While there are many ideas for wine tasting party fun, your first decision should be whether you’re going to have a “blind” or “non-blind” wine tasting party. Blind tasting parties consist of concealing a wine’s identity as tasters compare and contrast their various qualities, and make wine tasting scents very important. Non-blind tasting parties do not hide the identities of the wines being tasted. While blind wine tasting parties can be a little more complicated than non-blind wine tasting parties, both are fun and educational. (You might want to consider a complete
wine tasting kit
 that can be found online.) Here we will only discuss the aspects of non-blind tasting parties.
You’ll want to determine what varieties of wines to taste, as well as how many. You have a variety of options to choose from in determining what types of wines to pick. You can go from white to red to dessert, pick wines that come from the same grapes but originate from different parts of the world, or taste wines that only come from one region. Online wine retailers are a great place to find your wines and plan your selections. It’s completely up to you to decide which direction you want your wine tasting parties to take.
How much wine you buy is going to be determined by how many people you invite. Remember, it’s a tasting party, not a gulp-fest, so each person will only need to consume about two ounces of each type of wine. A good rule of thumb is to buy one bottle for every ten people. Of course, if you’re inviting thirty people to your wine tasting, it can get expensive. So, consider asking each guest to bring a specific bottle of wine. Just make sure all the guests are actually going to make it to the party.
Once you’ve decided on your varieties, determine what order you’ll taste the wines. You should generally serve your wines from white to red, light to full-bodied, sweet to dry, or young to old. A good place to start with your first wine tasting party would be to choose several white wines, several red wines, and one or two sparkling wines. This combination allows guests with varying palates a better opportunity for finding a type of wine they like.
Before setting up for your wine tasting party, make sure your wine varieties will be served at the proper temperatures. Your white wines should be chilled, but not too cold and your red wines at cellar room temperature. A good rule of thumb to follow is to remove your whites from and place your reds in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before the tasting begins. This will help your wines taste their best.
Each guest will need to have a wine glass, preferably one with a large bowl for swirling and sniffing. Glasses used for wine tasting are very important, so spend some time selecting good stemware. Provide everyone with a disposable cup to use if they choose not to swallow their wine. Also provide one larger container for guests to pour their unused wine between varieties. You should also provide a pitcher of water for guests to rinse out their glasses between wines. You’ll need to prepare ahead of time wine tasting score cards that list each wine, a short description of the wines, as well as a list of characteristics to rate each wine with. This tasting card can be made into a grid with each wine listed on the left side and columns representing the color, aroma, flavor, finishing, and overall assessment. Finally, you’ll want to have bread, salt-free crackers, and water available for cleansing the palate between wines.
Once your guests arrive, place the wines out in the order they’ll be tasted and pour two to three ounces into each glass. Ask your guests to hold the wine up and discuss the color and depth of each wine. Discussions throughout the tasting will make for a more complete and fulfilling experience for all. Next, swirl the wine in the glass to release the aromas, bring the glass to your nose, breathe deeply, and describe the strengths and varieties of smells. Now you can taste the wine, but hold it in your mouth and try to feel the flavors. Is it acidic or sweet; are the tannins high or low; is it light or full-bodied; can you taste the alcohol? Swallow the wine and think about its finish, or aftertaste. Does the flavor stay in your mouth or is gone in an instant? Finally, everyone can discuss how they felt about the wine overall. Did they like it or hate it?
After all the wines have been tasted and the tasting cards tallied, you can reveal the final results. Which wines were the most and least popular? After it’s all said and done, your guests can enjoy more of their favorites wines (if there are any leftover) and everyone will have learned something new and interesting while having a lot of fun too. The final step will probably result in choosing who will host the next wine tasting event!
- Chrysta Lea Baker
Chrysta is a freelance writer who enjoys wine and hopes to bring a sense of fun and enthusiasm through her writing for new wine enthusiasts.
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