Wine Tasting Parties: Top 10 Tips For Surefire Success

Wine tasting parties are a great way to celebrate justnarrow. This will be a nice detail that your quests will
about any occasion, and have become a growingbe sure to appreciate.
trend. One of the key reasons for their popularity isTip #5: Have Enough Glasses
that they often provide a fun, relaxed atmosphere inMake sure that you have enough wine glasses for
which wine enthusiasts can learn about and exploreeveryone in the party. The key here is to have
different wines.additional glasses in reserve. Having a these set aside
These parties should be about asking questions,will help to keep from situations that could otherwise
experimenting with new wines, and having fun.be a bit uncomfortable.
However, you might be surprised to find that wineTip #6: Do A Bit Of Homework
tasting parties can also be enlightening whileSince you will be the host of the wine tasting party,
simultaneously being a very fun way to entertain andyou should be able to answer some basic questions
make friends.your guests may have about the wines they are
With a little planning and creativity it's easy to host atasting. You don't have to know every single fact
wine-tasting party that's sure to impress your guestsabout every wine selection, but being able to answer
as well as yourself. Here are some tips that will besome basic questions for your quests will definitely
sure to make your first wine tasting party a smashinghelp to add to their enjoyment of your wine tasting
success.party. People often enjoy themselves very much as
Tip #1: Decide A Themethey try new wines. Oftentimes they wold like to be
The first step to having a wine tasting party is decidingable to find that same selection again.
the theme. There is no limit for the theme that youTip #7: Select The Proper Number Of Guests
select. You could choose to have the theme be aYou will need to consider how many people to invite.
specific country, in which wines from that country willThis will help to make your wine tasting parties a
be featured. Another option would be to select asuccess because the proper number will help to
theme based on the seasons or holidays. Regardlessenhance the social element while, at the same time,
of what you select, the theme for your party willmay it enjoyable for everyone without exhausting your
definitely set the tone for the entire occasion.resources. On average, mid-sized wine tasting parties
Tip #2: Greet Each Guestare about 15 people. When deciding how much wine to
As the host of your wine tasting parties, you should bebuy for your party, keep in mind that for tasting
there to greet all your guests as they arrive. It may bepurposes, each pour should be about two ounces.
a good idea to give each person a brief "overview" ofTip #8: Provide Dump Buckets For Discarded Wine
the layout so that they will be able to easily find theGuests may not finish the entire sample of wine. It is a
restrooms, wine glasses, drinking water, dump buckets,good idea to have pitchers or empty buckets for
etc.discarded wine. Also be sure to keep a pitcher of
As the host it will be your responsibility to make thewater at room temperature next to each dump
evening easy for your guests. Greeting them as theybucket to allow guests to rinse their cups after they
arrive will start the night off on the right foot.have discarded the unused wine. You will also
Tip #3: Make It Sociableprobably want to provide a container for the unused
One of the best wine tasting party experienceswater too.
happens when guests are able to integrate learningTip #9: Provide Plenty Of Drinking Water
about wine as they enjoy themselves socially. In fact,Believe it or not, wine tasting can make you thirsty. For
wine tasting parties are excellent settings to makethis reason, it is helpful to have bottled water on hand.
new friends. Be sure not to invite too many, or tooBottled water can also be useful for guests that want
few people (see tip # 7 below). You will want to haveto rinse their mouths between wine samples.
a fair amount of familiar faces mixed together withTip #10: Have Lots Of Fun And Relax
new ones.Throwing a wine tasting parties can be fun. It will be
Tip #4: Select a Price Rangememorable by making sure that the whole experience
When choosing which wines you should use for youris something that your guests will enjoy. By following
wine tasting party it is important to remember that thethese ten tips you will be able to relax and have fun
wines that you choose should be in the same pricebecause you will know that you have covered all the
range from one another. Keeping the range of pricesbases for all of your wine tasting parties.
narrow usually results in keeping the quality of wines