Looking to have some fun with friends while sharing some wine?
You should consider hosting a wine tasting party. It’s a really
neat way to share your wine favorites and to be introduced to a
variety of new and interesting wines. You can also add some
spice to your fun by using a wine theme (”All About Reds”, “Blindfold Tasting”, etc.).
Party Size You don’t need a lot of guests to have a great
party. What I have found works best is to have about four to
twelve people, and definitely include yourself as one of the
registered guests. Also, I like to always have a contest during
the party and give away a gift.
Theme Selection Pick a fun theme, and remember the theme
also determines what wines will be poured. You can name a theme
like “The Great Italians”, “The Great Whites of California”, or
whatever fits your mood. I would suggest being very creative,
the possibilities are endless. If you tell your local wine
merchant your theme, they can be a great source of help with
wine and theme matching. Also, at a minimum make sure you have 4
to 6 different wine types to taste.
Food Choices Have you heard the saying “First the wine,
then your menu”? If you had a theme for your party and your
wines followed that theme, you may want to carry it through with
whatever food you serve. For example if you are tasting Italian
Reds why not serve some Italian munchies to match.
While you do need to provide foods that complement the wines
provided, the food should not the backbone of the party. Focus
on the d’oeuvres such as: cheese,
fruit, unsalted crackers, bread or other munchies you may have
prepared for the evening. Don not forget to have lots of bottled
room temperature water and optional spit buckets available.
When all the tasting is done, you may want to have plenty of
coffee and desserts. This is also a great time to break out one
of your favorite dessert wines.
To experience the full pleasure of the wine, it is important
that you serve them at the correct temperature. Below are the
basic temperature guidelines:
Temperature per Wine Types 37-43F — White Sweet Wines
41-45F — Champagne and Sparkling Wines 46-50F — White Dry
Young Wines 48-54F — White Aged and Pink Wines 52-59F —
Red Young Wines 54-63F — Port and Sherry 58-63F — Red
Full-body Wines 59-65F — Red Aged Wines
Serving Considerations There are important factors to
consider when pouring the wine at a Wine Tasting Party.
1. Fill the glasses only one-third full. This will prevent
anyone from swirling the wine on your tablecloth or carpeting.
2. Expect to serve about eight to twelve samples from each 750
ml bottle. 3. As a rule, serve white wines before red wines and
dry wines before sweet. 4. Blush wines are served as you would
serve a rose, in-between the white and the reds. 5. The serving
order is more common sense than etiquette. 6. Sweet wines have a
tendency to over power the taste buds giving a sensation of
bitterness to the dry wines.
Sights The first step in the tasting process is to
examine the wine and take note of the color, clarity, and
transparency of the wine. Young wines are typically very clear.
Older blends may be expected to have a little sediment. There is
a lot to this and it takes a bit of experience to understand
which hues are right for each type.
Smell The second step is in the pleasure of smelling the
wine. Swirl the wine around in the glass which awakens its
aromas or bouquets. It is important to take a good sniff of the
bouquet and try to detect unique fragrances. If are new at this,
don’t fret, you will get better over time.
Taste Now the fun part of actually tasting the wine. Take
a sip and roll the wine over your tongue. Different parts of the
tongue will register different tastes so be sure to roll the
wine around in your mouth. Try to focus on the characteristics
of the wine, such as body, sweetness, tartness, bitterness, and
fruitiness. You should also take notice the subtleties of the
wine’s aftertaste.
