino Chianti, a medium-bodied, classic Italian red, complemented those choices. In a similar vein, they paired chimichurri kebabs with an Argentinean malbec at the South American station, and pan-Asian foods like a spring roll trio with an Angeline sauvignon blanc from California’s Russian River Valley to represent the West Coast.
At pouring, the staff discussed the flavor profiles of each wine, while photographs from the couple’s vacations accented each of the serving stations. They knew many guests would be interested, but using food stations let each individual decide how much to participate. “Some people took the tasting seriously and tried the right wine with the right food, and some people found a wine they liked and drank that all night,” says Beckwith.
Aaron McCallum of Three Sons says beverage pairing can work perfectly when it fits the group, venue and budget. In the case of the Beckwith-Bailey reception, it was a smaller group using the less formal food stations, which was ideal. With lengthier guest lists and plated meals, formal pairings could increase the overall cost due to the extra glassware and the additional labor. Pouring a new wine with each course will take longer and could turn into “sensory overload” for the guests. “Pairing goes really well with more intimate weddings where everyone generally knows each other. If you don’t know whether your group is going to be into it, it can be a waste of money,” he says.Choosing one special drink for a certain point in the evening can be an easy way to add a personal touch. Shannon Gherty Anderson was expecting many out-of-town guests and wanted to serve a Minnesota drink at her August 2010 wedding. She and her fiancé had grown up in the country club circuit and shared a fondness for the Bootleg, a cocktail that originated in a local country club, made with gin or vodka, lemonade, fresh mint and soda or tonic water. On a hot, sultry day, it was butler-passed during the cocktail hour with summerlike fare such as shrimp shooters, roasted red bell pepper crostini and carmelized onion tartlets. Guests who took a liking to the drink could keep ordering it at the bar.
Nicole Aronson at Mintáhoe Catering & Events, who consulted on Gherty Anderson’s event, has seen many couples get creative with the beverage roster. She worked with one pair who indulged the groom’s taste for Guinness by passing it in special 3-ounce glasses in lieu of champagne for toasting. (Aronson recommends butler-passing signature drinks to make sure guests are aware of them and cut down on lines at the bar.) Other couples with a prized wine have stayed within budget by serving that wine only at dinner and stocking the bar with more affordable house wines.
Other options
With a honeymoon trip to Italy on the horizon and a mutual interest in wines, Jen Passa and her groom hosted a wine tasting as part of their November 2010 reception at Semple Mansion. An international tour of wines and cheeses was held in the wine cellar while a traditional cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres took place upstairs. They relied heavily on the knowledge of Darek Vetsch of Russell’s Catering, who also introduced them to some notable wines to pair with the entrée selections. Passa appreciated having a wine-savvy caterer who was also licensed to serve the alcohol, making it much easier to coordinate the pairings with the chef.
When doing pairings or tastings, Vetsch suggests using them to tell a story. On menu cards or at place settings, explanations can be given about the significance of a beverage. Introduce guests to your locale by serving Minnesota-produced wines or a favorite local brew. Vetsch has even seen a rise in popularity of specialty beverages, like Jamaican ginger ale, for nonalcoholic toasting. With or without alcohol, any pairing that is a representation of you can be a success.