How to Pick Food for a Wine Tasting Party
There are two things to consider when picking food for a wine tasting party: appetizers and palette cleansers. Both should be a part of your event planning considerations. A full-blown meal isn't a good idea for wine tasting because it will likely fill your guests up too much and take the focus away from the wine. Palette cleansing food is a simple addition and easy on the budget.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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Rely on bread; it's a must at any wine-tasting event. Bread helps to clear the palette between tastings and is inexpensive. Cut the bread into small portions for ease of eating and place it in baskets around the party area. You can go with a whole-wheat bread option if you or your guests are health-conscious.
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2
Choose four to six cheeses to go with the wines you're serving. Ideally, a wine-tasting event has four to six wines available. After you've selected the wine list, find a good cheese for pairing with each, either through some Internet research or by talking to the person working the cheese or wine area at a higher-end grocery store like Whole Foods or Gelson's.
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Be sure to pair your cheese with a fruit option as well. Some cheeses and fruits are perfect matches and therefore, will further highlight each wine's best features.
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Tips & Warnings
Create stations around your well-lit party room so that it's clear which wine goes with which cheese and fruit. Your guests shouldn't have to guess or suffer a bad pairing due to your poor planning.
Make placards displaying the names of the wines, cheeses and fruit. You'll enjoy your night more if you aren't answering questions about unmarked items.
Some good cheese, fruit and wine pairings are Jarlsberg cheese and golden delicious apples with a classic red wine or Provolone and pineapple with a chardonnay.
