How to Host a Wine Tasting

• by Joy Alger

• Also try: How to Taste Wine

Introduction

• Vineyards and vintages and varietals—oh my! If you're a seasoned wine lover, or you're looking for a way to jump in and learn more about the timeless beverage, a wine tasting is the perfect party for you.

Step 1: Selecting a Theme

• When it comes to wine, the possibilities are virtually endless. There are numerous varieties and vintages from all over the world. How do you go about narrowing down the possibilities for a successful soiree?

Tried and True

• Food and Wine Magazine suggests one of the two most popular tasting themes: varietal and horizontal.

1. Varietal: Varietal usually involves a sampling of the same type of grape from a number of geographical locations. This tasting is beneficial because it demonstrates the distinct flavor produced by different regions around the world.
2. Horizontal: Horizontal means you'll be sampling the same type of wine from the same vintage. This method provides an even narrower comparison of regional influences, so beginners or casual wine drinkers may not appreciate it as much.

Mix Things Up

• But if you want to mix things up and try something different for your theme, consider the following:

1. All About Reds: Choose from among burgundy, cabernet sauvignon, chianti, shiraz, merlot and pinot noir.
2. All About Whites: Select from chardonnay, gewurtztraminer, pinot grigio, riesling and sauvignon blanc.
3. Focus on Pairings: You may want to build the wine selections around your menu if you're more of a food lover. Consider classic cheese pairings and work from there, or decide on a delectable meat dish and purchase complementing wines.
   • Fine Living offers some practical guidelines for cheese pairings, as well as tips for general food and wine pairs.
   • Mahalo also has a guide to selecting wine and cheese.
4. Just the Sweet Stuff: Dessert wines (or ice wines) are a tasty alternative if your function takes place in the late evening or early afternoon when guests have recently enjoyed a savory meal. Some varieties are sweet enough to be dessert in themselves.
   • Visit Mahalo's guide to selecting a dessert wine.
5. This and That: If none of these categories suits you, throw caution to the wind and pick whichever combination sounds interesting to you.
   • Decanter has a comprehensive, alphabetical guide to grape varieties to help you decide.
   • Once you're ready to buy, try Wine Enthusiast's smart search to find exactly what you're looking for.

Step 2: Sending Invitations

• Once you've laid the foundation for your get-together, determine an ideal guest list. Try to send invitations out with plenty of notice for partygoers to RSVP.

1. You may opt to send your invites through the mail, but services such as Evite offer a modern, electronic alternative with invitations designed especially for wine tasting occasions.
2. If applicable, you may want to try matching the style of the invitation to the theme of your party (i.e. red-colored invites for a tasting of reds or a map element of some kind for a varietal tasting).
3. If you can't find a stationary that catches your eye, HGTV has a rainbow of ideas for handmade invitations, including some creative projects using everyday items.

Step 3: Creating the Right Ambiance

• Now that you know the theme of the tasting, and all the right people are planning to come, it's time to figure out how you'll make it sparkle like a fine champagne.

What's Your Style?

• Determine whether your want your gathering to be casual or formal. This will guide the rest of your decisions in creating the perfect atmosphere.

Tasting Stations

• Flow is of the utmost importance at a function such as this; a medium or large group of people circulating in limited space creates a unique set of challenges.

1. Set up tasting "stations," utilizing every surface in the primary entertaining area—the coffee table, the dinner table, the kitchen counter, etc.
2. At each station place a single variety of wine, a complementary hors d'oeuvres and necessary glassware, along with a short description of the accompanying wine.
3. Stations also should include a good amount of bread or plain crackers to cleanse the guests' palates after tasting.
4. Provide a pitcher or carafe of water to rinse the inside of each glass between tastings, as well as a container in which to dump the water and a lint-free cloth to dry the glasses before moving on. (Spittoons are optional.)

Setting the Scene

1. Lighting: Intimate parties like this lend themselves to medium or low lighting.
   • Break out the candles and sprinkle them throughout the room for a lovely effect. (Make sure they're unscented so they won't interfere with the wine's aroma).
2. Seating: It's not necessary to provide a lot of seating at each station, since guests will be circulating quite freely.
   • There still needs to be ample seating, however, for mingling before and after the tasting festivities. Try arranging chairs and sofas around the perimeter of the room.
3. Music: A swanky soiree calls for smooth instrumentation without a lot of distraction.
   • If your party's on the casual side, turn on some tried-and-true jazz tunes. If you're going in a more formal direction, nothing beats classical music.

Tasting Cards

• Provide each guest with a tasting card for them to record their opinions. About.com suggests the following tasting categories for each selection on the card:

1. Appearance
2. Aroma
3. Flavor
4. Pairing nuances

Glassware Galore

• As long as you provide a means for guests to rinse their goblets between stations, you won't need a never-ending supply of glassware. Just be sure each taster has his or her own glass. Crystal-clear goblets enhance the visual aspect. And in this case, quality does count.

Extra Touches

1. Favors: Favors are the perfect way to top off a perfect party. Try a wine-themed gift such as corkscrews and cheese slicers, or visit Hostess with the Mostess for creative, theme-specific favors.
2. Wine Charms: Wine charms are a great way to help guests keep track of their own glasses. The DIY Network offers directions on how to make your own charms.

Step 4: Preparing a Menu

• Your menu possibilities are as endless and wide-open as the vintages you choose from. Here are some ideas for narrowing it down:

Proper Pairings

• The rule of thumb is that red wines complement more robust dishes while whites go well with lighter fares.

1. Red wine pairs perfectly with red meat, and white wine finds its match with chicken or fish.
2. Cheese is a wine tasting staple. And no, that doesn't mean a 3-pound block of cheddar from the convenience store. Visit Mahalo's page How to Select Wine and Cheese for pairing ideas.
3. Fruit is another natural mate for wine. Before the party, make sure you're stocked up on grapes, pears and apples, but nothing too acidic (such as oranges).
4. Don't forget about the bread! Select any flavor you like for guests to nibble on, but reserve a blander bread or cracker for palate cleansing at each station.
5. Match spicy foods with low-alcohol wines, such as riesling, and vegetation selections with earthy wines, such as pinot noir.

Additional Menu Tips

1. The world is your oyster when it comes to flavor combinations for a wine tasting. Get creative! The Food Network has devoted an entire department to recipes that specifically complement different varietals and vintages.
2. Remember to keep each bottle of wine at its correct temperature.

Step 5: The Proper Way to Taste

• Now comes the most important part of all: the tasting. Unless your circle of friends is made up of wine connoisseurs, you'll all need to brush up on some common lingo.

• For a thorough overview of tasting and talking about wine, visit Mahalo's pages How to Taste Wine and How to Talk About Wine.

What You'll Be Evaluating

1. Appearence: Appearance is judged by tilting the glass and holding it up to the light.
2. Aroma: Aroma is best evaluated when you sniff just after swirling the wine in its glass.
3. Flavor: Flavor, including balance, body and finish, is ascertained by swishing the wine while letting in a little air between your front teeth.
   • Flavor comprises a wide selection of descriptors, including balanced, chewy, fruity and toasty. Find an extensive list of terms at eRobertParker.com.
   • Take one more sip and roll the wine around in your mouth without letting air in. This is the "finish" you will be evaluating.
4. Pairing Nuances: Pairing nuances may be based on whether the wine was underwhelming, overwhelming or just right with its corresponding food.

The Five S's of Tasting

1. See: Look for clarity—deep, saturated hues in red wines and brightness in whites. Food and Wine advises tasters to be wary of reds going brown at the rim, and when looking at whites, note any unusual darkness.
2. Sniff: Lift the glass close to your face and smell, then bring it even closer to your nose and smell again. Record any and all aromas you detect.
3. Swirl: Hold your glass by the stem or "foot" (bottom), not around the bowl. Move the glass slowly in circles and watch the wine swish. Lift and smell the wine again, noting any additional observations.
4. Sip: The initial drink you take should coat your palate and sit on your tongue. More than flavor, you'll be evaluating things like acidity and texture for this step.
5. Savor: To savor the wine, continue swishing or "gargling" it in your mouth while letting in some air through a small opening between your lips and front teeth.

To Spit or Not to Spit

• Depending on how many varieties of wine your guests will be sampling, it may be wise to go with the spitting method, at least for the tasting portion of the evening. Swallowing, however, is perfectly acceptable in an amateur setting such as this.

Resources for How to Host a Wine Tasting

• About.com: Hosting a Wine Tasting Party  
• Decanter Magazine: Grape Guide
• The DIY Network: Homemade Wine Charms
• eRobertParker.com: Glossary of Wine Terms
• Fine Living: Wine and Cheese Pairings
• The Food Network: Wine and Food Pairing Recipes  
• Food and Wine Magazine: Hosting a Wine Tasting
• HGTV: Traditional Homemade Invitations and Outside-the-Box Invitations
• Hostess with the Mostess: Fashionable Party Favors (February 25, 2008)
• Wine Enthusiast Magazine: Buying Guide

Related Searches