Have you ever wanted to host an exciting, engaging and expert wine tasting experience, but you don’t know where to start? We're here to help! With this guide you will be a sommelier in no time. Invite your friends for an evening of wine tasting they surely won’t forget. Just follow these steps to throw the perfect wine tasting party.
Step 1: Choose a Theme
Basing your tasting around a theme is a great way to work out what types of wine you will serve at your party. A regional theme is an good choice for beginners; for example, wines from the Napa Valley or Tuscany. More advanced wine tasters could try something a little more challenging, such as vertical or horizontal wine tasting. Vertical wine tasting means choosing a specific wine producer and then trying their vintage wines from different years, whereas horizontal wine tasting means selecting one wine year and trying wines from different producers made during that vintage.
Step 2: Prepare the Food
Finding the perfect food and wine pairings plays a huge part in the overall experience of wine tasting. Neutral foods such as bread and crackers can help to clear the palette between the wines. Or try appetizers that are easily served and give your guests a chance to discover which foods balance or contrast with the wines. Cheese, chocolates, nuts, dried fruits, olives and charcuterie are always good options.
Step 3: Set the Serving Order
Often people don’t think about the order wine is served, but this is actually the secret ingredient for a successful wine tasting party. Serving wine in a structured order will be an eye opening experience for your guests, because only then will the wines complement the food and one another.
So what is the correct order? You should serve the wines from lightest to darkest, or coldest to warmest. Darker wines are more complex and thus should be served later in the evening, so they won’t overrule the subtle flavours of the lighter wines. If in doubt, remember the following order: bubbles, light white wines, rich white wines, rosés, light red wines, bold red wines and finally dessert wines such as Port & sweet Wines.
Step 4: Teach Your Guests How to Taste Wine
Following the first 3 steps will make you look like an expert wine tasting host, but this next step will take you to the next level. To teach your guests how to properly taste wine, first instruct your guests to look at the wine and notice the colour. Is it light, dark, clear? What does the colour say about the wine? Next, swirl the wine in the glass to release the aroma. Put you nose deep into the glass and try to study the flavour. Is it fruity, earthy or maybe floral? And finally, drink a sip and hold the wine in your mouth while slowly inhaling air, so your senses can fully enhance its flavours.
You don’t need any previous experience... with these tips you can organise the perfect wine tasting party. Make sure you plan ahead and start looking for special wines in our weekly Wine auctions. And don’t forget to have fun. Cheers!
Did you know that you can also sell exceptional wines on our auctions? Whether it's one bottle or a whole cellar, our wine experts are always looking for exclusive and rare wines to include in their auctions. Become a seller and offer up your wines for review for free and who knows? You may score a spot in our next auction.
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