Wine Tasting Party - Wine Love
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WINE TASTING EDUCATION: How to have a Wine Tasting Party Having a wine party at your home is easy, fun, and one of the best ways to learn about wine. We have created a guideline to help you organize your wine tasting party for the maximum enjoyment. Steps to a Successful Wine Tasting Party Step 1: Choose a Tasting Format Is this to be a formal or informal tasting? Informal tasting parties focus more on the social aspects than on the tasting process. An informal tasting is ideal for a group whose tasting and wine experience is either greatly varied or unknown. The key focus is wine discovery since many guests may be trying the wines for the first time. Formal tasting is much more education oriented (but don't forget to have fun!). This type of tasting is ideal for people who have some wine knowledge, and are looking to expand and build upon that knowledge. These tastings often include blind comparisons (bottles are bagged, then sampled without seeing the label), component identification (what different wine aromas, flavors, structures are noted in each wine), or even competitive tasting (each wine is rated in competition with the other wines). A themed tasting provides several benefits. If you are asking your guests to bring a bottle of wine to taste, it makes the wine selection process much simpler. Guests who have limited experience with wine tasting will be able to more easily make a selection. Plus, it simplifies your job as host. You will be able to prepare in advance generalized tasting information to help your guests learn about the wines. Sample Themes Favorite Wine: The simplest of all themes, each guests brings his/her favorite wine. You will need to arrange the tasting in order of Dry Whites to Sweet Whites and lighter, fruity reds to dry, heavy reds. Ideal for people just beginning their wine tasting experience. White or Red: Guests bring any wine of one specific color. Again, you will need to try to determine the order of tasting, so you will need a bit of advance planning. Specific Varietal: Guests bring all one type of wine- Cabernet, Chardonnay, etc. You can make it more specific by specifying wine regions (Napa, Central Coast, etc), by Country (Australia, US, etc.), by price (Under $7, $7-$10), by vintage (all 1999, all 200, etc.), or just about any other specific limiter. Step 3: Wine Tasting Accessories/Supplies In general, the host is expected to supply the basic supplies needed for wine tasting. The list below is certainly not exhaustive, but will help ensure that you have the makings for a successful tasting.
Selecting the right food to serve at your tasting can be crucial to success. Your tasting theme should drive the selection of foods. For a "favorite wine" theme, ask your guests to provide a dish they think will compliment the wine they bring. If you wish to provide the food, try to ensure a variety that will enhance many different wines. Meat and cheese platters, hors d'houvres such as mini-quiches and egg rolls, or crudités work well. Try to avoid foods with overpowering spices or aromas. For a more formal tasting, the foods should be selected for the specific wine tasted. If you are tasting Chardonnay or Bordeaux whites, chilled shrimp, vegetables with light, creamy dips, and mild cheeses work well. For a heavy red such as Cabernet or Merlot, try hearty beef appetizers and strong cheeses. Asian foods will compliment fruity white wines such as Riesling or Gewurztraminer. Pinot noir is enhanced with game, dark poultry, and smoked meats. For more information, visit our food pairing page. Step 5: Learning While Tasting The best wine tasting parties are a seamless integration of wine learning and social enjoyment. Encourage your guests to share and discuss their wine knowledge. If you have a computer or wine books available, keep them handy for your guests to use during the tasting party. For an added treat, contact a local winery and see if they have an in-home tasting policy. They may be willing to send a winery employee to talk about their wines, or even supply wines for your tasting. Organize a wine tasting club, and hold monthly or quarterly tastings. Keep it Fun Never forget that the true purpose of wine is to enhance your enjoyment of life. If planning and running a wine tasting becomes a stressful chore, you're trying too hard. Relax, plan, enjoy, and most importantly, keep it fun!
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