How to Throw a casual wine tasting party

Ask everyone to bring an appetizer instead of a sit down dinner. It makes mingling easier and the hostess does not have to spend a lot of time planning and preparing a large meal for many guests. You will be just as full and will enjoy the variety of foods.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Brown paper bags, marking pen, ribbon
• Serving plates, utensils, napkins
• Pre-designed scoring paper, pencils
• Wine glasses

1. Plan the date so that you can have 6-8 guests. Ask each couple or person to bring an appetizer and one bottle of wine in a paper bag (have bag available for those that did not remember.)
2. Ask your guests to arrive promptly at a specific time so you can begin eating and wine tasting at the same time. Fashionably late doesn’t work for this party!
3. Specify a maximum price range on the wine. It’s up to each person if they want to try and “fool” everyone with a cheap wine, or give them a taste of an expensive one. If possible, decide ahead of time whether to taste whites or reds.
4. When guests arrive, the host should remove the cork and place the bottle in a paper bag if they did not arrive that way. Once all wine has arrived, in random order, write a number each bag. Place a rubber band around the top, or tie a ribbon around the neck of the bottle to keep the bag from falling off.
5. Have paper and pencils ready for your guests with a chart already drawn. Have numbers down the side and ratings across the top, leave room for comments on the right side. This will be used to rate the wines. You can even have a column to guess the price!
6. Start by having everyone fill a plate with food and start to enjoy the appetizers. Provide everyone with a wine glass and pour a small amount of the same bottle into each glass. You don’t have to empty the bottle, leave some so when the “tasting” is over, those that like the various wines can have a bit more.
7. Encourage conversation about the wine, how does it taste? Can people tell if it’s a Merlot or Cabernet? What’s the value? You don’t have to be a wine enthusiast with all the right words to have fun at this party. Keep it simple. Have them rate it on a scale of 1 to 5 with five being the best.
8. Even though you are eating a variety of foods, and some wine tastes better than others with different flavors – this is for fun – not for the professional wine tasters.
9. Compare and have fun! Repeat with the remaining bottles of wine, just a few sips for every person out of each bottle is enough.
10. When done, tally up the scores and see who is the winner! Was it the $5 bottle of the $20 bottle? Who wants more?

Tips & Warnings

• If friends show up before all the food arrives, be sure to have crackers or other light snacks available before you start serving early wine.
• If your guests have had too much to drink, offer to call a taxi or ask them to stay the night at your house.