5 Steps for Hosting a Memorable Wine Tasting Home Party

You’ve already imagined it: your patio–decked out with bistro lights and decorated with your finest outdoor furniture. A rustic waft of homemade focaccia bread drifts in from your kitchen. You’re surrounded by sounds of laughter from your closest friends and the clinking of glasses as a toast is raised for you–the host of your very first wine tasting home party!

As someone from Italian heritage, I’ve had my share of good food and outstanding wine bringing together the people I love. I’ve seen first-hand that wine serves as a major catalyst for joining people together–under one roof (or sky) unified through a shared sensory experience.

If you’re considering hosting a wine tasting party from the comfort of your own home (but maybe feeling a bit overwhelmed at the prospect), this article will guide you through five essential steps to ensure you host a party to remember! From creating an inviting atmosphere to selecting a captivating theme, my expert tips will help you curate an event that showcases a variety of wines while sparking up engaging conversation. Get ready to become a wine aficionado and impress your friends with your impeccable hosting skills. Let’s dive into the world of wine and embark on an extraordinary journey of flavors, aromas, and shared enjoyment.

Step 1: Create an Inviting Environment

Many hosts get stressed out about the idea of using their own home for a wine tasting party, but the best hosts know how to work with what they have. Rather than getting stressed out about whether you have the right space for a wine tasting home party, think about these simple methods to spruce up any space:

It’s all about the lighting: Just stringing up a few bistro lights around an outdoor area can bring the classiness levels of your wine party off the charts. If you’re working with an indoor environment, Christmas lights or battery-powered string lights add some major cozy vibes.

Candles help, too. Many experts recommend using unscented candles because they can boost the overall ambiance while not interfering with your guests’ sense of smell as they experience the various wines. [1]

Plan the seating; Think about where you want your guests to sit and when. Is there an informal place where your guests will gather before the official tasting? Do you want them standing for this part of the evening, or sitting on comfortable seats and mingling–or a combination of both? Having an informal area for guests to arrive and chat and get to know one another or to just catch up can put all of your guests–and you–right at ease as the party begins. Personally, I like to place various “circles” of seating on the outskirts of the main table. This helps guests avoid awkwardly large conversations and naturally sections them into smaller, intimate groups.

Once the official tasting begins, having a designated area for this activity increases the feeling of this being a “special” part of your evening. Planning an assigned seating chart can add a personal level to your party–as guests will see their specific names written out just for them. Of course, Pinterest has a slew of ideas for how to creatively label your place settings. Additionally, it helps to strategically plan out where each guest will sit–encouraging people to not just sit by who they know but to go out of their comfort zone and meet someone new. Wine not only brings together people who are already close, but it also unites former strangers.

Step 2: Select a Theme

You may or may not be a “design person,” but adding little decorative details to create a coherent theme throughout the space can truly add to the overall atmosphere of your wine tasting party. If just reading this is making you stressed, you could benefit from asking a friend to help with decorating or even hiring a decorator if you have the budget. But if thinking about decorating a party makes you excited, follow the steps below for a detailed approach at party decorating with a theme:

Decide on a theme: You can base this theme off of the wines you select, the region of wines you choose to feature (more about selecting wines in Step 5), or you can insert another theme that you know your guests will enjoy.

A few ideas:

• Sharon of Cupcakes & Cutlery, shares her experience of having hosted a rosé-themed wine party. [3]
• Traveling Vineyard recommends using food items or holidays to help select a home wine tasting party’s theme–such as brunch theme or Christmas theme. [4]
• Game nights on their own are always competitive and fun: why not add to the drama with a wine tasting? Decorate your party based on the themes and images associated with the game itself, and add in wines that fit into the color scheme.
• Murder mystery nights never disappoint, and pairing a wine tasting with a murder mystery just naturally increases the classiness of the murder mystery and the hilarity of finding out “whodunnit.”

Choose a color palette: Now that you know your theme, it’s time to select a color palette–one that fits into the overall vibe and theme you’ve already selected. Lola Valentina provides many helpful approaches to selecting a party’s color scheme. Personally, I prefer to stick with neutral tones for a general wine party: deep purples, browns, tans, and greens–all of which fit into the natural colors of wines and grapes. However, if you selected a theme from one of the ideas above, let the theme drive the colors you choose. [5]

It’s all in the details: With the theme and color scheme decided on, you’re now free to brainstorm all of the decorations you want to add to your wine party. It truly is all in the details (and you get to decide whatever details you focus on since you’re the host), but I recommend thinking about the following:

• Table runners (I recommend THIS table runner from Little Korboose–an ethical textile company)
• Table greenery
• Plates and silverware
• Napkins
• Vases and plants for around the room/patio
• And of course, wine glasses! (Might I suggest THESE Morgan Wine glasses from Anthropologie for a fun splash of color)
• Spit buckets (for people who don’t want to get tipsy)

Step 3: Know how Much Wine to Buy

For a wine tasting party of 8–10 people, it is generally recommended to have 4–8 different wines present as part of the tasting.

When considering how much wine to buy for your wine tasting party, you’ll need to think ahead about how much you plan to pour for each tasting. With one 750 ml bottle of wine, there are 25 oz of wine. If you choose to keep your tasting pours to just 2 oz., then technically, you can serve 12 people per bottle of wine. However, if you compare this to restaurant-style pours, they serve just 4–5 people per bottle.

One half to one bottle of wine per guest is usually a safe bet–but I recommend erring on the safer side. Generally, it pays to have a little extra to avoid the embarrassment of not having enough. You can keep the leftovers, and you can also gift unopened bottles to guests. [1]

Step 4: Add Some Food Into the Mix

As the host, you get to decide what type of food and how much food you’d like to feature with the wine. As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to provide a palate cleanser to give your guests a blank slate between wines. [6]

Personally, I think homemade bread makes a great palate cleanser; it adds a rustic element to your party while also allowing guests to enjoy something elevated beyond that store-bought loaf in your fridge. I highly recommend THIS focaccia bread recipe.

For other food, it can be nice to provide appetizers both before and after the wine tasting. By providing food beforehand, it allows guests to get a little something on their stomachs before they taste. Food after the wine allows guests to enjoy pairing the wines with differing flavors of food.

It’s going to be important that you purposefully select foods that pair well with the wines you feature in order to highlight their unique flavor profiles. Food & Wine has a wonderful list of food and wine pairings that I highly recommend. [7]

It’s also a bonus if you add in some dessert with extra dessert wines (in addition to the tasting wines). Wine Folly has a great list of recommended dessert wines if you decide to end the night on a sweeter note! [8]

Step 5: Plan the Tasting

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So, you’ve made it through the theme and decoration planning! You know how much wine to buy, and you also have an idea of the food you’d like to add into the mix. Now, it’s time for you to select the actual wine and plan the tasting.

Some people get hung up on what type of wine to select, and I usually recommend not overthinking this part of the process. Here are a few ideas to help you select your wines:

• World Tour: Select wines that are grown all across the world. For example, Better Homes & Gardens recommends Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc. By comparing similar types from different regions, your guests will have lots to discuss not only about the tasting notes–but also about their own travels to these places! [9]
• Regional: Keep it all to one area and compare wines from within this area. Choose a location that is known for making great wine, and pick the top wine choices. If you select this tasting style, this could also really drive your decorative theme!
• Blind Tasting: Cheap vs. Expensive Wine: Disguise the bottles, so guests are not aware of what they are tasting. Then, have guests compare the same type of wine: one cheaper and one more expensive. This tasting style is fun because it can add a sense of competition among your guests as well as a build-up of suspense to find out which wine is which.

Once you’ve selected your tasting style, your final step is to structure the actual tasting, so guests know what to expect throughout the wine tasting party. To add structure to this process, I highly recommend purchasing Wine Folly’s Wine Tasting Placemats, which come with a Wine Flavors/Aroma Wheel.

Wine Folly lays out 4 steps for guests to experience together, discuss, and write about:

• Look: According to Wine Folly, before even tasting wine, looking at its “color, intensity, opacity, and viscosity,” can assist a taster in identifying key aspects about the particular type of wine. Guests begin by angling their glasses and inspecting the color. After this, swirling the glass can help guests identify the alcohol content by observing the tears of the wine as it slides down the glass. Slower-moving tears indicate wines with higher alcohol levels.
• Smell: Wine Folly recommends a single sniff before swirling to “‘prime’ your nose,” followed by swirling the wine once and smelling again. If you just leave it to guests to discuss scents, they might come up short, so I recommend providing some helpful visuals and ideas of aromas. This Aroma Wheel from Wine Folly could do just the trick!
• Taste: The same wheel is also helpful for assisting guests in identifying flavors. Only after taking time to notice the smells will you invite your guests to taste the wine. Wine Folly recommends having guests coat their mouths with a larger sip of wine followed by several smaller sips. As they sip, make sure guests have access to the Flavor/Aroma Wheel, so they can then identify flavors that are coming up. Some flavors will be similar to the smells identified; others will be completely different.
• Conclude: And finally, have guests reflect on their sensory experiences and conclude! To get conversation going, it can be helpful to provide guests with a wine journal. Wine Folly recommends taking notes on what you tasted/drank, when you tasted it, your opinion, what you saw, what you smelled, what you tasted, and what you did. [10]

Overall, the most important rule about hosting an at-home wine tasting party for your friends and family…

…Have fun!

That is, after all, the point in sharing a bottle of wine with people around you. Wine naturally helps us slow down the busyness of life, take in the sensory experiences around us, and share special moments with people we love. A toast to you and your wine party!

Sources

[1] “How to Host the Best Wine Tasting Party Ever” https://www.foodandwine.com/wine/wine-tasting-party-tips

[2] “Please Have a Seat: Why Your Dinner Parties Should Include Assigned Seating” https://www.plumdeluxe.com/blogs/blog/dinner-parties-should-include-assigned-seating

[3] “At Home Wine Tasting Party (ROSÉ WINE TASTING)” https://www.cupcakesandcutlery.com/host-a-rose-wine-tasting-party-for-spring/

[4] “Top 10 Wine Tasting Party Themes” https://travelingvineyard.com/blogs/blog/top-10-wine-tasting-party-themes

[5] “How to Choose a Color Palette for Parties & Events” https://www.lolavalentina.com/18-ideas-for-event-and-party-color-schemes/#:~:text=A%20party%20or%20event%20color,is%20not%20set%20in%20stone.

[6] “11 Wine Tasting Palate Cleansers That Actually Work” https://unravelingwine.com/wine-tasting-palate-cleansers/

[7] “15 Rules for Great Wine & Food Pairings” https://www.foodandwine.com/wine/15-rules-great-wine-and-food-pairings

[8] “‘Serious’ Sweet Wines You Must Try” https://winefolly.com/tips/9-serious-sweet-wines-you-must-try/

[9] 7 “Wine-Tasting Menu and Party Ideas From the Pros for a Fabulous Event” https://www.bhg.com/recipes/party/party-ideas/casual-wine-tasting-party/

[10] “Learn to Taste by Taking Better Wine Tasting Notes” https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/learn-to-taste-by-taking-better-wine-tasting-notes/