Wine Tasting, Anyone?

How to Give a Perfect Wine Tasting Party
By Caroline Silverstone

Hosting the perfect wine tasting party will make you the talk of your social group. The perfect party will allow you to entertain your guests and ensure everyone is happy. You will feel less stressed and more able to enjoy the party yourself, too, when you know you have planned your party carefully.

The following five steps will help you to plan the perfect wine tasting party. By following these steps you will be taken from the pre-party planning to wrapping up the party. You will find everything you need to make sure that your party goes off without a hitch in these five steps.

Step One: Find the right setting

You want the setting to reflect the overall atmosphere of the party. The party should be relaxing and laid back. You want people to be able to talk easily so there should not be a lot of noise. You also want a well lit area so people can see the wine.

Step Two: Decide who to invite

You should follow the general rule that a bottle of wine can be used for 15 to 20 people. Any more and you will run out of wine or be unable to give an adequate tasting amount. If you have less people then you will need to plan for the left over wine storage. Additionally, having the right number of people ensures that the conversation will not stall and that everyone will get a chance to speak their thoughts on the wine without being talked over or feeling crowded out.

Step Three: Prepare supplies

You want to ensure that you have everything you need for the party. You will need glasses that are made to match the wines you will be serving. You will need napkins. You will also need something to cleanse the palate in between tasting. You should choose bread at minimum. You can offer other foods, but be sure to follow general pairing guidelines so the taste of the wines is not ruined.

Step Four: Keep the party flowing

You want to make sure that the party keeps flowing. Move from wine to wine at a pace directed by your guests. When the conversation tends to slow you can move on to the next wine. Make sure you follow cues carefully or you could end up with awkward silence in between each wine.

Step Five: Closing the party right

Sometimes people like to linger about after wine tasting parties. It can be helpful if you have a way to wrap up the party that makes it clear the party is done. You may wish to send each guest home with leftover re-corked wine. You could also provide taxi service to get everyone home safely. Anything you do should make it clear the party is complete and everyone should leave. This is not rude, but important so that you are not stuck cleaning up into the wee hours of the morning just because a guest or two refused to leave. This will leave a good tastes in everyone's mouth.

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