Choosing your wine
What Wine to Serve at a Wedding?
A wedding often consists of several distinct moments that require different wines: the cocktail reception to welcome guests, the meal with its pairings, sometimes a dessert wine, or an exceptional vintage for the toast. Add to this a wide variety of palates among the guests, and the question quickly becomes complex.
This guide is designed to help you make clear decisions without getting lost in technical details. Some choices work every time—and others that turn a wedding into a memorable tasting experience.
The cocktail reception: the first impression
The cocktail reception is the guests’ first contact with the day’s selection. It must be accessible, fresh, appetizing—and versatile enough to please a wide variety of palates.
Our recommendations for the cocktail reception
- Sancerre white "Grande Réserve": our safe bet for an elegant and representative reception wine. Fresh, expressive, immediately appealing. It whets the appetite without being heavy.
- Menetou-Salon white: slightly less known than Sancerre, it offers a beautiful aromatic freshness at a often more accessible price—ideal for large quantities.
- Sancerre rosé "Grande Réserve": for sunny days and outdoor weddings, a crisp and fruity Pinot Noir rosé is often the most unifying choice.
For a cocktail reception, plan for about half a bottle per person (i.e. 3 to 4 glasses). It's better to have too much than not enough — unopened bottles keep.
Mealtime: Building a Progression
The logic of a wedding meal is the same as a grand dinner: you start with fresh, light wines and gradually increase in intensity. Too heavy too soon, and guests are full before the main course.
Starters: crisp white wines
- Sancerre white "Grande Réserve" or Pouilly-Fumé "En Travertin" — with fish starters, seafood, vegetable terrine, or light foie gras
- Avoid overly oaked wines with starters — they overpower the delicate flavors of the appetizers
Main Course: depending on the meat
Here's how your selection will be divided based on the chosen menu:
- Poultry or fish: stick to a structured white — Sancerre blanc "Côte des Monts Damnés", "Jadis" or a Pouilly-Fumé "JS-150". Their body stands up to rich sauces.
- Red meat: a Sancerre rouge "Grande Réserve" or an "ES-56 rouge" on flint. Sancerre Pinot Noir is finer and more elegant than a Southern red — it adapts better to the diverse palates at a wedding.
Cheese: time for the white rind
If your caterer offers a cheese board, this is the perfect opportunity to open a bottle with character — a grand cru white Sancerre from Kimmeridgian marls, or a 5-6 year old flint wine. Conversation always livens up around these wines.
Dessert and toast
The traditional Champagne toast remains a safe bet. If you want to stay within the Loire region, a pétillant naturel or a Crémant de Loire can do the trick with elegance.
A practical tip from our experience: never serve a fine wine with dessert — the sugar in the dessert will overwhelm the wine's aromas. Save the fine wine for cheese or a quieter moment during the meal.
| Time | Quantity per person | Example for 100 guests |
|---|---|---|
| Cocktail reception | 0.5 bottle | 50 bottles |
| Starter | 0.25 bottle | 25 bottles |
| Main course (white) | 0.33 bottle | 33 bottles |
| Main course (red) | 0.33 bottle | 33 bottles |
| Cheese | 0.15 bottle | 15 bottles |
| Toast / dessert | 0.25 bottle | 25 bottles |
| Estimated total | ~1.75–2 bottles | 175–200 bottles |
These figures are average estimates. Adjust according to the meal duration, ceremony time, and guest profile. Always add a 10 to 15% buffer.
What's your budget per bottle?
For a wedding, you can consider three levels depending on the moment and ambition:
- Cocktail reception and main meal: €12 to €18/bottle — Menetou-Salon, "Petit Bourgeois", Sancerre "Grande Réserve" from a recent vintage
- Main course and cheese: €18 to €30/bottle — Sancerre AOC cuvées, Pouilly-Fumé
- Exceptional cuvée for a toast or special moment: €30 to €55/bottle — "Jadis", "ES-56", "Côte des Monts Damnés"
A well-thought-out selection is not necessarily the most expensive — it's one that creates a logical progression and lasting memories.
FAQ
Wine for a wedding
Should you have one wine or several for a wedding?
Should you have one wine or several for a wedding?
Several, in the vast majority of cases. A single wine for the whole meal is too restrictive — the pairings suffer, and so do the guests. A selection of 3 to 4 wines (aperitif, white meal, red meal, toast) covers all stages coherently.
Can we order wines in large quantities directly from the winery?
Can we order wines in large quantities directly from the winery?
Yes. We regularly process orders for private events and weddings. Contact us directly to discuss volumes, available vintages, and terms.
How far in advance should I order wedding wines?
How far in advance should I order wedding wines?
For grand crus and large volumes, allow 3 to 6 months in advance. Some vintages are produced in limited quantities and may sell out quickly. For everyday wines, 4 to 6 weeks is usually sufficient.
White or red Sancerre for a wedding?
White or red Sancerre for a wedding?
Both have their place depending on the menu. White is more versatile—it goes well with aperitifs, starters, fish, and even some white meats. Sancerre red (Pinot Noir) is more elegant than most Southern French reds and adapts well to a varied audience.
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