Wine tasting is an excellent opportunity to catch up with your friends or link up and get to know your co-workers better. You don’t have to spend much money on a wine tasting event because you can hold it in your home, backyard, or rooftop building. The tips below will help you host a wine tasting in-house successfully.
1.Theme
Parties are great, especially when wine is involved for the adults, and you can take it a notch higher and put a theme on it. Themes are a simple way to add glamor to your event. You can look for a theme that fits most of your guests or makes it a black-tie event and have everyone dress up. A fantastic way to look for a theme is getting wines by region and focusing on it, which creates a more structured expectation for your guests. Some other ways to pick a theme based on the wine are by value, age, or having a blind tasting.
2.Food
Wine tasting is fun, but your guests will need something to munch on at some point. If the attendees have already had dinner before they arrive, you can set up some snack stations. If you want to impress, set up a charcuterie board with a few different kinds of cheese, grapes, chocolate, nuts, cold cuts, and some bread. It is recommended to have any meals after the tasting to end the night on a great note. The general tip is to pick foods that are palate cleansers, such as water crackers. Food pairings are vital because they may enhance the flavors of different wines and elevate the wine tasting experience.
3.Set Up
Different wines have different colors and aromas, and thus you will need at least three other glasses for each guest. If you have red and white wines from different regions, then two glasses are sufficient, and the third can be used for water. The aim of a wine tasting is not to get drunk, so you should have spit buckets placed visibly for your guests. Make sure the table is set up with a food station, a place to place the notepads required, and covered in a cloth that will not get stained by the wine.
4.Guests
Ensure that the wine tasting is an intimate affair, and having a maximum of ten to fifteen people is your best bet for a great time. A wine tasting is a chance to start new friendships and strengthen existing ones; therefore, a small crowd is ideal. The number of guests you have will also detect the type of wine you get, and the quality is expensive more so when you have many people. If you intend to serve a rare wine, ensure that you have no more than five guests.
5.The Pour
Knowing how much to pour is tricky, especially when it is your first time hosting. You will need sufficient balance when pouring so that you don’t under-pour or over-pour. There are many ways to go about counting how many bottles each guest will have, and on average, it is safer to measure a little over half a bottle per person. Another great rip is to pour two ounces from each bottle of wine. Small portions are excellent to keep the momentum going all through the night.
6.Serving Order
To have the best experience, it is vital to have an order with which you serve the wine. This is because different wines have different flavors and at times, starting with the lighter flavors affects how you react to the more robust wines. The general order for serving the wines is to start with bubbles, whites, roses, red, and dessert wines. Always start with the lighter versions, then move on to the bolder wines. Wine temperature is crucial because it has much to do with the taste. Bubble wines should be served at a temperature of forty-five degrees, whites at a maximum of fifty degrees, and reds at sixty-five degrees.
7.Structure the Night
Even though it is a party, it is essential to let your guests know the night’s events schedule. Planning out the night helps to pack in more activities and, most significantly, carve out enough time to discuss what everyone is experiencing. It is an opportunity to learn, and the different notes the guests make go a long way in doing so.
Conclusion
Wine tasting is a great experience, and we suggest you hold one when looking for a fun new activity for you, your family, and your friends. Use the tips above to have an easier time and a perfect night.
Find more wine tips and info here on Eighty Mph Mom!
