Wine Tasting Party Essentials

Throwing a wine–tasting party for all your glamorous friends this holiday season? Then you’ll want to be fully prepared with all the essentials. It takes more than a few bottles of wines and a swanky cheese plate to be the perfect host or hostess, especially during the hustle-and-bustle of the holidays. To make sure that your guests are talking about your soirée for months to come, plan each part of the evening in advance, from the dishes and wine you want to serve to the schedule and theme of the event. Planning each detail of your tasting will give you the best chance at being named host or hostess of the year—by your guests at least.

Start by selecting the kind of theme your wine tasting will take. You can opt to only serve wines from a particular region, a specific vintage or a favorite winemaker. One you’ve selected the type of wine and number of varieties, be sure that you’re well stocked on each bottle and have glasses for each guest. Provide each drinker with a new glass for each type of wine to avoid tainting flavors or be sure to rinse each glass between tastings. Glasses should be clear so guests can see the color of the wine and have long stems so they don’t warm up the drink with their hands. Try Dailyware’s 12 piece set of tulip-shaped wine glasses with pulled stems.

Remember to tailor your wine tasting experience. If you’re a bit of a connoisseur and you’re inviting over a few novices, it may be best to try a wide variety of wines to introduce them to different flavors. Likewise, those who are well-versed in the world of wine may want to try tasting the subtle differences between regional varietals or vintages. As you work your way from the lightest to the darkest wines, allow guests the time to swirl and smell the wine before taking a sip. Keep score sheets on hand so they can make notations of each bottle’s aroma, texture, finish and taste. Sweet Unrest Studio.

As the host or hostess you’ll have to scuttle back and forth from the kitchen to your guests, but if you keep your tasting area well-stocked with everything your guests need, there will be less running laps around your home. Most wine tastings include four to six different types, so be sure there are multiple aerators, bottle openers and corkscrews, bottle stoppers and ice buckets. By having everything easily accessible everything moves smoothly and naturally, allowing guests to enjoy the party to the fullest. Try Prodyne’s clear, four-bottle ice bucket to keep tasting wines cool while guests sample the different varieties available.

Be sure to let guests know beforehand if it will be a simple wine tasting where only hors d’oeuvres are served or if you will be hosting a dinner after the event so they can plan accordingly. For dinner parties, plan to do your wine tasting before the food is served so guests have a fresh palate and can enjoy the variances and flavors of each wine you’ve selected. If your party is drinks only, be sure to serve snacks like bread and crackers during the tasting so guests can cleanse their palate between sips. For either affair, keep bread out on a chic board that guests can nibble from throughout the evening. Try the acacia wedge server from Crate and Barrel.

Depending on the theme of your party you may want to incorporate some fun games into the wine tasting. There are a few different things you can play depending on how casual it will be. The blindfolded wine challenge can be a fun way for beginners to try to guess which variety is which, while something like trying to guess vintners may be better for the more experienced drinkers. Trying to pair the right cheeses with wines (or dessert wines with sweets) to create the best flavor combination is also a popular wine tasting game. Grab a game set, like All You Need is Wine’s Game Kit and let your guests run wild!