Introduction:
So you’re hosting a corporate event and you want to make sure it stands out from the usual? Choosing the right wine for the occasion is a great way to set the tone for a memorable evening your guests will be talking about long into the future.
In this guide, we’ll give you the knowledge, hints and tips you need to navigate the process of choosing the right wine for your corporate event.
Understanding the Basics of Wine Selection
Types of Wine:
First things first: let’s talk about the different types of wine, and how each style might fit into your evening.
Sparkling wine is a great choice for a welcome drink, reception or toast to your guests. Choosing English sparkling wine is a great talking point and provides a fresh twist on the traditional Champagne reception.
White wines, usually served chilled, are a natural progression from your sparkling welcome drink. For summer events, you might wish to focus your drinks offering around white wine or rose to keep your guests refreshed.
Finally, red wines are a great choice as the event progresses. Consider the order in which you’re serving your wines – we’d recommend serving white wines before reds, for example, as the typically fuller-bodied red wines can overpower more delicate whites if served prior.
Wine Body Types:
This brings us neatly on to the ‘body’ of the wines you’re serving. Wine body is essentially how ‘heavy’ a wine tastes, and is informed by factors including alcohol level, grape variety and the climate the grapes are grown in.
Examples of typically lighter-bodied red wines include Pinot Noir and Grenache, while Zinfandel, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon are classically full-bodied reds.
Body also applies to white wines. Lighter-bodied whites include Riesling and Pinot Grigio, while Chardonnay – particularly when aged in oak – is a classic full-bodied white wine.
A useful note: medium-bodied red wines often make for wonderful food pairings.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Wine for Your Corporate Event
Event Type:
Of course, the nature of the event you’re holding will inform the type of wine you’re going to supply.
A formal dinner might call for a range of wines, from a sparkling reception to white and red wines paired with food (and who knows, maybe some Port or dessert wine to finish!)
If you’re hosting more of a casual networking event, you might wish to keep things simple and provide a glass of sparkling wine such as our Touch of Sparkle by Chapel Down as people arrive.
Similarly, for a large conference offering many different types of wine is going to provide you with a logistical headache – keeping things simple is often the best policy.
Menu Pairing:
If you’re providing food, thoughtful wine pairings are a wonderful way to make sure the event stands out in the minds of your attendees.
Pairing wine and food can be almost as complex as you want it to be, though for obvious reasons we’d recommend keeping things simple and sticking to some trusty basic pairing principles.
For example, white wines tend to pair better with lighter intensity dishes, such as fish, chicken and fresh salads. Red wines by contrast tend to stand up better to richer meals and bolder flavours like red meat.
To create pleasing pairings, here are some general guidelines you can use to your advantage:
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Your wine should be more acidic than the food
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Your wine should match the intensity of the flavours in the food
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Red wines can be balanced wonderfully by fattier dishes
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Your wine should be sweeter than the food it is served with
Guest Preferences:
It’s likely that some of the guests you’re hosting will have their own ideas and preferences when it comes to wine. By offering a variety of different styles you’re likely to hit on some unexpected pleasant surprises for those guests, though ensuring your wine offering is cohesive and well thought-out will impress the connoisseurs among your party.
Season and Setting:
The time of year you’re hosting your corporate event can definitely have a bearing on the type of wine you choose to serve. Hosting a summer garden party or cocktail reception? Crisp and fresh sparkling and white wines are going to be your friend.
By contrast, a sit-down dinner in the colder months calls for full-bodied red wines and maybe even some vintage sparkling wine such as our Chapel Down Grand Reserve or Kit’s Coty collection to lend a luxurious element to proceedings.
Top Wine Recommendations for Corporate Events
Red Wines:
Using the knowledge you’ve gained by reading this blog, hopefully you’ve got some nice ideas about the styles of red wine that will work best for your event. Fuller-bodied reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot for winter luxury and intense food pairings, lighter styles like Pinot Noir for earlier in the evening and less formal settings.
White Wines:
Apply the same principles to your white wine choices. A highly fragrant, crisp and fresh white wine such as Chapel Down Bacchus is sure to be a crowd pleaser in the summer months, while a luxurious, fuller-bodied style such as our Kit’s Coty Chardonnay makes for outstanding food pairings.
Sparkling Wines:
There’s nothing like sparkling wine for a fresher way to celebrate. For large gatherings, a welcome glass of our Touch of Sparkle sets the tone perfectly for a fun and engaging evening, while Chapel Down Rose or even one of our vintage sparkling wines make for a memorable choice for toasts and evening celebrations throughout the year.
Practical Tips for Serving Wine at Your Event
Serving Temperature:
Serve non-vintage sparkling wine at around 6-8°C for a crisp and fresh drinking experience. Vintage sparkling wine and Champagne can be served slightly warmer to better showcase its complexity.
As a general rule, serve lighter-bodied white wines at a cooler temperature and fuller-bodied whites at a slightly warmer temperature. Mostly, you’re aiming for a range between 7-13°C.
Follow the same principle for red wines, with the range running from 12-18°C. Fuller bodied red wines benefit from being served between 16-18°C, while your Pinot Noir will drink nicely somewhere between 12-14°C.
Glassware:
The glassware you choose plays a key role in enjoying the wine you’re serving. For sparkling wines, choose either Champagne flutes or even a white wine glass to preserve bubbles but give the aromas in the wine space to breathe.
The type of white or red wine you’re serving will inform your glassware choices. The classic Bordeaux glass will work wonderfully with medium to full-bodied wines, while a Burgundy glass works best for lighter and more delicate choices.
Quantity Planning:
The quantities of wine you’ll need to order depends on a number of factors, including the nature of your event, the number of people attending and the length of the evening. For a corporate dinner, aim for at least half a bottle of red and white wine per person. If you’re providing sparkling wine for a reception or toast, then allow for more than one glass per person to avoid disappointment.
Conclusion:
Choosing the right wine for your corporate event might seem like a complex task at first glance, but using the hints and tips you’ve picked up in this blog will set you on the right path to wowing your guests with the perfect selection.
Whether you’re hosting a sit-down dinner for a large networking event, we hope you’ll be raising a glass of Chapel Down to future successes with your guests.
