Why cutting corners on wine could cost your corporate event more than you think

Organising corporate events can be a stressful affair. It often falls into a tug-of-war contest between the event organiser and the financial controller, where both departments end up disagreeing on what’s essential and what’s not so important.

Wine is often one of those items that are first to be compromised on budget and it can be more detrimental to the outcome of the event than you may think. Of course, budget towards venue, food, lighting and entertainment is essential, so we easily think that chopping off a few euros from the budget on the selection of wine shouldn’t harm the overall success of the event, right?

Maybe not. I recently received a call from one of the partners at a large legal firm in Malta to explain how oblivious he was to the fact that some of their clients even had an inhouse joke on the bad quality wine they served at their corporate events. He only realised this when it was decided to change the wines for their latest corporate event, and one of his foreign clients dared share the joke with him.

They probably wouldn’t have lost any clients if the choice of wine had remained as all their previous events, but by taking some expert advice and only just slightly increasing the budget on the wines, the impact on the overall the success of the event was felt by everyone.

No matter the budget, it is impossible to serve wines that will be to everyone’s taste, but there are a few points to consider that will increase the likelihood that the wine will be enjoyed by most.

Choose your supplier carefully

It’s important to choose wines from renowned and trusted suppliers. The Prosecco or Pinot Grigio you can get at discounted prices from the store next door may not have been stored in such great conditions. Keeping these wines in hot conditions or direct sunlight for some time will have negatively affected the flavour of the wine. In essence you’re serving bad wine.

Whilst there are several good quality white wines that can age, most easy-to-drink wines are preferred in their youth and it’s important that your supplier gives you a wine that is fresh, fruity, youthful and stored under the right conditions.

Choose wines for your guests, not yourself

It’s absolutely fine if your favourite wine is a mature Bordeaux blend, but serving one of these powerful and complex wines at your next summer event will probably not be the popular choice amongst the crowd. Conversely, be sure to choose wines that are easy and uncomplicated. Strange as it may seem, overcomplicated and complex wines are best left for private and intimate dinners when you know your guests and can choose complex wines to go with specific dishes. Easy-drinking, refreshing and lower-alcohol wines are preferred and easier to drink, especially when socialising.  

Consider the season

The time of year you choose to host your event is also a major factor when choosing your wine. We cannot expect guests to enjoy rich, high-alcohol Shiraz or Malbec during the peak summer months, no matter if that’s your preferred wine at home. When it’s a hot and humid summer evening choose light, low alcohol reds and whites such as Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Grenache or even Lambrusco if you want to be somewhat different and daring.

Considering that we generally serve a variety of canapés at most events, refreshing and low-alcohol wines perform better, as do lighter coloured rosés and even sparkling -wines such as Prosecco, Cava or Champagne.  White wines that are matured in oak can be too heavy, with their big buttery and toasty flavours often jarring with typical mediterranean or Italian-style canapés that focus on fresh delicate ingredients. Keep those heavier whites for smaller, more intimate occasions, when you can pair the right foods to enjoy these wines.  

During the colder months, richer and bolder wines may be more appropriate, where the lighter style wines may come across as too light or insipid, however I would still suggest going for a more medium-bodied wine if you want your guests to remain sober.

Serve your wines at the right temperature

We all know the saying ‘white wine should be served chilled and red wine should be served at room temperature’, but what we tend to forget is that room temperature in the middle of August is a far cry from the typical room temperature in the North of France or England. Even chilling higher-alcohol, structured red wines to a suitable 18 or 20 degrees Celsius will make them feel and taste much lighter.

Overly warm red wine tastes flabby and exaggerates the alcohol factor making it more like drinking soup, losing out on the fruit flavours and acidity which are two key components to a refreshing wine.  Lighter, red wines are best served at around 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, whilst light white and sparkling wines are best served fridge-cold between 6 to 8 degrees Celsius.  A great tip to serving and keeping your wines cool could be to add a couple of frozen grapes (red or white) to the glass instead of ice-cubes. This will keep the wine cool, without diluting the wine once the frozen grapes eventually defrost.