A Guide On Hosting A Themed Wine Tasting

Social calendar staples such as a housewarming, fancy dinner, or even an informal meet-up can amp up your hosting skills. If you love to host such get-togethers, why not consider hosting a wine tasting? It has the right amount of sophistication, sprinkled with just a tiny bit of elegance, and has the social quotient of being a blissfully wonderful evening. Feeling a bit apprehensive? Well, you have come to the right place. Read on to know more about hosting a themed wine tasting with amazing seasonal variations.

Choose The Right Theme

The first thing you should think about is the theme of the tasting. Do you want it to be a solemn affair? Or do you want it to be a lively little setting for all your friends to explore more about wines? Hosting a wine-centric get-together does not necessarily have to be a very complicated and serious affair. You don’t have to play the sommelier to have some fun now, do you?

You can choose a simple theme depending on the time of the year. For example, you can host a wine-tasting party on New Year’s Eve or Thanksgiving. If you want to have some fun, you could incorporate this part as part of your engagement or birthday celebrations. The world is your playground, have at it.

Decide Which Wines

Once you have settled on a theme, you can move forward to select your choice of wine. We recommend that you have a narrowed focus so your guests can enjoy it adequately. For example, you could make it a French-themed wine tasting and sample wines from different parts of France. Or you could choose a vintage theme and browse through all the classic vintage flavors. As you can see, the choice of wine has a lot to do with the theme of the tasting, so make sure to choose something congruous with the occasion.

Once you have decided on your choice of wine, head over to the local winery to get the best and finest pick. You may also have to hit multiple shops and wineries to get the best assortment. As a fun alternative, you could also assign each of your guests a particular bottle and have them bring their own

Food Pairings

A wine tasting is incomplete without the right food pairings. Your French-themed wine tasting would certainly be lonely without some crusty bread and cheese. The food you choose must complement the wine. The flavors need to be subtle but rich, so they pair perfectly without overpowering the wine.

The simplest and most elegant pairing you could go for would be wine and cheese, of course. You could assemble several cheeses such as some sharp cheddar, some bold blue and some creamy brie, and let the guests have their pick.

Seasonal Undertones

Depending on the time of the year and the overall theme of your wine-tasting party, you could incorporate seasonal elements which could potentially play out beautifully. For example, if it’s late summer, you could decorate the area with vibrant flowers, giving the overall setting a floral theme. If you are hosting a fall-themed party, then additions such as pinecones, maple leaves and some pumpkin pie for dessert couldn’t hurt.

You could incorporate seasonal variations with the food as well by having an assortment of berries and apricots for a fall or winter-themed party and having seasonal fruits such as ripe mango slices and peaches for a spring or summer-themed party.

Party Decor

It is of paramount importance to make sure that the overall decor of the place is warm, inviting and friendly. Wine tastings are usually fun events but they can also be sombre and serious if your friends are wine experts. You certainly do not want to burn any incense or light any scented candles, since these can take away from the delicate aroma of the wine. Similarly, you would want to leave the lights in such a way that they do not alter the natural look of the wine. Always keep in mind that assessing the wine’s appearance on a white background works best.

Get The Correct Glassware

This is something seemingly insignificant, yet it plays a major role in how your guests would spend their evening. A lot of people plan to the T for a wine-tasting, but miss out on choosing the right kind of glassware. Keep in mind that your guests are likely to have wine glasses in their hands all evening, so invest in something light.

Now that you have figured out the glassware, you need to also make sure everyone has enough water glasses, napkins, spit buckets, bottle openers and most importantly- plates to eat their food off.

Plan Fun Activities

Wine trivia is always a hit at events like tastings, so why not give your guests something to think about while they sip on their glasses? Or, you could play the blind game- display the wine in an unlabeled bottle and have your guests figure out which part of the world it is from. Games such as free solitaire are also very popular at wine tastings. After all, you want your guests to look back on this evening fondly, don’t you?

We know that hosting a wine-tasting party sounds intimidating, but it does not have to be. It could be a simple fun evening with your close friends and some entertainment. It is completely up to you as to how formal or informal it would be. With these tips, you will be able to plan a kickass wine-tasting party which will certainly keep your guests talking for a while.