If you want to learn more about wine, one of the best ways to discover what you like and what you don’t is by having a wine tasting party. Hosting an at-home wine tasting event provides you and a group of friends the opportunity to try a variety of wines and have fun doing it. But you may be asking yourself, “What does hosting a successful wine-tasting party entail?” Here, Pascale's Wine & Liquors, serving Fayetteville, NY, and the surrounding area, discusses what you should consider when hosting tasting events and offers tips on how to make each one perfect.

Where to Begin?

As you prepare to host your wine tasting party, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind before sending out any invitations –– the first being the size of your tasting party. As with any type of event, having too many people can make it difficult to focus on the purpose of the party. While you want your guests to enjoy themselves by having a good time, you also want them to have gained something, such as knowledge of a new wine or discovering a brand they had not previously known. We recommend inviting five to nine people to your tasting event to keep it intimate and personalized.

The next thing to consider is the theme of your party. Instead of going to the store and buying whatever looks good, try choosing a theme to center your party around. It can be as broad or as niche as you'd like –– for example, you can feature locally made varietals or simply focus on one kind of grape.

If you are having trouble selecting a theme, the staff at Pascale's Wine & Liquors can offer their expertise and provide you with excellent recommendations. Browsing online? Nick’s Picks features some of our favorite wines to help you narrow down your choices:

• Red
  • Domaine Bousquet Natural Origins Malbec
  • Roserock Pinot Noir
• White
  • Carl Sittmann Riesling
  • Granite Hill Cellars Chardonnay
• Rosé
  • 90+ Cellars Rose Lot 33
  • Oak Grove Family Reserve Rosé
• Sparkling
  • Babarosa Moscato d'Asti
  • SYLTBAR Prosecco Brut

How Much Wine Is Enough?

If you are hosting your first wine-tasting event, it may be difficult to predict how much wine should be provided. The easiest way to ensure this is by having each guest bring a bottle that fits the theme. In your invitation, inform guests of the theme and instruct them to bring a bottle to be sampled. Setting a price range for each bottle is a great way to ensure everyone stays on the same page.

Of course, if you have a few favorite wines in mind, you can simply purchase those for your tasting. But you can also choose a concept:

• Blind tasting: Participants sample wines without any information from the host, and try to deduce the varietal or region.
• Vertical tasting: Participants try the same wine from the same winemaker, trying to identify the difference between vintages (the year the grapes were harvested).
• Horizontal tasting: Participants try wines from the same year, region, and varietal, but from a range of different producers.

Common Varietals

Looking for a wine that will be a crowd pleaser? These are among the most popular varietals in the United States:

• Cabernet Sauvignon: The world's most popular red wine grape, this is a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc.
• Chardonnay: This is a white wine grape that’s native to Burgundy, France, but it's now grown worldwide.
• Merlot: A dark, blue-black grape, Merlot produces a soft, approachable red wine.
• Pinot Noir: This red wine grape is known for its spicy notes and berry flavors.
• Syrah: A dark-skinned red grape, Syrah produces full-bodied wine with strong flavors.
• Zinfandel: A popular grape in California, Zinfandel can produce red or white wine.

Necessary Supplies

To host a proper wine sampling event, you will need the correct supplies. Making sure each person has their own wine glass is essential. If you plan to have your guests compare wines, they will each need two glasses. It is important to keep in mind that glass shapes matter, as different types of wine require more surface area to be properly aerated. Additional supplies needed include:

• Water
• Spit buckets (Beginners often are surprised, but these are common at wine tastings, so guests avoid imbibing too much.)
• Palate cleaners
• Corkscrews
• Ice bucket

Providing an Appropriate Menu

Providing your guests with an appropriate selection of food options is crucial for a variety of reasons. For one, you do not want your guests drinking wine on an empty stomach. Also, pairing wines with different kinds of food can help enhance the tasting experience. We suggest offering a variety of finger foods such as:

• Cheeseboard
• Cold-cut meats
• Nuts
• Crackers
• Veggies and hummus
• Deviled eggs

Plan a Few Fun Activities

As the party starts to settle down, it may be handy to have a few games or activities planned. Classic board games, card games, and charades are great options, or perhaps you want to plan something more appropriate for the occasion. Fun and creative wine tasting games can include:

• Wine bingo: Create a bingo board by putting each bottle of wine sampled in a square. Conduct a blind taste test and place a token on the square you think corresponds to the sample. Your guests can see if their taste buds can lead them to victory.
• Draw the label: Put everyone’s artistic skills to the test with this fun game. Have all your guests taste a bottle of wine with the label covered and have them draw what they think an appropriate label would be. The most creative drawing wins.
• The price game: Some people swear they can tell the difference between an expensive bottle of wine and an inexpensive bottle. Test their skills by playing the price game. Pass everyone a piece of paper with a pen and have them taste five bottles of wine each at different price points. Guests will then try to guess the price of each bottle. Whoever is closest wins.

Plan a Wine Tasting Party with Help from Pascale's Wine & Liquors

Hosting a wine-tasting event can be a fun way to try new wines and broaden your palate. The well-informed team at Pascale's Wine & Liquors can help you plan your event by offering excellent recommendations on wines, including Nick’s Picks. We are in Fayetteville, NY, and serve the Syracuse area, including Manlius, Dewitt, and Jamesville. Contact us today to learn more about wine tastings.