Les vins pour votre mariage

Choosing wines for a wedding: where to start?

A truly successful wedding means a carefully considered wine list from start to finish. Contrary to popular belief, champagne alone does not do the job: each course calls for a specific pairing, and it is the coherence of the whole that creates the dining experience. From the welcome drinks to dessert, our wedding wine selection covers every stage of the meal with cuvées sourced directly from producing estates, with no middlemen. Reds, whites, rosés, sparkling wines, one place to build your entire wedding wine list.

The Welcome Drinks: Champagne, Crémant or Rosé ?

The welcome drinks reception opens the festivities and sets the tone for the entire celebration. Three options are available depending on your budget and preferences:

• Brut or Blanc de Blancs Champagne: the ultimate choice for an elegant reception. Discover our complete guide to choosing your wedding champagne.
• Crémant (Loire, Burgundy, Alsace): produced using the same traditional method as Champagne, at a price 30 to 50% lower. An elegant and accessible alternative for keeping costs under control without sacrificing quality.
• Provence Rosé: fresh, fruity and visually stunning, it is increasingly popular for summer wedding receptions, vibrant, crowd-pleasing and effortlessly chic.

Wedding Meal Wine Pairings: Which Wine for Each Course ?

A wedding meal typically follows this structure, adapt it according to your menu:

Starter: dry white wine or champagne

Foie gras, seafood, fish, velouté: the starter calls for a crisp, mineral dry white wine. A Pouilly-Fumé, a Muscadet sur Lie or a Burgundy Chardonnay are reliable choices. For a pan-fried foie gras, opt for a slightly rounder white such as a Gewurztraminer or an Alsace Pinot Gris. Brut Champagne can also play this role with great elegance.

Main course - red meat: structured red wine

Lamb, beef, game: choose a red wine with structure and length on the palate. A Bordeaux (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot), a Burgundy Pinot Noir or a Côtes du Rhône are natural fits. These wines hold up well during a long table service and carry through the full duration of the meal.

Main course - poultry or veal: light red or generous white

Roast chicken, veal, pork: two options work well here. A light, fruity red, Beaujolais, Loire Pinot Noir, for red wine lovers. A generous, rounded white, Burgundy Aligoté, Viognier, Loire Chardonnay, for guests who prefer to stay on white throughout the meal.

Dessert and wedding cake: demi-sec champagne or sweet wine

Pairing sweet desserts with a dry wine rarely delivers. Return to Demi-Sec Champagne for the final toast: its gentle sweetness naturally harmonises with pastry flavours. As an alternative, a sweet white wine (Coteaux du Layon, Monbazillac) will delight guests with a taste for dessert wines.

How Many Bottles of Wine Do You Need for a Wedding ?

The calculation depends on the profile of your guests, the length of the meal and the number of courses. As a general guideline:

• Welcome drinks reception: 2 glasses per person - 1 bottle for every 6 guests.
• Starter: 1 glass per person - 1 bottle for every 6 guests.
• Main course: 2 to 3 glasses per person depending on duration - 1 bottle for every 3 to 4 guests.
• Dessert / toast: 1 glass per person - 1 bottle for every 6 guests.
• Safety margin: always add 10 to 15% on top of your total estimate.

For 100 guests with a full sit-down meal, plan on 80 to 120 bottles across all references, champagne included. If you need help putting your order together, our team is here to build a tailored selection with you: call us on +33 1 55 38 50 74.

Wedding Wines Direct from the Producer: The Avenue des Vins Advantage

At Avenue des Vins, our special wedding selection is sourced directly from producing winemakers, estate direct, with no wholesalers or retailers in between. Authentic cuvées shipped from the cellar, so your guests enjoy the very best of the French wine regions at a fair price. The result: full vintage traceability and bottles you will not find in any supermarket. We also offer personalised label design to turn every bottle into a lasting memento of your big day. Request your personalised quote by calling +33 1 55 38 50 74.

For a selection focused exclusively on champagne, visit our special wedding champagne selection. For expert advice on choosing the right champagne style for your reception, read our guide which champagne to choose for a wedding.

FAQ: Wedding Wines: All Your Questions Answered

How many different wines should you plan for a wedding meal ?

A classic wedding meal typically includes 3 to 4 different wines: a sparkling wine for the welcome drinks, a dry white for the starter, a structured red for the main course, and a demi-sec champagne or sweet wine with dessert. This progression offers variety and ensures each glass is matched to the dish being served.

How many bottles of wine do you need for 100 wedding guests ?

For 100 guests with a full sit-down meal, plan on 80 to 120 bottles across all references, champagne included. Always add a 10 to 15% safety margin to avoid running short during the evening.

Which red wine should you choose for a wedding ?

For a wedding meal, choose a structured yet approachable red wine: a Bordeaux (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot) for its roundness, a Burgundy Pinot Noir for its elegance, or a Côtes du Rhône for its fruity character. Avoid overly tannic or heavily oaked wines that may not suit guests who are less accustomed to full-bodied reds.

Which white wine should you serve with the wedding starter ?

For the starter, opt for a dry, mineral white wine: Pouilly-Fumé or Sancerre for fish and seafood, Burgundy Chardonnay for a poultry starter, Alsace Pinot Gris for foie gras. The goal is to awaken the palate without overwhelming it before the main course.

Can you skip champagne for the wedding welcome drinks ?

Absolutely. A crémant (Loire, Burgundy, Alsace) delivers comparable effervescence at a price 30 to 50% lower than champagne. A sparkling Provence rosé or a sparkling Vouvray from the Loire are also excellent and original alternatives. Champagne remains the symbolic reference, but it is by no means obligatory.

Which rosé wine should you choose for a wedding ?

Provence rosé (Côtes de Provence, Bandol) is the benchmark for weddings: pale, fresh and elegant, it appeals to the widest range of guests and pairs well with almost any summer dish. For a spring wedding or a charcuterie pairing, a Loire rosé (Cabernet d'Anjou, Rosé de Loire) or a more structured Tavel from the Rhône are also well worth considering.

How should you set your wine budget for a wedding ?

The wine budget typically represents around one third of the total drinks budget for a wedding. The simplest approach: set an overall budget per guest, then allocate it across the different wines according to their importance in the meal. Through Avenue des Vins' direct-from-producer model, you can access quality cuvées from as little as €8 to €10 per bottle for still wines, and from €20 for champagne.

Can wedding wine be ordered with home delivery ?

Yes. At Avenue des Vins, every bottle is shipped directly from the winemaker's cellar, to any address in metropolitan France and across Europe. Group wedding orders receive personalised support: delivery scheduling, quantities, custom labels. Call us on +33 1 55 38 50 74 to organise your delivery around your preparation timeline.

At what temperature should wines be served at a wedding ?

• Champagne and sparkling wines: 8 to 10°C (46–50°F) - ice buckets are essential.
• Dry white wines: 10 to 12°C (50–54°F) - remove from the fridge 15 minutes before serving.
• Rosé wines: 10 to 12°C (50–54°F) - same as whites.
• Light red wines (Beaujolais, Pinot Noir): 14 to 16°C (57–61°F).
• Structured red wines (Bordeaux, Rhône): 16 to 18°C (61–64°F) - never serve too warm.

Why buy your wedding wines direct from the producer through Avenue des Vins?

Buying through Avenue des Vins' direct-from-producer model means ordering straight from the winemakers, with no wholesalers or retailers in between. The result: authentic cuvées at fair prices, full vintage traceability, and the option to personalise labels for a unique keepsake. Our team will help you build a complete selection tailored to your menu, budget and guest count. Call +33 1 55 38 50 74 for a free quote.