How to Throw a Cheap Wine Tasting Party

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By Christina-Marie Wright
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Have you ever spent a lot of money on a wine you didn't like? Do you feel like you don't know enough about wine to know what "good" wine is? Even the most novice wine lover can throw and enjoy a wine tasting party with friends - and it doesn't have to cost a fortune! Many inexpensive wines (under $10 or $20) have good aroma, flavor and body. When each guest shows up to your wine tasting with a bottle of wine, your overhead is low - and you still get the honor of throwing the hippest party of the year!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Internet access or inexpensive invitations
Hors d' oeuvres, either homemade or store-bought
Paper lunch sacks
Marking pen
Notepads and pencils or pens
A computer and printer
Wine glasses (or plastic disposable ones)

Step 1

A creative name will spark interest in the event! Image from FreeFoto.com

THINK OF A FUN NAME FOR YOUR EVENT. Suggestions include: Wildcard Wine Night (because some of the niftiest wines are true, cheap "wildcards!"), Cheap-o Vino Extravaganza, or Poor and Pourin' Party... use your imagination!
Step 2

Evite.com has fun and simple options for invitations! Image from Evite.com

INVITATIONS. Either use an online invitation site like Evite.com, print or handwrite paper invitations. Include the date, time, location and instructions that each person should bring a bottle of wine costing less than your predetermined dollar limit ($10 or $20 is a good limit). Be sure to send your invitations out a few weeks ahead of time, and send a reminder for the event the week before.
Step 3

Learning a little about wine before the party can be a great help for your guests! Image from JupiterImages.com

DO THE HOMEWORK FOR YOUR GUESTS. Some people don't have much experience tasting wine, and therefore don't know how to identify what they are experiencing. Visit a website or pick up a book from the library featuring wine tasting tips and print up a few suggestions for beginning tasters on how to determine the consistency, clarity, aroma and taste of a wine. If you like, make a vocabulary list of terms for tastes and flavors for your guests to try to identify, like "buttery," "raspberry," "earthy," "floral," etc.
Step 4

Choose a variety of appetizers! Image from JupiterImages.com

FOOD IS A MUST. Traditional wine tasting treats, like cheese, bread and fruits, will suffice, but remember - this isn't a "traditional" wine tasting, it's YOUR party. Serve what you know your guests will like. If you don't want to have to shoulder the burden of providing hors d' oeuvres alone, ask your friends to bring a platter of their favorite appetizer and do it potluck-style!
Step 5

Cover the bottles in paper bags to hide the labels. Image from JupiterImages.com

DISGUISE THE BOTTLES. As each guest arrives with their bottle of wine, cover the bottle with a paper sack and put a number on the bag.
Step 6

Make an answer key as guests come in - it's easier than doing it all at the end of the party! Image from JupiterImages.com

MAKE A KEY. Type in the brand, name, variety and year of the wine, along with the number you assigned it on the paper sack. Do this for each wine that your guests provide. At the end of the night, you will pass out this "key" to your guests, so that they can look for and purchase inexpensive wines - that they actually like!
Step 7

Give guests paper and pens to make notes! Image from JupiterImages.com

PASS OUT NOTEPADS AND PENS. Encourage guests to make notes about their impressions of the wine as they taste. They can refer to the wines by the numbers on the bag.
Step 8

Let guests match up their notes with the wine list! Image from JupiterImages.com

GIVE YOUR GUESTS THE KEY. At the end of the night, guests can match up their notes with the numbered key to see what they liked - and what they didn't.
Step 9

Plan to have an event monthly! Image from JupiterImages.com

MAKE IT A REGULAR EVENT. Now that you've successfully thrown your first wine tasting, make a habit out of it! Do it monthly, or have a rotating group of hosts - you can form your own wine club! Your group can select a theme for each party, like "Merlot" or "Sparkling," or just keep it simple and fun.