How to Choose Wine for Your Wedding
In a nutshell: At Humble Grape, choosing wedding wine starts with your tastes, your guests and the shape of the day. Our personalised wedding tastings bring your wedding planner and a sommelier together to guide you through crowd-pleasing wines, food pairings and the right bottles for each part of the celebration.
Choosing wine for a wedding sounds simple until you actually have to do it.
Suddenly, you are choosing something for dozens, sometimes hundreds, of people with different tastes, alongside a menu that may have several courses, a welcome drink, a toast and an evening celebration still to come.
The good news is that you do not need to become a wine expert before your wedding.
A better place to start is with the shape of the day, the food you are serving and what you genuinely enjoy drinking. If you are still deciding where to celebrate, our London wedding venues guide compares the five spaces by location, atmosphere and capacity. From there, the wine can be built around the celebration rather than becoming another separate decision on the list.
Plan your wedding wine around the day
Start with the moments when wine will actually be served
Before choosing individual bottles, map out the day. For a wider look at guest numbers, timings, food and other reception decisions, see our wedding reception planning guide.
You may want something for guests when they arrive, wines for the wedding breakfast, something sparkling for the toast and additional drinks for the evening. Those moments do not all need the same wine.
Think about the role each drink needs to play. A welcome drink should feel easy and celebratory. Wines served with the meal need to work with the food. The toast has its own moment, while the evening may call for something guests can keep enjoying as the celebration continues.
From there, the team can help narrow the options around the shape of your day.
Consider starting with bubbles
Bubbles are a brilliant palate cleanser and pair beautifully with canapés, so they can be a natural way to start the celebration.
Our current wedding packages include different sparkling options depending on the package, from Prosecco and Crémant through to Champagne. The season matters too: a heavy Cabernet Sauvignon in the height of summer may not be the best fit, while a lighter Pinot Noir could be just the thing.
Think about whether you want bubbles mainly for the welcome and toast or flowing more widely through the reception. That choice will shape the rest of your drinks plan.
Match the wine to the food and the people
Choose the menu and wine together
One of the easiest mistakes to make is finalising the food and only then asking, “What wine goes with this?”
The two decisions are much more useful when they happen together.
You do not need a different wine for every plate. We usually recommend crowd pleasers: wines that the group will enjoy, find interesting and, most importantly, find quaffable. The main flavours, richness and style of the menu should still guide what you pour.
That is why food and wine are considered together throughout the wedding planning process.
Our chefs create seasonal menus centred around quality British produce, while our wine list focuses on characterful bottles from independent producers around the world. The aim is not to make pairing complicated. It is to find combinations that make the meal more enjoyable.
Tell the team what you actually like
There is no rule that says your wedding wine needs to impress the person at table seven who once did a wine course.
Start with your own tastes, but do not stop there.
If you love crisp whites, say so. If neither of you drinks heavy reds, there is no reason to build the list around them simply because they seem “wedding appropriate”. If sparkling wine is the thing you are most excited about, make that part of the conversation.
You can also describe what you do not like. From there, the team can guide you end to end and suggest good alternatives when needed.
Think about your guests without trying to please absolutely everyone
One of the most common questions at tastings is: “Will our guests like it?” Everyone has a different palate, so part of the process is stepping outside your own preferences and thinking about the people around the table.
The answer is not to choose ten different wines.
Instead, think in broad terms. Is the guest list mostly enthusiastic wine drinkers, or will many people simply want something approachable with dinner? Are there guests who prefer lighter styles? Do you have a large number of non-drinkers or people who will want low and no-alcohol options?
A balanced selection gives people choices without turning every table into a wine list.
Consider the non-wine drinkers too
A thoughtful drinks plan includes guests who are not drinking alcohol.
Ask about low and no-alcohol choices and make sure those options feel intentional rather than like an afterthought.
The same applies to dietary requirements. Bring those details into the planning conversation early so the food and drinks plan works as a whole.
Make the most of your wedding tasting
Every Humble Grape wedding tasting is bespoke and curated around the couple. You are not treated as a number: the tasting is personalised to you, guided by your wedding planner, with a sommelier on hand every step of the way. This is where the choices become much easier because you can taste the menu and wines together.
What to bring to your wedding tasting
It helps to arrive with a few useful pieces of information:
• Your approximate guest numbers
• The menu or dishes you are considering
• The styles of wine you both enjoy
• Any wines or styles you definitely do not want
• Your overall budget
• Dietary requirements you already know about
• Whether low and no-alcohol options will be important
• Any part of the day where you want the wine to feel particularly special
Then taste with the actual celebration in mind.
You are not looking for the “best” wine in isolation. You are looking for the right wine for your food, guests and wedding.
Keep budget and quantities practical
Choose a price point that works for you
We start with what is affordable and achievable within your budget. Everyone has a different palate and price point, and the wine team can suggest alternatives that suit both.
Spending more is not automatically the better choice for the day.
Our events team can talk you through the latest package details and venue minimum spends.
How much wedding wine do you need?
There is no single quantity that works for every wedding. It depends on your guest numbers, the length of the celebration, what else is being served and what is already included.
Our team can help you work out a sensible amount for your plans, including how much sparkling you may need.
Choose wine that belongs at your wedding
The best wedding wine is the one that makes sense with the food, works for your guests and feels like something you are excited to share.
Remember, you are throwing one hell of a party, and for most couples it is a party they hope to throw only once. That is why it helps to trust a team that has guided plenty of weddings before.
At Humble Grape, food and wine are part of the wedding planning process from the start. Our team can help you explore the menu and wines together, work through your preferences and build a drinks plan that feels right for the day.
Planning a wedding in London?
Explore our five wedding venues, current packages and enquiry form.
Wedding Wine FAQs
How do you choose wine for a wedding?
Start with the shape of your day, your menu and what your guests are likely to enjoy, then use the tasting to narrow the options.
Should you choose the food or the wine first?
Together. It is easier to choose wines when you can taste them with the menu rather than making the decisions separately.
How much wine do you need for a wedding?
There is no fixed formula. The events team can recommend quantities based on your plans.
What should you bring to a wedding wine tasting?
Bring your approximate guest numbers, menu ideas, wine likes and dislikes, dietary requirements and any low and no-alcohol needs. The rest can be worked through with your wedding planner and sommelier.
Does wedding wine need to be expensive
No. The aim is to find the right fit for your palate and price point, not simply the most expensive bottle.
What sparkling wine should you serve at a wedding?
There is no single right choice. Your tasting is the best place to compare the sparkling options available within your package.
