How To Set Up A Wine Tasting At Home

I love trying different kinds of wines. And it'south even more than fun with friends. Which is why I decided to learn how to host a wine tasting party at home. At present information technology'south something I do fairly frequently because it'south so like shooting fish in a barrel to put together for a small-scale group, or even a wine tasting for two.

how to host a wine tasting party at home

A vino tasting party is a peachy manner to gather with friends and effort out some new wine varieties that you might never beverage otherwise. (You never know…yous might just find a new favorite!)

And the good news is…you don't need to go to a fancy vino bar or exist a wine expert to host a wine tasting in your home.

Only if you oasis't been to one before, it's difficult to know where to outset.

So that'southward where these vino tasting party tips should come in handy.

Types Of Vino Tasting Parties

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There are many ways to host a vino tasting party at domicile, then the first decision yous will need to make is what kind you desire to have.

Blind Wine Tasting Political party

A blind wine tasting political party is where your friends don't know what vino they are drinking. (This is my favorite!)

Put the bottles of wine in numberless so your guests tin't see the labels.

Serve everyone a taste of the first wine. Let them talk about information technology, and comment on how much they love it (or detest it).

And then they tin charge per unit which ones they similar the all-time. (I put upwardly a chalkboard with a row for each wine and had anybody put upwardly a A, B, C, D or F ratings).

Or they can try to judge what type of wine information technology is (if you haven't told them that).

Or have them rank the wines in order from least expensive to most expensive. (In my crowd, it'south amazing how many times the most expensive canteen ends up at the inexpensive end of the list!)

After they're done with the kickoff 1, go on to the next ane. And echo the whole procedure with each of the wines on your list.

When you're finished tasting them all, observe out who got the answers right. You lot can even give out prizes.

White and red wine bottles covered with wine bags for a blind wine tasting party

To go along the bottles hidden, many people recommend putting them in newspaper bags, wrapping them in tin foil or making a tube from construction newspaper.

Only I like to brand them await a picayune prettier than that past using wine gift bags.

At the end of the night, the winners get to take home a bottle of vino in ane of the gift bags.

For the white wines, I use these chiller bags*.

Put them in the freezer for a couple of hours before the party…and so they keep your wine cold while you lot're tasting.

I put the scarlet wine in red velvet gift numberless*.

Having 2 different bags makes it easy to tell the crimson wines from the white ones.

Of course, if you don't want to spend a lot of time getting supplies together, ordering a bullheaded wine tasting kit (similar this one)* will get you everything you lot need in 1 shot.

Wine And Cheese Party

When I think of a vino tasting party, the first thing that comes to heed (afterwards the wine, of form) is what type of cheese to serve.

Hosting a wine and cheese party takes that thought one step further past picking a specific cheese to serve with each wine.

And there is a science to it!

I have heard that serving creamy cheese such as caprine animal cheese, blue cheese and brie do non go well with wine. Evidently, they coat your tongue and dull your sense of taste buds, so the wine doesn't taste like it should.

I like to take the piece of cake way out merely using this vino and cheese pairing wheel* to figure out what to serve.

It tells you which type of red, white or sparkling wine will go best with each type of cheese…really like shooting fish in a barrel!

Wine And Chocolate Pairing Party

Similar to the wine and cheese party, for a wine and chocolate pairing political party you'll demand to choose varieties of wine that taste good with dissimilar types of chocolate.

I used to think this was a weird concept…vino and chocolate but didn't seem similar they would go well together.

Until I really went to a wine and chocolate tasting, and it was REALLY good. So now information technology's on my list of wine tasting parties I want to host at domicile!

Y'all tin find some wine and chocolate pairing ideas Here.

Food and Wine Pairing Party

If you prefer to do a little more eating and a fiddling less drinking at your parties, a nutrient and wine pairing party may exist what you lot're looking for.

This is where you serve multiple nutrient dishes or a multi-course repast, and pair each ane with a different wine.

Information technology's a great way to brand a sit down-down dinner feel extra special.

Or to host a DIY wine tasting for two.

And to make it actually easy, you can purchase these really inexpensive nutrient and wine pairing wheels* that will tell you which wines to pair with the food you're serving.

"Larn Near Wine" Political party

If your friends don't know a lot about vino, hosting a "larn well-nigh wine" political party can exist a fun and relaxing way to find out more.

Buy unlike types of wine and observe out the backgrounds on them – what country they are made in, what types of grapes become into them, and the words that a wine connoisseur would use to describe them.

And so you tin can print up a wine menu to paw out to everyone with the descriptions, or read them out every bit people are trying the wines.

If you aren't certain where to get all of the information you need, visit a vino store and talk to one of the people that works there.

Or you can hire a wine good to come in and talk about the wines for you lot.

"Learn How To Gustation And Rate Vino" Party

This is a slight variation of the terminal wine tasting party blazon because y'all'll exist focusing more on the techniques of wine tasting – swirling the glass, smelling the wine, giving information technology a description and a proper vino rating.

In this case, you'll desire to teach people the vino tasting steps, and give them a list of descriptive words they can use for their wines.

It'due south e'er fun to come across how everyone'south descriptions are different.

Of course, you could combine the two "learning" parties together if you really want to go all out.

If you're not sure what the wine tasting steps are, you tin can detect more information Here.

For a very thorough expect at how "existent" wine ratings piece of work, read this very informative article from The Wine Enthusiast magazine.

Too, if you happen to have a vino store nearby, they may give wine tasting classes where they will teach yous the basics that yous tin can pass on to your friends.

What Wines To Include In The Tasting?

Now on to the most of import question for a vino tasting party…how to choose the wines yous're going to taste.

There are a lot of dissimilar ways you lot can compare wines:

different varieties of white wine (eg. Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Moscato).
different varieties of red wine (eg. Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon)
different types of the aforementioned variety of wine (eg. a "champagne" party with all different kinds of bubbly)
vino made from the same grape grown in different countries (eg. Chardonnay from France vs. Chardonnay from California)
expensive vs inexpensive bottles of the same variety of vino. See which ones your guests prefer! (If you lot're lucky plenty to have a Trader Joe's nearby, you tin can find some really inexpensive wines that are unremarkably decent.)
a vertical tasting – different years of the same wine made past the same producer. (eg. a 2005, 2008, 2009, 2022, 2022 of the Château Pichon-Longueville Cabernet Sauvignon)
horizontal tasting – aforementioned variety made in the aforementioned twelvemonth from dissimilar producers, usually in the same surface area (eg. 2022 Chardonnays from the Napa Valley)
have each of your guests bring their favorite canteen of wine, and find out which one is everyone's favorite. This also helps to proceed your costs down since everyone volition be chipping in. If you're doing a blind tasting, ask them to bring their bottles in a bag and so no-one else knows what it is.

Unless y'all are tasting the divergence between more and less expensive wines, information technology helps to set a price betoken and then that the wines are all well-nigh the same quality (eg. all wines between $15 and $20).

If y'all're really at a loss for what wines to serve, ask someone at a local wine shop. They're usually happy to help!

Or y'all tin log onto a wine store website (I like Total Wine). Look upwardly the popular wine varieties so option their nigh popular brands. They also tell you where they're from and give you some descriptions in case y'all want more information.

What Order To Serve The Wines In

If you lot are serving unlike types of wines, there is an order that they should be served in.

White vino should exist served before reddish, and lighter wines served before heavier ones.

The following are some common types of white and ruddy wines listed in the proper serving order:

White Wines

Champagne or Sparkling Wine
Dry out Riesling
Pinot Grigio
Sauvignon Blanc
Chenin Blanc
Viognier
Chardonnay
Sugariness Riesling
Moscato

Ruby-red Wines

Pinot Noir
Sangiovese (Chianti)
Rioja
Malbec
Zinfandel (Ruby-red)
Merlot
Shiraz / Syrah
Cabernet Sauvignon

Provide A Take-Habitation Wine Card

Regardless of what blazon of wine tasting party I'yard hosting, I always provide a printed listing of all the wines, where I bought them and how much they cost. (For bullheaded tastings, I don't give information technology to them until we're washed).

That way your guests tin call up the wines they tried…and circle the ones that they want to endeavor again.

Plus, it saves me from having to respond a bunch of questions well-nigh what the name of the third white wine we tried was and where I got it from.

How Many People Should You Invite?

A wine tasting party at home usually works best for smaller groups of 8 to 12 people.

You'll need to buy enough wine for everyone to try some of each one (which tin go expensive).

And you need enough time to pour a glass for each guest, while still enjoying the party yourself.

So having besides many people can make it experience crowded and rushed.

How Much Wine Will You Need?

Wine bottles in a rack for a wine tasting party

More often than not, v to 8 wines are all that people can taste during one party.

Later on that, your taste buds tin can't actually tell the difference whatever more.

Each tasting serving should be virtually ii ounces (not a total glass of vino), and each 750 ml canteen of wine contains about 25 ounces.

Then you become nearly 12 tasting servings out of one bottle.

Which is another reason that viii – 12 guests works well…y'all tin can go away with buying 1 bottle of each wine. (Although you lot may want to get extras, because some people will want more of their favorites).

Make sure to have enough of h2o available and then that guests tin can clear their palates (and their wine spectacles) betwixt tastings if they wish to.

How Most A Wine Tasting For 2?

Vino tastings are a fun fashion to celebrate even if it's but the two of yous.

The same basic principles utilise.

But since there's only ii people drinking, you might want to buy half bottles, limit yourself to 3 wine selections, and/or programme to save some of the wine for some other mean solar day.

Wine Tasting Party Supplies

Wine Glasses

Starting time, brand sure yous take enough wine spectacles for everyone.

For most of u.s.a., re-using the same drinking glass for multiple tastings is fine as long as you lot can rinse it out in betwixt.

Nevertheless, if you want to exist a real vino "snob", you will need to provide a new drinking glass for each type of wine.

Although my friends are fine with rinsing and re-using their glass, I practise provide a new ane if we are switching from white to red wines.

That'south considering I read somewhere that getting the right shape of glass for the right blazon of wine enhances the flavor of the wine. I accept actually tried this…and information technology actually does make a difference!

So I bought a couple sets of these wine spectacles* to use for all of my vino tasting parties.

Decanters

If you lot want to make sure that your vino tastes its best, pouring it into a wine decanter is the way to go (except for sparkling wine or champagne, which will lose their bubbles).

Wine decanters* are beautiful to await at…and serve the purpose of aerating your vino.

Aerating helps to bring out the odor and flavor of wines (particularly blood-red wine) and tin help improve the taste of it.

Wine Charms Or Markers

If people are re-using their wine spectacles, having wine charms* on each of their glasses will assist them remember which ane was theirs.

Or you tin utilise a wine drinking glass marker* to write their names on the drinking glass.

Wine Tasting Kits

As I mentioned to a higher place there are a few wine tasting kits and pairing wheels that help to make organizing your party easier:

Blind wine tasting kit*
Vino and cheese pairing wheel*
Nutrient and wine pairing cycle*

Wine Tasting Party Menu

Since this is a wine tasting party patently involves drinking alcohol, it is a skilful thought to serve enough food that people will not be drinking on an empty stomach.

Cheese, crackers, bread and fine chocolate are standard pairings when serving the wine itself.

Here's the listing of other appetizers to try (and I detest to say information technology, just I usually buy these frozen at Costco and stick them in the oven just before guests arrive).

The common theme with all of these is that they are seize with teeth-sized and easy to swallow with one hand (since the other hand will be carrying a wine glass).

Mini crab cakes
Mini quiches
Bite size tacos
Meatballs (served with toothpicks).

Find more vino tasting party menu ideas Hither.

Wine Tasting Party Music

Like with pretty much any party, music is a must for helping to create the correct atmosphere.

You can choose whatsoever type of music that your guests prefer…but since yous usually desire people to mingle and talk during a wine tasting party, keeping the volume at a level where people can even so hear each other helps.

I also like to apply a music app similar Pandora for parties…set it to the type of music you desire information technology to play and you don't have to worry about it.

My favorite for wine tasting parties is the "Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong" aqueduct…it just seems to have the right "vibe" for this type of event.

Well that's it for my wine tasting party ideas. Hopefully, you've establish some inspiration to host your own wine tasting party at home!

Have comments or questions on how to host a wine tasting political party at home? Tell us in the section below.

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