Lifestyle
Why Host a Wine-Tasting Party?
December 7, 2022
Learning about wine is so much more fun with a group! Tasting together in an informal setting encourages conversation, and removes the intimidation factor of a winery tasting room. Better yet, a wine-tasting party can be amazingly budget-friendly. Since you’re sharing bottles of wine between several people, no one needs to buy their own.
A wine-tasting party is especially fun during the holiday season when the opportunity to discover crowd-pleaser wines (and learn your friends’ favorites!) makes gift-giving that much easier. By the time the party ends, you and your crew will have shared a memorable and educational experience, acquired new wine-tasting skills and will likely have learned a lot more about each other!
Do you need to be a wine expert to host a wine-tasting party? Not at all! Sommsation’s wine experiences bring the experts to you in a virtual setting. They can lead you and your guests through a fun and fascinating tasting. Simply choose the experience that sounds most exciting to you; whether the goal is to discover new grape varieties, explore hearty red wines for the cooler months, or dive deep into festive sparkling wines.
What You’ll Need: Supplies for Your Wine-Tasting Party
During a wine-tasting party, the goal is to give everyone space to taste and re-taste through the wines. Encourage your guests to take notes on what they’re tasting and which wines they like best. You’ll need enough stemware for everyone to taste multiple wines at once, so you may want to consider renting stemware or inviting guests to bring their own.Set a few glasses out in advance to estimate the table space you’ll need for everyone to sit comfortably with their wines in front of them. If you’re taking part in one of Sommsation’s virtual experiences, you’ll need a screen to display the speaker in a central location so your group can see and hear easily.
Below are a few more useful wine-tasting party supplies to add to your list:
• Notebooks or scrap paper, or invite guests to bring their own note taking devices
• Pens and pencils for note taking
• A corkscrew
• Stoppers or pumps to preserve leftover wine
• Dry-erase or washable markers to mark everyone’s glasses
• Extra cups for water
If you’re the “above and beyond” type, you can even print out special wine-tasting placemats with circles to indicate where the glasses go!
Indoors or Outdoors
Where should you host your wine-tasting party? The obvious considerations with an outdoor event are the weather and the logistics of carrying ice, glassware and snacks outside. If you have a great outdoor space, like a backyard patio, and the weather won’t be a problem in your area, you and your guests can comfortably enjoy an outdoor gathering. If you have access to a cozy working fireplace, even better!
Indoor parties, on the other hand, are weather-independent and allow you and your guests quick access to the kitchen, replacement glassware and restrooms. Remember that if you’re choosing a virtual Sommsation experience, you will need access to a screen that everyone can easily see and hear.
Your guests must be able to smell the wine in their glass to really experience wine-tasting properly. If you have an extremely fragrant backyard and it’s allergy season, you might want to opt for an indoor gathering. On the other hand, if you happen to love scented candles and aromatherapy, now is a good time to air out common areas if you’re hosting indoors. Scents, however pleasing, can distract from the wine-tasting experience.
How many people do you want to invite to your wine-tasting party? A smaller group may encourage more people to actively participate and express their thoughts. It could also allow for a higher budget for wines at a higher price point. Hosting fewer than 20 guests is optimal for a party atmosphere that keeps the focus on educational fun. Of course, the larger the group, the more stemware you’ll need.
Length of the Party
If you choose a Sommsation experience, the “programmed” portion of the wine-tasting party is likely to last about 90 minutes. Plan on at least a half-hour grace period for folks to arrive before the active tasting and discussion begin. Assume that your guests will want to continue chatting afterward as well. However long you want them to linger is up to you. If your stated party length is more than three hours, we recommend serving your guests a full meal. Speaking of which…
What About the Food?
Wine and food belong together. Even if you’re prioritizing the tasting experience and mingling time, wine-friendly hors d'oeuvres are ideal to freshen everyone’s palate and ensure no one is drinking on an empty stomach.
When planning your menu, avoid highly spicy or salty foods, as they’re tricky to pair and can overwhelm the palate. Instead, consider classic meats and cheeses, a cracker or bread item that can act as a neutral base and something for guests with dietary restrictions. Roasted chickpeas, nuts and dried fruit cater to those who don’t eat gluten, meat or dairy. Steamed dumplings, arancini (fried rice balls), kabobs and popcorn are all great wine snacks that won’t compete with your tasting experience. Lightly seasoned dips and spreads are crowd-pleasing choices, too.
While it may be tempting to serve sweets when hosting during the holidays, keep in mind that desserts rarely pair well with dry wines. Stick to savory bites until the tasting portion of the party is over.
Of course, our team of Sommeliers would be happy to recommend specific food and snack pairings that will pair perfectly with your curated tasting experience.
Ready to host your own wine-tasting party? Browse Sommsation experiences and send the list to your friends or colleagues. Then pick a date and enjoy an entertaining and educational adventure you and your guests will love!
