Choices for a Crowd

[plattetude]

An event I'm helping organize and host has fairly limited choices for wines for the open bar(to be served with passed hors d'oeurves), and I'm looking to the expert guidance of my fellow eGulleteers for suggestions. The audience will be music-lovers, and aside from that, no distinction can be made in terms of their wine geekery. I'm sure there'll be all kinds. I can select two white and two red from the following:

White Wine

vinakoper, malvasia, koper, slovenia 2004

august kesseler - r, riesling, rheingau, germany 2005

kunde estate - magnolia lane, sauvignon blanc, sonoma, usa 2006

neil ellis, chardonnay, stellenbosch, south africa 2005

Red Wine

vinakoper capris, merlot, koper, slovenia 2002

santomats, cabernet sauvignon, koper, slovenia 2005

joseph drouhin - laforet, pinot noir, burgundy, france 2005

condado de haza, tempranillo, ribera del duero, spain 2003

Knowing nothing about any of these wines other than knowing the Kunde, Kesseler, and Drouhin names, I'm currently leaning toward the Kunde sauv blanc and the Ellis chard as the whites, and the Drouhin and de Haza as the reds, thinking that'll give the widest array of easy-drinking options. But again, since I really don't know these specific wines, it's kind of a crap shoot.

Ultimately, I'll probably try to get to taste these prior to my final decision, but I welcome any recommendations I can get from this forum....

Thanks in advance!

Christopher

[GordonCooks]

An event I'm helping organize and host has fairly limited choices for wines for the open bar(to be served with passed hors d'oeurves), and I'm looking to the expert guidance of my fellow eGulleteers for suggestions.  The audience will be music-lovers, and aside from that, no distinction can be made in terms of their wine geekery.  I'm sure there'll be all kinds.  I can select two white and two red from the following:

White Wine

vinakoper, malvasia, koper, slovenia 2004

august kesseler - r, riesling, rheingau, germany 2005

kunde estate - magnolia lane, sauvignon blanc, sonoma, usa 2006

neil ellis, chardonnay, stellenbosch, south africa 2005

Red Wine

vinakoper capris, merlot, koper, slovenia 2002

santomats, cabernet sauvignon, koper, slovenia 2005

joseph drouhin - laforet, pinot noir, burgundy, france 2005

condado de haza, tempranillo, ribera del duero, spain 2003

Knowing nothing about any of these wines other than knowing the Kunde, Kesseler, and Drouhin names, I'm currently leaning toward the Kunde sauv blanc and the Ellis chard as the whites, and the Drouhin and de Haza as the reds, thinking that'll give the widest array of easy-drinking options.  But again, since I really don't know these specific wines, it's kind of a crap shoot.

Ultimately, I'll probably try to get to taste these prior to my final decision, but I welcome any recommendations I can get from this forum....

Thanks in advance!

Christopher

←

The Kessler is generic enough and drinkable and the Chardonnay is a chardonnay that everyone will order by name. Knowing nothing about Slovenian wines, the Tempranillo is good and broad enough in style for red wine drinkers and the Drouhin as the choice for people liking that style of Pinot

[thirtyoneknots]

I actually quite like the Kesseler R for what it is, but be warned that it is quite dry, and may be a surprise for people who aske for riesling thinking they are getting an off-dry wine. I enjoy the style and think it's quite well-made for the price.

-Andy