Wine Tasting Party Types of Wine Tasting Parties -- Wine-Cheese Pairings
"Thank you so much for all of the great ideas on how to host a Wine Tasting Party. I especially liked the Free Wine Tasting Scorecard. It was very simple and easy for my guests to use."
I have been to many wine tasting events. Some at local wine stores or country clubs. Others at someone's home. Along the way, I have pick up some tips on how to host a party that is casual and enjoyable even for your friends who are not wine savvy.
There are several different types of wine tasting parties you can host. Here are just a few of my favorites:
Vertical -- A tasting with an assortment of the same wine, from the same producer and vineyard, across several vintages (the year the grapes were harvested). An example is to taste Chardonnays from 2001, 2003 and 2006 all from the same vineyard.
Horizontal -- Tasting various wines from the same vintage and ideally, wines from the same region and general style. The purpose of tasting one vintage is mainly to compare the different producers and vineyards. For example, Napa Valley red wines from 2001.
Blind -- This is where you hide the identities of the wine by either wrapping them or putting them in paper bags. The bottles are numbered and scored without the tasters having the benefit of label, price, producer or anything else.
Guest Choice -- This is the easiest wine tasting party to coordinate. Simply tell your guests to bring whatever kind of wine they choose. If you want to narrow them down a bit, be specific in your invitations, like "Bring a bottle of your favorite red wine, $20 limit" or "Bring your favorite bottle of Chardonnay, $15 limit."
Obviously, you can combine some of these. How about hosting a Blind-Horizontal wine tasting party?
First, let's talk about the number of people you should have at a Wine Tasting Party. Personally, I think you should
limit it to 10 - 12 people. I have been at larger wine tasting parties and it is just too crowded around the tables where the tastings are taking place.
Also, a big part of a successful wine tasting party is being able to easily discuss the pros and cons of the wine and in a large group, conversation is difficult.
Once your guest list is narrowed down, I suggest using Evite for your guests who are on email. For those not on email, just call them.
Create Your Evite Invitations
I am warning you now. Once you begin using Evite, you may never go back to traditional invitations again. On-line invitations are perfect for our busy lifestyles and can be used for almost any occasion, except more formal affairs.
The process:
Choose from hundreds of designs, or design your own. Include wine tasting party details like date, time and even a map! If you would like your guests to bring something, like wine or cheese, be specific in the invitation. Something like, "Please bring your favorite bottle of wine. Price limit $15.00."
Import contacts from your email address book
Your guests receive an email to view your invitation on Evite
View your guests responses on Evite -- This is the coolest thing! As people respond, Evite keeps track of responses, including personalized messages, like "Looking forward to the Wine Tasting Party. What can I bring?"
Most of us have been invited to parties where a certain dress code was required. I find these parties somewhat overwhelming because instead of just looking forward to a great party, I have to scramble around looking for special attire. Too much pressure.
Instead, choose a color scheme for your wine party and ask your guests to wear those colors. Red, white and/or black for example? Everyone has something in their closet in these colors so no worries, man. Then choose invitations and decorations that match the scheme.
How much wine to buy? If you are providing the wine yourself, keep in mind that a regular sized bottle of wine holds 750 milliliters or 25.4 ounces.
Using these Flip Top Measured Pourers, ensures that every guest receives an exact 1 ounce measure every time you pour.
For $16.95, you get 3 of these nifty little gadgets and because they have a flip top, you can also store your wine with these
If you have 12 guests and use the pourers, you will only use half of each bottle (about 12 ounces) during the tasting process, leaving the rest to enjoy after tasting is over. Make sure you buy additional bottles of various wine to serve before and after the tasting.
Table Configuration -- If you have the space, set up 3 wine tasting stations; one for red wines, one for white and a third for dessert wines.
At each station, have the following items:
A corkscrew
Measured pourers
Bottled water for rinsing mouths and glasses between tastes
A container for rinse water
Crackers for cleansing the palette between tastes
For the white and dessert wine stations, an ice bucket to keep the wine chilled
Having separate tasting stations ensures that people spread out making it easier for everyone to get around the tables.
Free Tasting Scorecard-- If you choose to score wines, the scoring process should add a fun element to your party, not more stress for your guests. Make it simple.
Create a scorecard that lists all of the wines and is easy to understand. Use my Free Wine Tasting Score Card if you prefer. Clicking here will open a new browser window so you can print the sheet if you would like.
Print this 8-1/2 x 11 sheet and then fill in the names of the wines, by category, in the proper order (see "The Order of Wine Tasting" below). Make your guest copies on cardstock so they are more durable.
An easy way to score wine is to ask your guests to force rank the reds separately from the whites and the desserts. Say you have 5 red wines to taste. Have them assign each a number, 1 being their most favorite, 5 being their least favorite. Have them do the same with the whites and with the dessert wines.
At the end of the wine tasting, collect the cards and count up the ones (their favorites) in the red category, then white, then dessert. In each category you should end up with a single wine that received the most ones.
If your guests brought the wine, you can award prizes for the best wine chosen in each category. Wine Charms a bottle of wine or a new corkscrew?
Overview-- Give your guests a run down of the process you will follow during the tasting. For example:
"Tonight, we are having what is called a Horizontal Wine Tasting which means we will be trying several wines from the same vintage. We are also doing a Blind Tasting which means you will not have the benefit of being able to see the labels, the price or the name of the vineyard."
"We have 3 wine stations. The reds are in the living room, the whites are in the dining room and the dessert wines are in the bar area. Feel free to start where ever you would like."
"Here is a scorecard. We ask that at each station, you force rank the wines, giving your favorite a one. At the end of the tasting, we will collect cards and announce the Top Wine in each category. Prizes will be awarded to whoever brought the number one wines."
The Order of Wine Tasting -- Red and White wine should be tasted in order from from lightest to most full-bodied. The proper order in each category is:
In Between Wine Tastings -- It is a good idea to have your guests rinse out their glasses in between tastings. Also, they should cleanse their palettes by drinking water and eating crackers.
There are a number of Great Books on the market which will help you and your guests become more educated about wine tasting. Here are a couple of my favorites:
If I am hosting a wine tasting party, I like to create big platters of cheeses, olives, fruits, nuts and meats. For a party of 12, I would build 3 platters.
Use my Wine-Cheese Pairings Table to design your platters. Clicking here will open a new browser window so you can print the sheet if you would like.
For each wine type, I give you a selection of cheeses, meats and accompaniments so that your platters do not conflict with your wine choices.
Planning and hosting a Wine Tasting Party does not need to be complicated. Wine and cheese decisions need to be made, that is true, but it is really all about getting together with some friends and enjoying each other's company. Just have a few great wines to try and some appetizers that pair nicely with the wine, chill out and have some fun.
ensures that every guest receives an exact 1 ounce measure every time you pour.
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