Organizing a wine tasting party can be plenty of fun, but it’s important to set up the actual wine tasting aspect correctly. Get this bit wrong and your party will end up being a disappointment.
For some handy advice from Underground Cellar, read on.
It’s All About the Wine
This may sound obvious, but it’s important not to get too carried away with serving food and snacks. The food accompaniments must complement the wines, not detract or overpower them. Don’t make the mistake of serving bowls of spicey snacks or a dish of hot curry. Instead, stick with bowls of nuts, bread sticks, and plain crackers. This type of simple fayre is perfect for cleansing the palate between wines. If you do want to serve more substantial food, make sure you keep it for the end of the party, when the wine tasting element has been concluded.
Store Your Wine Correctly
Wine must be stored correctly prior to being tasted. Ensure the wine is kept at the correct temperature, so keep white wines in a refrigerator before they’re opened. Experts recommend you serve your wines in decanters or carafes. This ensures each wine is anonymous and looks nice when presented to guests.
Have Water Available
Guests need access to water during their wine tasting session. Water cleanses the palate and prepares it for the next glass of wine.
Serve Wine in the Correct Order
Wine is best served in a specific order, light to heavy-bodied. Begin the party with dry white wines, move on to red, full-bodied wines, and end with sweet dessert wines.
Create Labels for Your Wines
Give guests an idea of what to expect by creating some labels with tasting notes for each wine. They can then use this to decide what the wine is and where it originates from.
The most important aspect of any wine tasting party is to ensure your guests have fun. Provide spittoons for them to spit out any wine they don’t want to drink. This ensures guests don’t become too inebriated as the evening progresses, which might cause problems!
