Planning for a Wine Party

If you are a party animal, but wish to relax with friends or associates, then a wine party is the ideal thing for you. This way, you can not only sit back and gossip with the people around, but can also savor sipping your favorite wine. Moreover, you can also delight your guests by treating them with their favorite drink. Now, if you are worried about planning one, just remember that the main catch here is the selection of the right kind of wine for the occasion. To know more about planning a wine party, read on the following lines.

How to Plan a Wine Party

The type and variety of wine depends upon the type of event you are hosting.
For a casual party, with just appetizers and finger foods, red and white wine are the best.
For white wine, you can have two options. The first option is a good Chardonnay, with ample oak tones, that blends well with a variety of foods. The second option is a lighter and drier Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
In case of red wines, do not go for anything too big and bold. Instead, choose a lighter Zinfandel, Merlot or Pinot Noir.
For a formal dinner, you can have both red and white wine served. For a multi-course dinner, you can serve different wines with each course.
Make sure you have the desired quantity of wine in stock. If you are planning to serve just wine, then have at least one bottle for every 3-4 guests. Keep an extra bottle for the main course and dessert.
Before serving the wine, make sure it has attained the correct temperature. Everyone loves chilled wine, so do not open it up in advance. Let your guests arrive and then serve them.

How To Plan A Wine Tasting Party

The first step would be to select the date, time and venue for the party. At the time of selecting the date, make sure that all your guests are available.
You can go for different themes for a wine tasting party. Some of the ideas include having wines from a particular country, wines from a particular grape variety, wines from a specific winery, wines from a specific vintage or wines that go well with specific food.
Before the party, make sure you get all the equipments ready. Right from glassware, ice buckets, water, and water glasses to dump bucket, tasting cards, paper, pen, paper napkins and plates, everything should be arranged in order.
Food and wine go hand in hand. For a wine tasting party, appetizers work the best. They help to refresh the palate in between wine tasting. You can include fresh baked breads, bland crackers, different types of cheese, and citrus and melon fruits in the menu.
For a casual setting, a table laden in a buffet style, with different types of wine and an assortment of food, is the best bet. However, for a formal setting, it is advisable to go for a sit-down tasting, wherein the wine should be served in groups or flights.
Setting the wine in the right order is also crucial to have a fantastic party ahead. Start off with the sparkling wines, followed by light to full-bodied still white wines, light to full-bodied red wines and light to full-bodied dessert wines.
You can also play a game determining who is a wine wizard. Mask the name of the wine and ask each person to guess which one it is, while being blindfolded. The one who gets most correct answer would be the winner!!
Just sir back, relax and enjoy the party!!

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Art & Entertainment'