HOSTING A WINE PARTY

“I Don’t Do Wine Tastings I Put On Wine Experiences.”

THING To DO AND HAVE TO ENHANCE YOUR WINE PARTY

WINE FLIGHT

  • A Group of Wines Served Together or In a Series. The Wines Generally Have a Underlining Theme and Are Tasted In Sessional and Under a Medium or High Level of Scrutiny.
    • Vertical Tasting
      • 1) Same Winery Different Year
      • 2) Same Region Different Grapes
    • Horizontal Tasting
      • Same Varietal, Different Regions
      • Same Varietal, Different Year
      • Same Vintages, Different Wineries
    • Tasting Order (Generally)
      • White Before Rose Before Red
      • Dry Before Sweet
      • Young Before Old
      • Great Before Average
      • Thin Before Fuller Wines

BLIND TASTING/ BROWN BAG

  • Blind Tasting Can Be a Fun and Educational Way to Talk About Wine.

MAPS

  • OLD WORLD
    • Austria/ Hungary
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
  •  NEW WORLD
    • Australia
    • California
    • New Zealand
    • Pacific North-West
    • South Africa
  • GRAPE CHART
  • **All Maps Are Produced by Delong Maps, Purchase These Maps at Delongwine.com.

JARS/ AROMA ASSOCIATION

  • Cabernet Sauvignon- Black Current, Tobacco, Fig
  • Pinot Noir- Cola, Cherry, Strawberry
  • Chardonnay- Green Melon, Granny-Apple, Pear
  • Sauvignon Blanc- Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Bell Pepper
  • Syrah- Pepper-Corn
  • Other- Pineapple, Vanilla, Cocoa, Rose(White/ Red), Clove, Anise, All-Spice, Cinnamon, Cranberry

SOILS JARS/ DISPLAY 

  • **Refer to “SOIL COLLECTION” For List of Soils Available.

OLD WINE

  • Having a Old Bottle of Wine In a Blown Bag or Decanter is an Interesting Aspect to the Party.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR WINE TASTING

  • Spit Cups                               Spit Bucket
  • White Table Cloth               Decanter
  • Black Glasses                       Food
  • Glass Polishing Cloth         Books On Wine
  • Maps                                      Wine Preserver
  • Stainless Steel Bucket For Sparkling Wine.
  • Provide a Ice Bucket For Waters and Refreshments.

OTHER THING Of INTEREST To ENHANCE WINE PARTY

  • Tartaric Crystals
  • Tastevin
  • Corks
  • Literature

FOOD

  • Either Do the Food Yourself or Better Yet, Set Up Your Party as a Pot Luck/ Theme.

OTHER ADVICE

  • PLAN AHEAD- Set the Ambiance, Tables and Decor Your Space.  Prep Everything You Can Before You Guest Arrive.  Put Out Glasses and Set Up Music Play List.
  • BE THE HOST- Welcome Your Guest With a Smile and Starter Glass. Encourage Interaction and Set People Up With a Conversation Partner if Your Attention is Needed Elsewhere.
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY? “Who Should You Share Your Best/ Coveted/ Expensive/ Historical Bottle of Wine With?”
    • “While Wanting to Drink Your Best Wine With Your “Best” Friend or “Wife”, This Isn’t Alway the Best Thing. Great Wine Bottles Are Sometimes “Lost On” or They Lack Knowledge to Fully Appreciate What They Are Drinking.  So While You Want to Share Wine With Friends or Loved One and Help Them In Their Wine Journey Be Discriminative About Who You Share Your Best Bottles With and Think Twice When You Say “Just Pick Out Anything In the Cellar.”

“It’s Better to Bring an Interesting/ Thoughtful Bottle of Wine to a Wine Party Than an Expensive Bottle.”

  • ANGRY MEN CLUB-  A “Elitist Club” But Also a “Themed/ Type of Wine Tasting Parting. The Name is Taken From “The Guy” Who Guy Who Angry Because he Brought a $100 Bottle to the Tasting While Everyone Else Brought $8 Generic Wines.
  • PULLING A “NIXON”-  A Having a Party and Serving Your Guest a Mediocre Wine, But Having a Different/ Great Wine to Drink Yourself.  Named After President Richard Nixon Who is Said to Pull This Maneuver Often at His Parties.

**Refer to “BIBLIOGRAPHY/ Sources” For Details On Scholarly Works Referenced.