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- Hethyra - 05-07-2003

I am planning a wedding reception for 70 or so people, I want to serve 2 glasses of wine and one glass of champagne to each. I also want a less expensive variety. (Better than 2 buck Chuck but under $9 ) What is a good inexpensive brand of merlot? What white wine should I offer? (nothing too sweet like Geurwurtzaminer) We are have salmon, lemon herb chicken and a vegetarian entree. How many bottles of wine and how many bottles of champagne should I buy for 70?


- barnesy - 05-07-2003

Hello fellow Portlander!

For a red, something different would be Villa Vivaldo. It is a tuscan wine with 90% Sangiovese and 10% merlot. It retails for around 7 to 8 bucks locally and is very nice, should do alright with a salmon. I tasted several sauv blancs at our trade show, but can't think of which ones to recommend off of the top of my head. I need to get my tasting notes out of my van. The stuff i tasted is right in you price range and should do a bang up job with your chicken.

For a sparkling, probably won't get decent champagne for under $10. But if bubbles is all you're looking for, Segura Viadas is right in your range and dang good. Stay tuned and i will dig up my notes for you.

Barnesy


- Drew - 05-08-2003

Hethyra, for the sparkler you can't beat the Gruet blanc de noir from New Mexico under $10 per bottle, delicious stuff.

http://www.gruetwinery.com/

Drew

[This message has been edited by Drew (edited 05-08-2003).]


- wondersofwine - 05-08-2003

How many bottles for 70 people? 9-12 bottles of red, same for white; may need less champagne as pours might be smaller. Six glasses to a bottle gives a fairly standard pour (assuming regular 750 ml. bottle). Eight glasses to a bottle is a pretty scanty pour. Probably best to go for at least twelve bottles (one case) of white and one case of red. Also may get a case discount that way. If you want to restrict the pour to one glass of each wine, you will have to have someone supervise the pouring (a waiter, bartender, etc.).


- stevebody - 05-09-2003

Let me slip my old caterer's cap back on here for a minute:

The general formula, as provided by Food and Wine Magazine from the California association that represents caterers, is as follows:

*In any given group that includes children, they will represent about 8% of the guests (obviously this doesn't include kids' birthday parties) and won't drink at all.

*In any given group, about 12% won't drink anything alcoholic.

*In any given group, about 30% will be beer drinkers and won't want wine. (This is a judgement call. Adjust for the group, i.e., a group of affluent, white collar, corporate types will include fewer beer-onlies than a group of people who all play softball together.)

*Taking the above figures, and adding a 15% margin of error, you arrive at 65% who will be drinking wine.

*Of that 65%, about 15% will be white only and about 50% will be red only. Everyone who drinks at all will do the champagne toast.

*Each person, in the course of a two-three hour event, will drink 2.65 glasses of wine.

*Each bottle will provide five generous pours or six small pours.

*It's ALWAYS better to have a little more than the formula indicates, since running flat out of beverages is bad form.

Using those figures will almost always keep you safe.

As to wines I've used successfully in receptions, here are suggestions based on three price points. All should be readily available:

Sparkling:

Under $10: Freixenet Carta Nevada Brut or Berlene Blanquette de Limoux

10-15: Greg Norman Brut, Salinger Brut (both Aussies) and especially the aforementioned Gruet(!)

15-20: Argyle (Oregon) Brut, Roederer Anderson Valley Brut (CA)

Reds:

Under 10: Allegrini Valpolicella, A-Mano Primitivo, Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot, Beringer Founders Estate Cab, Pepperwood Grove Syrah

10-15:


- Drew - 05-09-2003

I should have mentioned in my earlier post that one of the best "bang for your bucks" red currently available,(over 80,000 cases made)is the South African Cabernet Sauvignon Excelsior 2002 at single bottle retail $8. Easy drinking, fruit forward rich cab that's moderately complex.

Drew