10 Easy Steps To Fabulous Wine Tasting Party!

January 22, 2009 by Loma Gregg
Filed under Entertaining, Food, Food & Wine, Wine

Winter is a great time to gather friends indoors for a wine tasting party. But after the rush of the holidays, who wants the work?! Here’s a super easy, no fuss, no muss party that works every time!

Don’t spend a lot on your wine! Put a limit of $10 or $15 per bottle. Asking guests to bring 2 bottles each is also economical and acceptable. Give them a limit as well.
Blind your wine. Peoples tastes will change when they read the label or think they’ve had the wine before. Using a brightly colored paper, run it through a printer to number it for each bottle. 1,2,3, etc. Secure it to the opened bottle with a rubber band.
Be sure to write the price of the wine on the label to show later.
Open the bottles at least 30 minutes before party time. Keep the whites chilled in a simple wine chiller like the Vacu Vin Prestige Stainless-Steel Tabletop Wine Cooler. Or if you are in a pinch for time chill the wine quickly with the

Waring Pro PC100 Wine Chiller

Have about 4-6 different wines. We usually make sure there’s at least 1 or 2 whites in the mix.
Plan on 1 bottle per person, at least 2 of each type. You don’t have to open it all, but there’s nothing worse than running short.
Have a piece of paper also numbered to match the bottle. Allow guests to write comments on the paper, put stars or faces etc. We never limit the number of stars a guest can give. It makes it more fun!
Purchase REAL wine glasses. They don’t have to be expensive, something like these Libbey Vina Tall Wine Goblet, Set of 6 . Place removable white dots on the base so guests can write their initials on them. By the end of the evening no one really remembers which wine charms they have, but they usually remember their initials.
Towards the end of the evening unveil the bottles and share the news!
Have small cards available for guests to write their favorites on, or take a photo of the winner and email it with a thank you.

Food Suggestions:

Have a supply of rubber gloves available for your guests!! Especially if assembling raw meats. A box of the large size is good. You can purchase them at a home improvement store for just a few dollars.

Tacos or Burritos. Prep all the ingredients and lay out on a buffet. Allow your guests to make their own creation. Great for mixed tastes – including vegetarians. Just have some re-fried black beans or a soy based product available for protein.
Skewers. Prep and marinate the meat. Cubes work best. Prep and layout a variety of other items (below). Soak wooden skweres an hour in warm water and allow your guests to assemble and cook their own on a BBQ.

Skewer Foods:

Slightly cooked mushrooms won’t break when pierced
Canned whole potatoes are pre-cooked and a great skewer item!
Cherry Tomatoes
Pineapple (especially good with Teriyaki meats)
Baby Onions
Olives
A variety of bell peppers, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers.
Shrimp & pieces of lemon

Finger Food Appetizers. Have everyone bring their favorite dish, as long as it can be eaten with fingers or tooth picks. (easy clean up!)
Potato Bar. Use bake Or serve mashed potatoes in martini glasses! Have all the toppings on the side.
Mac & Cheese bar. Use these Luigi Bormioli Parma 9-1/2-Ounce Martini, Set of 4 martini glasses and have toppings on the side. Ham, jalapenos, chives, tabasco, red onion, bacon, salsa – just like a potato or taco bar!