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Wine for a Wedding

Mulcahy

By Mulcahy
in Wine

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Mulcahy

Mulcahy

Posted
Posted (edited)

The following was just forwarded to me by my friend Carol

Any suggestions as to which of the below she shoudl choose?

Thanks.

Rachel,

Any of these sound remotely familiar? I'm sure it's all rotgut but I want to make sure it's at least decent rotgut as opposed to skanky, tooth-enamel-dissolving rotgut.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Carol,

MCC's House Wines are:

Pebble Creek Merlot and Chardonnay

We can also offer Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Chardonnay and Cabernet for the same price.

We offer Concha y Toro Chardonnay and Cabernet.

All of these are our most reasonably priced, they go up from there in cost.

Champagne includes

Chateau St. Michelle from Washington State and Marquis de la Tour sparkling Loire wine.

Edited by Mulcahy (log)
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KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

Posted
Posted

Perhpas she could ask to pay a flat corkage fee and provide her own wines. Sounds like their sommelier can't be bothered to serve anything even half decent. Most of that stuff I wouldn't even take the paint off my car with. :blink:

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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Mulcahy

Mulcahy

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I agree with both of you (although I don't know Pebble Creek or the sparklers, and am confused as to what a Loire sparkler is).

I will suggest that she ask about a) bringing her own or b) finding out what the more expensive bottles are.

If this is her only option, are some of these better than others? :unsure:

Katie, FYI, this place is actually in your neck of the woods.

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KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

Posted
Posted
I agree with both of you (although I don't know Pebble Creek or the sparklers, and am confused as to what a Loire sparkler is).

I will suggest that she ask about a) bringing her own or b) finding out what the more expensive bottles are.

If this is her only option, are some of these better than others? :unsure:

Katie, FYI, this place is actually in your neck of the woods.

For the love of God, then have your friend call me. I've worked for many of the caterers in the area at many of the venues and can definitely hook her up with something better than that swill. Egads! Please let me save your friend and her guests from this terrible fate!

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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Brad Ballinger

Brad Ballinger

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I'm going to offer a contrary opinion here.

Is this event about the wedding or about the wine? If it's like most wine receptions I've been to, no one gives a crap about the quality of the wine as much as the quantity and that it is free to them. Have your friend taste the wines (they'll let her do that), and pick one she likes.

I don't care for any of these either, and if it was my wedding I'd go in another direction. But I wouldn't significantly increase my spending for guests that won't know or care anyway.

We cannot employ the mind to advantage when we are filled with excessive food and drink - Cicero

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KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

Posted
Posted

I'm suggesting spending the same thing and serving something potable and palatable.

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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Echezeaux

Echezeaux

Posted
Posted

I understand that most people don't really care about the quality of the wine at an event and some people will drink virtually anything if it's "free."

But still, if you can elevate the quality of the offerings, be it wine or food, without significantly changing the price, I'm with Katie in wanting to do so.

Given those dreadful choices for wine, I think I'd be hoping they have plenty of cold mineral water available...

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tanabutler

tanabutler

Posted
Posted

I hope to God that Katie can help your friend get better wine for the same money...or slightly more. She could probably approach eGulleteers and fundraise: we'd kick in $2-$5 each to up her budget, if money is a consideration. (Some of us. Most of us. Most of us who read and post in the wine thread. Florida Jim's probably good for $15K. KIDDING!)

For every freeloader who just wants to get blasted for free, there is probably another person who can taste the difference between kerosene balsamic and something "potable and palatable," as Katie succinctly put it.

Bad wine is unconscionable.

Right?

:unsure: (Looking for support here, folks.)

Life is too short to serve cheapskate wine. (Are the caterers really doing their job?)

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KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

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Life is too short to serve cheapskate wine. (Are the caterers really doing their job?)

Yes!!! Life is too short too drink swill! Amen and much support from this corner.

Unfortunately the caterer is doing their job, at least in terms of tryng to lower their cost of goods ratio on the wine and maximize their own profit. God help them if I find out who it is and they're nearby. I'm on a downswing of the lunar cycle and I can be awfully nasty about heinous wine... :rolleyes:

I'm lucky that I used to work at a very fine wine retailer that specializes in small production high quality wines. I still maintain an excellent relationship with my former co-workers and employer and would consider it a moral imperative to try and get the bride and the wine folks together.

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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suzilightning

suzilightning

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i agree with katie's last post - she could get some reasonably priced italian sparklers that don't taste like mouthwash

HOWEVER

if her only choices are from the ones listed go with the chateau st.michelle over the marquis de la tour.

Nothing is better than frying in lard.

Nothing.  Do not quote me on this.

 

Linda Ellerbee

Take Big Bites

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KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

Posted
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i agree with katie's last post - she could get some reasonably priced italian sparklers that don't taste like mouthwash

HOWEVER

if her only choices are from the ones listed go with the chateau st.michelle over the marquis de la tour.

Suzi's right. You could serve Prosecco instead of Champagne. I served Blanquette de Limoux at my wedding reception and it was very well received. There's a whole world of choices out there that don't have to involve serving something I'd be afraid to make Mimosas with for fear of spoiling the orange juice. :unsure:

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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Mulcahy

Mulcahy

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Thanks for all your responses.

I can't remember what we served at my wedding, but it was cheap and drinkable. My guests liked it and I didn't feel like I was poisoning anyone.

I suspect that about half the guests at this wedding will actually care about being served decent wine. The other half, not so much. The bride will care, the groom, not at all. I also suspect that she will hate all of them when she tastes them.

The quandary, as I pmd Katie, is a) how to tell my friend that she is serving "kerosene balsamic" without sending her into a tailspin and b) what to do if she will be unable to serve anything else because they can't afford the pricier stuff and won't be allowed to bring any in. If b) is true, then I will be the bad friend who offered no solution and told her that she was killing her guests.

What to do?

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KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

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Posted

It's under control. The caterer has worked with my former employers in the past. They want to please their client. Good wine is now readily available. Now they just have to choose what they want that's within their budget.

Problem solved.

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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herbacidal

herbacidal

Posted
Posted

My recommendation:

Depending on the day of the wedding (during wedding season, on a Saturday?), you're reasonably likely to be able to get them to serve a similarly priced wine that may taste better.

If you want to make it that much of an issue, the caterer should be amenable, as long as they can acquire the alternative at a comparable price, which isn't always the case depending on local alcohol laws, relationships with distributors, etc.

The key is, how much (if any) of a price hike would the caterer add, and would the family be willing to pay it?

Herb aka "herbacidal"

Tom is not my friend.

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Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

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Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals!

Surely she will be using this as a sig. very soon. What a great moniker

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

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Katie rocks! She's like Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals!

:laugh:

Katie is my hero. She is amazing. Really amazing.  :wub:

Aw shucks! I'm happy to play Wine Fairy. It's really no different than what I do every day, is it? Make sure there's good wine for guests to drink, yes? And the caterer damned well better want to bend over backward to please their client. It's not like they're asking for out of season fruit or something. It's just a better selection.

I consider this a good deed. Perhaps it will bring me my next future ex-husband as karmic payback. :biggrin:

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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KatieLoeb

KatieLoeb

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Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals!

Surely she will be using this as a sig. very soon. What a great moniker

This ranks up there with a former suggestion - Aphrodite of Alcohol! :laugh:

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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LindaJ

LindaJ

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Posted

A wedding with bad wine is a bad wedding. This coming from someone who planned her wedding a year ago. It makes a ton of difference - well, except to my husband's grandfather who only drinks Yeungling.

Go Katie!

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