Toast to It!
2015-03-06

Many local couples are intimidated by wines, thinking that they don’t know enough about them to serve wines at their wedding. We had the pleasure of meeting up with Katherine Brown, brand ambassador of the famous Brown Brothers wines, to dispel those myths.

Q: Champagne is so expensive. Is it really a must at my wedding?

A: French champagne is indeed expensive, but a bit of bubbly is always good to set the celebratory mood. One tip would be to use the ‘good’ champagne for the first toast, then substitute with sparkling wine for the rest of the wedding. Australian, French and Italian sparkling wines are great and usually go down well with guests.

Q: What should we do if we're on a tight budget for the wedding, but still want to serve wines that don't choke the guests?

A: Work out a budget, then a price per bottle that you can afford. Buy a few different varieties and bring them home to try first, rather than making a big purchase immediately. You must like the wine you’ll be serving – you don’t necessarily have to buy the most expensive. Very importantly, check with your venue on corkage charges, or you might end up paying more than you planned.

Q: How do we pick wines if we haven't even confirmed the menu yet?

A: Try the wines before you go for your food tasting. Don’t worry so much about matching wines to food; your guests are there to have fun at your wedding! I would recommend Brown Brothers’ Cienna, a light and fruity wine that’s a sure crowd-pleaser, plus it’s a deep red colour, for good luck.

Q: Asian food is known for being strongly flavoured and sometimes spicy. Is there a foolproof wine that goes well with it?

A: Serve ‘heavier’ wines such as Shiraz or Cabernet, which go well with spicy food, or sweet, fruity types such as Beaujolais, Riesling, Rosé or Cienna, which help to cut through the spice and soften the palate. Again, the couple has to like the wine – no point serving something you wouldn’t drink yourself!