Wine for wedding

[Barbara Moss]

My son is getting married in a hotel in San Francisco and we are doing the wedding. The hotel charges $20 for corkage. Their cheapest bottle of red is $40 and it is not something I would drink.However, I would like to stay within that price range-$20 corkage and $20 for the wine.

I got out the Wine Spectator list thinking that these would be wines I could get easily. I live in Chicago so I would have to taste them here but be able to buy them in SF. However, when I went to our big wine store many of them were gone.

Any suggestion for red, white and something for the toast? I would say that less than 20 % know much about wine.

I also need a good wine store in SF or San Jose.

I don't know why I am having such a hard time with this but I am.

[I_call_the_duck]

First of all, congratulations!

For something bubbly, you can always go for a Cava or Prosecco. I've had very nice ones for under $20--I've even had some good ones for under $15.

Edited February 12, 2007 by I_call_the_duck (log)

[GordonCooks]

First of all, I would make sure that the corkage applies to your wedding/banquet event and not just policy for the restaurant.

[Barbara Moss]

This is at a hotel so I have spoken to the catering manager. What kind of cava ? Any suggestions? I realized that a bottle of Sinskey Merlot is $29 and the cheapest bottle on their list is $40. Would that be overkill?

[GordonCooks]

I'm unsure if the amount of added work and stress us worth all the trouble of obtaining a wine that is marginally better than what could be delegated to the experts per se. I'd choose from they what they offer at the hotel.

Edited February 13, 2007 by GordonCooks (log)

[Rebel Rose]

Barbara, try The Jug Shop in San Francisco. Ask for Chuck Hayward. In spite of its campy name and decor Chuck is one of the most knowledgeable and friendly experts you will ever meet, as is the rest of his staff. Plus, they specialize in excellent, affordable wines.

[eje]

I like K & L here in San Francisco:

K&L Wine Merchants

They do specialize in affordable and esoteric bubbly.

A smaller store I've heard good things about is Blackwell's Wines:

Blackwell's Wines

I have only exchanged emails with them; but, they've been helpful with my questions.

[chefboy24]

My son is getting married in a hotel in San Francisco and we are doing the wedding. The hotel charges $20  for corkage. Their cheapest bottle of red is $40 and it is not something I would drink.However, I would like to stay within that price range-$20 corkage and $20 for the wine.

I got out the Wine Spectator list thinking that these would be wines I could get easily. I live in Chicago so I would have to taste them here but be able to buy them in SF. However, when I went to our big wine store many of them were gone.

Any suggestion for red, white and something for the toast? I would say that less than 20 % know much about wine.

I also need a good wine store in SF or San Jose.

I don't know why I am having such a hard time with this but I am.

←

well the first thing you should do is stop reading wine spectator lists

american sparkling for a toast is very appropriate, because we are american after all, i recommend roederer estate....amazing amazing value, always comes out on top in american sparkling tastings

then i'd do a charonnay and a pinot....

a gently oaked chard....

and pinot is a great choice because they are versatile, they'll go with chicken, duck, tuna, bass, salmon, whatever

there's tons of great chards and pinots at the $20 price point, if you buy in bulk by the case you can go up to $25 chards and pinots

landmark - overlook is always a great choice

chalone pinot as well?

[KatieLoeb]

Barbara:

How many guests are you expecting? No offense meant, but unless your guests are seriously into wine, after a certain point, paying $20 corkage per bottle gets ridiculous and into the area of diminishing returns since most of your guests won't honestly know the difference. The reception is about celebrating the bride and groom and wishing them happiness. Most folks are delighted to have an open bar even if it's well liquor, cheap beer and jug wine. Don't stress over it and make a big dent in the budget over something that will sail miles over the heads of 95% of your guests. If you really have a problem with the "house wines" then buy one case of good stuff and have them serve it discreetly to the "head table". No one will notice, and if they do, offer to pour them a glass. Paying that much corkage for a lot of people is just wasteful, IMHO.

I handled this issue a bit differently at my wedding. I had my reception catered by the local culinary college and had permission to bring in my own wine and spirits. That was a far bigger criteria for choosing my reception site than anything else. Since I wasn't getting charged corkage or overpriced markups for crappy products I spent more money on the food. We had a cocktail hour with butlered hors d'oeuvres, a five course dinner with paired wines for each course, and schnapps and liqueurs for dessert. Since I do have a very food and wine savvy friends and family, that played heavily into the decision of where to have the reception. It's all about juggling the details that matter most to the couple. We cut back on flowers (small potted ivy and roses arrangements) and music (just had a dj instead of live band) so we could spend where it mattered to us (on the food and beverages).