Ideas for Wine Tasting Party

If you're new to hosting wine tasting parties or simply want to shake things up a bit, we've got some new ideas for wine tasting party.

Learn while having fun with wine tasting.

New Ideas for Wine Tasting Party

The focus doesn't have to be on the tried and true Napa Valley or French wines either. In fact, the best wines for your party may be as close as your local wine retailer, and they don't have to cost a fortune either!

A wine tasting party doesn't have to be a snobby affair. It can be something simple, casual or formal, depending upon the mood of the hostess and her guests. The basic idea is to get great wine and noshes together and create a mood that is fun and perhaps a little educational as well.

The following ideas can help get you thinking about the type of wine tasting party that you would like to have:

• Grapes or Berries? - While everyone knows great wines come from grapes, there are many wines that are made from berries or have a berry component. Consider having a party that focuses on the berry wines for an unusual tasting party.
• Local or International? - Sometimes it is hard to narrow down what kinds of wines should be used at a wine tasting party. Break things down to their simplest level- start by thinking locally. Are there wineries in your area? If so, start with those for your first wine tasting party. Next, think regionally, and by state. Have a party that focuses on New York wines, for example. Obviously you can also choose to do a party by country, such as Italy or France and the wine regions within each of those countries.
• Pairing Wines with Food– instead of just serving cheeses and crackers, have a sit down dinner with food and wine from particular areas of the world. Examples include foods and wine from Italy, dessert wines with pastries, cakes and cookies or pairing wines and cheeses from France.

Wine Tasting Themes

Sometimes, the ideas for wine tasting party can be silly or adventurous, while others have a more serious, educational theme. The following themes have been tried, often with great success, and very little advanced planning is needed to get these parties rolling.

• Woman-owned wineries- Select wines to serve that are made from woman owned and operated wineries.
• Dream Get-Away- Invite guests to bring wines from the area where their favorite dream get-away would be.
• Favorite wines – Invite guests to bring a bottle of their favorite wine to share with others in the group.
• Cook's choice – Tell your guests to bring a bottle of a particular wine, such as a Merlot or Pinot Grigio that will go with the meal you are preparing.

Of course, there are hundreds more that you could dream up, such as a cost-comparison party where a blind taste test could be done comparing different Cabernet Sauvignon wines or quality comparisons on ice wines. Only the sky, and your budget, is the limit.

Wine Tasting Party Tips

Throwing a wine tasting party can be a snap, as long as you do a little advance planning. The following tips will help to ensure that your wine tasting party goes off without a hitch.

• Invite your guests well in advance of your party, especially if you will be asking them to bring a bottle of wine.
• Plan out a specific period of time for the wine tasting portion of the party, unless it is a casual dinner paired with different wines for each course. In that case, a discussion of each wine could be done before the next course was served.
• Have the right glasses for the wines being served. Depending upon the size of the gathering, the wine glasses could be rented from a local party store, as well as the serving dishes for the noshes.
• Serve fresh fruits, cheese and crackers at the party. This will help cleanse the palate and keep your guests from getting too tipsy.

Wine Tasting Supplies

The following items will help you with the task of sampling and rating wines at your next wine tasting party:

• Wine bags – Used to cover up the labels
• Wine tags – Used to assign a number to each bottle
• Wine glasses
• Pitchers for water
• Note pads and pencils
• Wine glass charms

A wine tasting party is a great way to get friends together to share a common hobby. If you're not sure how to rate wines or you would like to know more about different wines in general, subscribe to a wine magazine, such as Wine Spectator, and use it as your guide. Wine tasting parties have a way of creating a lot of interest; so don't be surprised if your party morphs into a wine tasting club!

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