Wedding wines that will get a great reception

Wine Society Wine Champions 2018; Which wines do you think will be on the 2018 podium; photo credit: thewinesociety.com; facebook.com/TheWineSociety

This article titled “Wedding wines that will get a great reception” was written by Fiona Beckett, for The Guardian on Friday 18th May 2018 15.00 UTC

It will not be possible, as you may realise with dread, to avoid the subject of weddings over the next seven days – that wedding, in particular. At the time of writing, it hasn’t been revealed what the guests are drinking, but we do know that the future Mrs Windsor is partial to a Tignanello, or Tig, as she affectionately referred to it in her blog. At least we’ll have a member of the royal family who is a great wine lover.

So, what of the rest of you who are getting married this summer and don’t have a super-Tuscan budget? For most, the priority is to find a simple, inexpensive red and white, and, given the age and inherent conservatism of the guests at most weddings, I’d be tempted to stick to France as a source.

Two sound buys would be Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Languedoc White and Red, both of which sell regularly at £7, but are often on promotion – the smooth, peachy white is currently on offer at £6.25. Both are made by the clever Jean-Claude Mas, who is responsible for a number of supermarket own labels.

Another safe option would be the white and red from La Vieille Ferme, a reliable brand from the Rhône that sells for around £7-8 in Booths, the Co-op and Waitrose. However, Waitrose has them on promotion from next Wednesday for £5.99, an unusually good deal that is well worth snapping up. And, at 12.5% for the white and 13% for the red, they’re not overly high in alcohol, either, which could be a bonus if you want to avoid a car-crash of a best man’s speech, and tired and emotional guests.

If you belong to The Wine Society (membership of which would make an excellent wedding present, incidentally), they have a Burgundian-style chardonnay from the Loire called Les Parcelles for £7.75 (from the 2017 vintage and 12%) and a pale, pretty Saint-Pourçain La Réserve Spéciale (12.5%) at the same price that knocks spots off most inexpensive red burgundy.

For cheap fizz, you’re probably looking at prosecco, but for a slightly more interesting alternative, there’s the smart-looking Cruset Blanc de Blancs at Ocado for £8.99 or, even better, £3.49 in the Calais Wine Superstore. I’d definitely taste it before you buy – at that price, it might be older stock than Ocado’s, or even a different blend, but for a sparkling wine with a similarly soft, creamy appeal as prosecco, it’s an absolute steal.