What's a wedding without the perfect wine selection

Weddings and wine go hand in hand wouldn't you say?

Such an effort goes into making sure the table styling is perfect, the food is beyond exceptional... but have you ever considered personalising your wine selection to reflect what you as a couple love?

Josh is the founder of Stocked Cellar, a personal sommelier service based in Melbourne. He prides himself on helping couples make the perfect wine selection for their big day and guides them through the process from start to finish sourcing wines from all over Australia.

No matter your budget, Josh is able to help and lend you a guiding hand with your wine selection. We chat with Josh and get a little more of an insight into Stocked Cellar and how he works with you.

Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into wine? I have a long background in hospitality. Getting into wine and becoming a sommelier felt like a natural progression for me. I often was asked by restaurant clientele to help with their private wine collections so I decided to bite the bullet and started Stocked Cellar mid-2017. I concentrated on managing private wine cellars then expanded into curated wine offerings for weddings, private parties and events.

What is it exactly that you do? We tailor a selection of wines to the wedding couple for their special day. Our curating service sources wines for the couples based on their interests, taste preferences and budget; wines which they can enjoy at the wedding along with all the guests. We can then offer a Sommelier service for the event itself to ensure everything is smooth sailing in regards to the wine service on the day.

Why is having good wine important at a wedding? Your wedding day should be memorable for all the right reasons, having a well thought out wine offering will certainly contribute to everyone having an amazing day. Stocked Cellar can collaborate with the chosen caterer to ensure the food and wine parings are complimentary to each other. We want guests walking away thinking ‘how good was that wedding! The food the wine, everything was awesome’!

How do you guide couples through a selection? In discussion with each couple, we take into account every factor; -the wedding venue, time of year, number of guests, taste preferences and of course, budget. We then expertly pair the wine with your food options, from appetizers and main course, right through to desert. We encourage couples to remember certain labels or varieties that they enjoy together and work around that.

What is the rough price point for your service? Every couple has a different budget so we try to ensure the wines and beverages are perfectly matched to the budget and the size of the wedding guest list. We have a broad network of vineyards and distributors from around the world to procure superb local and imported wines, or unique and difficult-to-source wines of all price points.

What is the number 1 thing you suggest when it comes to selecting wine? Couples may have a favourite wine variety or particular label that they have fallen in love with. Perhaps it was what was drunk on a first date or when the ‘will you marry me’ question was popped. So I suggest going with what you love. On the other hand, be bold and willing to try exciting and interesting wines you may not have tried before that we could introduce to you.