Everything you need to know about hosting a wine party
A wine tasting party is a creative and fun alternative to a dinner party or book club night. As well as experimenting with and developing your knowledge of wines, it’s great way to catch up with friends and family. You may even want to make a real occasion out of it and send out invitations. Say goodbye to Tupperware parties and crack open a few bottles of wine instead. We guarantee your friends won’t complain.
Here are the essential things to consider:
Choose the wine
- Opt for five different wines – anymore will overwhelm the palette.
- It’s ok to mix reds and whites, but ensure you serve them from lightest to darkest.
- For every six guests, have two bottles. One for tasting and the other for serving afterwards.
- If you want to theme your tasting, it’s a nice idea to select all the wines from one region. Get suggestions from your local bottle shop.
Chill the wine
- As a general rule, 15 to 30 mins before the guests arrive, put the reds in the fridge.
- Take whites and rose out a few minutes before pouring.
Get your glasses ready
- Provide each guest with the same number of glasses as wines you’ll be tasting. You don’t want to use one glass and rinse in between the different wines as even a tiny drop of water dilutes the wine.
- Ensure all glasses put out for the tasting are clean and dry.
Prepare some snacks
- It’s a great idea to serve snacks to have while you taste. If you don’t want guests to have these during the tasting, at least they are out to enjoy before and or after.
- Things like bread sticks, dried fruits, cheeses, olives, pistachios or a charcuterie platter all go well with wine.
Turn the music on
- Music is a great way to set the mood for a wine tasting. Make a playlist or Spotify is another great source for finding good playlists.
Show your guests how to taste
Step 1: Show your guests that they should look at the wine. You’ll want to note if the wine is bright (light-bodied) or dark (full-bodied)? Clear (good to drink) or cloudy (put the glass down)?
Step 2: Tell your guests to swirl their glasses gently as this will release the aromas. Then put your nose in the glass and work out, is it fruity, floral, herbal or earthy?
Step 3: Take a sip of the wine and hold it in your mouth while slowing inhaling. It’s normal to make a slurping sound. It may sound odd but this process aerates the wine and opens up your olfactory sense to enhance the its flavours.
Image: Getty