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{Thirsty Thursday} Tableside Wine Service

Em Devaud
Nov 27, 2014
2 min read

Let me first start by saying--HAPPY THANKSGIVING! The joy of bringing love, laughter and family together is something to truly celebrate :-) Some of you may be celebrating this holiday with a few bottles of vino and I am here to help guide you through this belaboring process for any event your might be hosting.

Tableside wine service is a great way to enhance a wedding or event's guest experience. Depending on your meal selections you can do any number of pairings, as well! I have personally seen shifts in this area of the industry when it comes to what wines to serve.

Traditionally, and in years past, I have seen Chardonnay and Merlot as the choice tableside wine service offerings. In contrast, recently years and events have shown that trends seem to be gravitating to Sauvignon Blanc and Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon as alternative Red and White wine pairings.

Perhaps it is the modern cuisine that is leading the way and these alternative grapes are a better match. Is it that the American pallet for wines has changes and gravitated to a more fruity whites and the less tannic reds in contrast to the oaky Chardonnay and the plum-y Merlot? Or even, is it that the younger generations getting married are trying to find new and unique ways to express themselves through their wedding and by breaking away from traditional wines served at weddings they are finding themselves experimenting with fantastic combinations?

A braised truffled short rib and a Chilean Malbec! A bold pan-seared sea bass with a lemony Sauvignon Blanc! The potentials are truly endless.

What I would recommend to anyone considering pairing a wine with their event's courses is to consider the following questions:

Is the wine you are selecting unique enough to leave an impression, yet "main stream" enough to please most guests? It is sometimes difficult to find the middle ground here but having crowd pleasing wine can make a huge difference!
Is the wine you are serving tableside different from that which different from you are serving at the bar? If you are serving wine tableside that is already offered at the bar, you might want to consider something different as a way of making the tableside service seem special and accommodating for your guests.
Is the wine I like something that is going to fit within my budget? As a planner I tend to overestimate consumption as a way of keeping budgets from over inflating too quickly. Typically, when offering wine tableside with both your salad and entree courses, estimate 2 glasses of wine per person and 4-5 glasses of wine per bottle. Then divide this equally between reds and whites and you should have plenty of wine service to go around! (i.e., 150 guests x 2 glasses of wine per person, Divided by 5 glasses per bottle is about 60 bottles of wine= 30 Reds and 30 Whites).
And finally, Are my guests wine drinkers or do they prefer beer and mixed drinks? I always say, "You know your guests best!" so before committing to tableside wine service, make sure you know that your guests (like my family) enjoy wine and lots of it!