At-home wine tastings are great because they give people a chance to understand wine in an intimate and safe environment. You probably don’t open four different bottles of wine just for yourself. This idea provides you with an excuse to broaden your wine knowledge with close friends.
Keep It Small
Wine tastings are great when you keep the guest list to ten people or less. An intimate group allows for deep conversation, as well as being more cost-effective. It’s easier to need only one bottle per type, and if you exceed ten people, you’ll need duplicate bottles. Realistically, you should get 12 two-ounce tastings per bottle.
Count on guests wanting to re-taste the wine, and it’s always better to have too much than not enough. Don’t forget the spit buckets for drivers or those who don’t want to become too intoxicated.
Supplies You’ll Need
Here are the necessary supplies you’ll need for hosting a wine tasting party at home.
- One glassware per guest is okay, but it’s best to have two. Then, the guests can taste two different wines side by side. Also, accidents can happen, so it’s always a good idea to have a few extra wine glasses.
- There should be plenty of water, crackers, or a simple bread available to guests for palate cleansing between wines.
- Spit buckets should be ready for guests to get rid of their unwanted wine.
- Provide your guests with plenty of water to stay hydrated.
- Print out tasting grids or place blank paper and pens for people to take notes about each wine.
- It would be best if you had good lighting and clear glasses. Color is an important aspect of wine tasting.
Pick a Theme
Another tip for hosting a wine tasting party is to choose a theme, and there are a variety of themes for your choosing. You can keep it all about a specific region or country, for example, Australia or California, or make it all about pricing with a “wines under $25” tasting. Try keeping it to a particular variety of wine with an “all about red blends” tasting, or keep things light and casual and have everyone bring their favorite wine to taste.
Get a Virtual Wine Host
Leave the work to WTSO and their partnered wine expert Marc Supsic and join their upcoming Weekly Tasting Live! virtual tasting events. Marc will guide you and your guests through the curated wines and open the floor for discussion and questions. Virtual wine tastings are a great way to engage with other wine lovers and have your friends wowed by how fun wine education can be!
The Food
You have to serve the correct food at a wine tasting and know which food goes with which wine. Understand how acidity, sugar, and tannins in the food interact with the different wines.
We at Wines ‘Til Sold Out have at-home wine tasting sets for you to purchase and enjoy. They are a carefully selected group of wines to take the guesswork out of deciding which wines to choose.