Time for Wine
Choosing wines for a rehearsal dinner or wedding reception isn't as hard as choosing a wedding ring, but it still takes some research.
Jodie Stocks, a winemaker and one of the managers of Anna Marie's Winery and Cafe, 790 East Butler Road, said the first thing the bridal couple must do is look at the people they plan to invite to their wedding. Are there wine fanciers on the guest list or people whose knowledge doesn't extend beyond popping the cork on champagne on New Year's Eve?
Regardless, there should be a selection on hand.
“You want a variety of wines. You don't want all sweets or all dries,” Stocks said.
Dry red wines should be served at close to room temperature, she said, while fruit wines and dry whites need to be served chilled.
“And of course there's the menu. If you are having chicken or sea food, a dry wine is better suited to bring out the flavors,” Stocks said.
But the days of pairing a red wine with beef and a white wine with poultry are fading, she continued.
“People are getting away from that. If they are having red wine with fish, no one is going to come around a chastise them,” Stocks said.
In deciding on how much wine to order for a reception or rehearsal dinner, she said a good rule is to estimate four or five glasses of wine per bottle.
But a lot of the guesswork can be eliminated by meeting with a specialist. Stocks talks to the couple well before the event so she can go over wine and food details and answer any questions the bridal couple may have.
All wines are made on the premises, she said, from grape juices delivered from another winery.
“We have 12 1,100-liter tanks and we try to rotate these tanks twice a year,” Stocks said. “It's a nice problem to have when your tanks are full and you want to make more wine.”
Lorenz Werhane, the winery's wine steward, will coach prospective customers through a wine tasting.“You have to serve it in a glass that you are able to swirl,” Werhane said. “Then you sniff the wine's bouquet.“With your drier reds their flavor is more intense, so you have to open the bottle and let the wine breathe,” he said. “Then when you take a drink, swirl it around in your mouth.”And keep in mind what you have eaten before can affect the taste of any wine, he added.“People who have eaten garlic or people who have just brushed their teeth, they need to eat a few crackers to cleanse their palates,” Werhane said.Couples can also check into personal touches and other options available at wineries.“They can come out and do a personal tasting,” Stocks said. “They can even get personalized wine bottles to give out as favors to the wedding party and guests.“For our 375-milliliter and 750-milliliter bottles, we can put your wedding colors on the caps and personalize the label with your name and date.”A personalized bottle would take 6 to 8 weeks to produce.Anna Marie's also holds private rehearsal dinners in its backroom and hosts outdoor weddings in the spring and summer of up to 40 people in its outdoor pavilion.“We have packages; we have options for appetizers and entrees,” Stocks said. “We can do sit-down or buffet meals. We can even provide the cake.”And the wine is a big part of the attraction, said Stocks and Werhane. They said of the 30 wines offered, the most popular was Trilogy, a sweet red wine.For Stocks, who earned certification in winemaking from Penn State after getting an animal science degree there, making, selling and explaining wine is less work and more vocation.“I've always been fascinated by agriculture and making and drinking wine. I just find it fascinating and I love the community,” Stocks said.
