Choosing the right wine for your wedding should not drive you to drink. Rather, along with the menu and food tasting ritual that precedes most catered events, deciding on the right wine or wines, should be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the party planning process. Yet, there are a few things that you need to consider when setting sail upon the vast sea of wine choices that are waiting for you to explore.

When you are considering the tastes of friends, family, business associates and others, you will always have a divergent range of pallets. You are bound to have a wine snob or two who have extensive cellars and wine knowledge, just as you are likely to have those who usually make their wine choice from the clearance bin of the local liquor store, as well as every range of tastes and preferences. There are many wines out there that will satisfy both the oenophile and neophyte alike and will generally impress the vast majority in between.

The formality of the occasion and menu will dictate the range of wines that should be considered. You also should decide whether the same wines will be offered throughout the reception, say from the cocktail hour through the last dance, or if you will decide upon different wines for each stage of the event. For a wedding, champagne or some other sparkling wine is appropriate as one of the choices, especially with dessert. Matching specific wines to each course of the menu is more fitting when it is a sit-down or more formal meal, less so with a stand-up cocktail reception or buffet with many divergent tastes and textures to the food.

How much do you want to spend? We all have a budget, whether it is $20 or $200 per person. Luckily there are also just as many good, drinkable and affordable wines out there for even the most conscience consumer to choose from and still be able to drink well. The trick is to know what your budget is and to investigate wines in that range.

Wine consumption will also vary from event to event. If you have taken the route of a different wine for each course of a formal dinner, you should figure on one glass of each per course and around five glasses of wine per bottle. For a buffet or cocktail reception, consumption will depend on what other beverage choices are available. More options available to your guests means less wine will be consumed. If wine is the only choice, you can figure an average of around three quarters to a bottle per person for a four-hour event. remember, people tend to lose track of their glasses the more they move around.

How does the wine taste? Probably the most important aspect of choosing what to drink is how it tastes. The second most important consideration is how it will hold up for the duration of the function, or for however long you choose to pour it. What you want to select are wines that don't fizzle out and can be comfortably drunk for the life of your party. When tasting prospective wines, don't only go by your initial instincts, but let the wine sit in the glass for 10 to 15 minutes and then taste it again to see how it develops and what its lasting power is. Remember wine is a living and evolving thing that can change not only from vintage to vintage but from minute to minute. You want to have a wine that will taste good from the time you begin to serve it through to the end of the party.