Partnering with Aldi, the Mistress of Wine, Sam Caporn, has shared her expert advice for choosing your wedding wine. Here are five of her tips, plus the chance to win free bottles of wine for your big day
In an attempt to help couples who are planning their wedding, Aldi are giving away 60 bottles of wine to three lucky winners. As well as this, they’ve partnered with Mistress of Wine, Sam Caporn, to bring you expert wedding wine tips.
Win your wedding wine for free
To be in with a chance of receiving the award-winning wine (a mix of red, white and rosé), couples have to send their full name, proof of age, date and location of their wedding and 150 words explaining why you think you should receive a selection of Aldi’s wines for your wedding to aldiweddingwines@clarioncomms.co.uk.
The competition is open until 11th September 2023, and you can find all the details on the Aldi Wedding Wines page.
How to pick wedding wines
When it comes to choosing your wedding day beverages, Sam says, “I know myself that when you’re planning a wedding, there’s so much to think about and decisions like choosing the right wine can be overwhelming, especially when budgets are tight.”
Here are her do’s and dont’s when it comes to getting the right wine for the occasion.
1. Don’t match the wine to the food
“A common mistake people make is focusing on matching the wine with the food when actually guests will prefer to stick to one wine throughout. Plus, the meal is very much just one part of the wedding. It’s better therefore to opt for easy-drinking wines, i.e. not too oaky or acidic, not too high tannin or rich.”
She suggests a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (Freeman’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc) or a soft Pinot Grigio such as Aldi’s Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie.
2. Choose a seasonal wine
It’s not just dress styles and colour schemes that change throughout the year! Sam advises: “Whether a relaxed outdoor summer gathering or an elegant indoor winter wedding, the season can drastically change what wine to serve. For a winter wedding upweight easy-drinking but well-bodied red wines such as a Shiraz (Cambalala South African Shiraz) or Malbec.”
As for how much of each wine to serve, she adds: “In winter, I would recommend 60:40 red to whites. Whereas for summer weddings, introduce rosé into the mix (30:30 rosé to whites).”
3. Have some Champagne alternatives
A glass of fizz is commonly served upon arrival and for speeches, but that doesn’t mean you have to splash out on the Champers. “Couples often assume you need champagne for the wedding toast. However, Champagne for a wedding can get pricey. Think of fizz alternatives such as a Crémant.
“This premium French fizz is made in the same style, by the same methods so you might be surprised how few people notice the difference, especially as often bubbles are pre-poured or obscured by a white napkin,” Sam suggests.
“Aldi’s Specially Selected Crémant du Jura is a purse-friendly alternative to luxury brands, but equally as tasty.” This new beverage will be available in stores from 11th September.
4. Don’t overspend
Weddings can get very expensive, and you don’t want to spend any more than you have to! According to Aldi, on average UK couples spend around £1,800 just on alcohol for their wedding.
However, wine expert Sam says: “You don’t need to spend lots of money for a delicious wedding wine. Focus on good-quality but great-value favourites rather than expensive, premium bottles.
“The style of wines like Premier Crus are often not to everyone’s taste, so focus on more approachable wine. A Spanish Rioja Reserva such as Aldi’s Baron Amarillo Rioja Reserva or Argentinian Malbec like the Specially Selected Argentinian Malbec are great choices for reds.”
5. Have alcohol-free alternatives
“Whether designated driver, pregnant, abstaining or just generally prefer not to drink alcohol, having fun no or low alcohol options will make everyone feel included,” Sam advises.
While there will likely be plenty of soft drinks on offer, it’s nice to have something a little bit more special for the occasion. Sam suggests Aldi’s 0% sparkling, Zerozecco, which is perfect for the toast.