How to organize a wine party at home
Wine is wonderful, and what could be better than tasting wine with a group of good friends or a bunch of wine lovers? We’re sharing a number of tips for a guaranteed successful wine party at home.
The wine
The most important element of a wine tasting is, of course, the wine. How do you decide what kind of wine to get and how much?
Always choose a theme for your wine tasting; otherwise, it becomes difficult to compare the wines with one another. Think of wines from the same wine region, or limit yourself to one color. It can help to look at what wines you already have at home. Do you still have an Italian wine in the cupboard, for example? Then go for an Italian evening and get wines that fit the theme.
How much wine you need depends on the number of guests coming over. You can pour five full glasses from a bottle of wine. One bottle per person is therefore more than enough if you drink full glasses and combine them with food, for example. Do you really want to taste lots of different wines without everyone leaving the premises completely hammered? Then one bottle is easily enough for ten people. Of course, it never hurts to get an extra bottle or two, in case people drink quite a bit.
Of course, you can get all the wines yourself, but you can also give your guests the theme and let them bring a wine of their own. That way, everyone can present their own wine with a fun story and possibly a matching dish. In addition to the theme, always give a price range as well; this prevents one person from spending €10,- on a bottle while another spends €50,-.
The food
You shouldn’t drink wine on an empty stomach; besides, a table filled with snacks looks a lot more inviting. Will you serve a proper dinner with the wines, or put snacks on the table that pair with the wines you’re tasting?
If you’re a good cook and have enough time, an elaborate dinner is certainly a good option. Just make sure you don’t spend the entire evening in the kitchen and that you also have the opportunity to share information about and taste the wines.
If you choose the second option, it’s useful to find out what kind of snacks pair with which wines. What cheeses should you get? Do nuts work best with dry or sweet white wine? Put together a fun selection and get enough so your guests can help themselves.
Atmosphere
What really completes the tasting is the right company and atmosphere. Constantly sharing raw information about the wines isn’t what you want. At some point, concentration wanes, especially after a few glasses of wine. Above all, don’t talk for too long if you notice that people’s attention is fading. Put on some relaxing music, perhaps something that suits the theme. Dim the lights and light a candle for atmosphere. Whatever you do: no scented candles, as they make it nearly impossible to smell the wines.
