Wine accompanies many special occasions. It’s there to mark milestones great and small, whether it’s a wedding, engagement, graduation, or job promotion.
It’s also a common gift to present at holidays, dinner parties, or when you simply want a special way to thank someone. Whatever you’re celebrating, it can be said that the right bottle of wine makes or breaks the occasion.
However, choosing the perfect wine can be stressful! With so many varieties and labels available out there, where do you even start? Your best bet is to follow this short guide.
The following are key aspects to consider, and questions to ask yourself, before you venture out to purchase your bottle of wine.
Consider the occasion
The first question is, what are you celebrating?
Is it a wedding? Is it a romantic date night at a fancy restaurant? Is it an anniversary, or a milestone birthday, like turning 21 or 50? Or is it a chill party with a few friends?
Answering this question will firstly give you a clue to help decide which kind of wine to get—red, white, rosé, or sparkling?
1. WeddingsIt’s common for nuptials to involve something bubbly. Many opt for either Champagne or Prosecco to mark the occasion.
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2. Date nightsThe wine you order on a date night depends on how much you want to impress your date.
You can go straight for the most expensive bottle on the wine list. Or, you can go slow and ease into the night by ordering a sparkling wine or a light white to start. Prosecco, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc will do the trick.
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3. Birthdays and anniversariesDepending on how momentous the occasion is, the wines to break open at birthdays and anniversaries is endless.
You can start by choosing a wine that was first produced on your birth year, or on the year of your wedding. It’s recommended to choose wines that get better with age, such as Riesling, Bordeaux, Chardonnay, or Syrah.
Alternatively, a common practice on milestone anniversaries is to break out the wedding wine! Many save their wedding wine for celebrations such as this.
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4. Casual partiesOnce in a while you may find yourself invited to a housewarming, or to have brunch at a friend’s. It’s common courtesy to bring something to the party, and wine is a failsafe gift.
As this is a bottle you’ll share with others, pick something that might please everyone. A Pinot Noir is often the choice gift wine. Its lightness and smoothness is both tasty and familiar. You can also get a sweet, light rosé for brunch.
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Related Article: Proper Wine Tasting Methods
Out for desserts
Even if you’re just going out for sweets, you can still pair it with wine! But which wine goes best with desserts?
Both fortified wine and regular wine go well with a dessert. Anything chocolatey, cheesy, or rich, will pair well with a velvety wine like Merlot or a Zinfandel.
Additionally, you can also order a dessert wine like a Madeira or Port to drink on its own.
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Consider yourself and your guests
Here are a few preferences you may need to consider when choosing wine for your event:
- Sweet or dry?
- Level of tartness?
- Lighter or heavier bodied?
- High or low ABV?
It’s impossible to please everyone, but answering these questions may help you narrow down your search for the perfect bottle.
Consider the food
As mentioned in the previous article, wine is often consumed with food. Whether you’re serving your guests food or you’re ordering at a restaurant, it’s best to achieve a delicious pairing. This always makes for a memorable experience.
Several questions to ask yourself when you’re stuck making a choice:
- Is your meal heavy on dark meat or light meat?
- Is there any sauce in your dish?
- What are the main flavors of your meal? Is it sweet? Spicy? Bitter? Rich?
- What are the main flavors in your wine? Is it acidic? Heavy?
Be open-minded
Many people associate expensive wine with prestige. Others have the misconception that it’s always better to give red wine than white. Still others refuse to purchase wine bottles which have screw caps instead of corks.
As a result, people write off any wine that is budget-friendly, anything other than red, and comes with a screw cap.
While these factors may be indicators of a “good” bottle of wine, it’s not always the case! You don’t always have to break the bank just to impress others. The most important thing is to be open-minded and place more weight on what you and your guests need.
Read the label
This is arguably the most important step in finding the right wine.
The label on a bottle of wine tells you everything you need to know about the wine you’re about to purchase. Learn what’s on the label, and don’t just be swayed by the design!
Take the information you’ve read on the bottle, and consider all the above questions. This is how you can decide which bottle will work best for you and your special occasion.
Some labels reveal more than others, but these are the things you can learn about the wine just from reading its label:
- The winemaker
- What year it was produced and how long it was aged
- ABV
- Country of origin, whether that’s where the wine was produced or where the grapes were grown and harvested
- Grape varieties
- Primary and secondary flavors, not often noted, but present on some labels
