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Wine Tasting Wonders Party

You've read up on wine, experimented with a few, and now you're feeling pretty good about what you've learned, right? You know what you like and what you don't. And so do your friends. What you need to do is stock your wine cellar and host a Wine-Tasting Party! It's a perfect way to share your favorites and to be introduced to a variety of new, interesting, and exciting wines. Make sure to invite your guests to bring their favorite bottle to share.

Wine tasting parties can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. They can be informal gatherings, parties wrapped around a theme, or full-blown extravaganzas. Feeling a bit intimidated? Here are some pointers for hosting a Wine-Tasting Party at home and a list of items you'll want to have on hand.

Glasses and stuff:

Provide at least one wine glass for each guest. The bowl of the wine glasses should be at least 3" wide by 3" tall, to allow for proper tastings. Glasses used for white wine are typically smaller-bowled than for the reds. Arrange the glasses on a table and have little white lint-free cloths tucked in each glass. These will be used by your guests between tastings, to wipe away the water in the rinsed glass to prepare for the next round. Also have a pitcher of room temperature water (not iced water - don't want to numb the tongue!) This will be for guests to rinse their palettes and glasses between tastings. You may want to provide a special container or spittoon for discarding the "used" wine.

Getting down to business:

As the guests arrive and bring the wine, you'll want to uncork the wine to allow it to breathe. Place the bottles on a separate table. Red wines are served at room temperature, and white wine should be slightly chilled before opening. If you're tasting a wide variety of wines, you'll want to start with the lighter, simpler wines, working up to the drier, heavier wines.

You're going to be tasting lots of different wines. You might want to have notepads and pencils handy for guests who want to record their thoughts on each wine, to keep and to discuss. The object is to determine what you like. How do you decide? Consider and evaluate the wine using the three characteristics - color, aroma, and taste. And now…here's the proper way to taste wine:

• In a clean, dry glass, pour wine about a third of the glass full. Hold it up to the light to see what color it is. Is it cherry red or deep purple? Clear or cloudy?
• If you're tasting a red wine, tip the glass slightly and roll it back and forth. As the wine returns to the bottom, look for the little "legs" that remain. These are a sign of a good wine, one that will hold its aroma and flavor.
• Next you're going to check out the aroma. Again, swirl the wine around and then hold the glass under your nose. Inhale, and then move the glass away a bit, so you can concentrate on what aromas your nose is detecting. Is it fruity? Grassy? Earthy? Acidy? The more you do this, the easier it will be to make the distinction of one aroma from another.
• Oh goody - it's time for the tasting part! Take a sip of wine, slowly sloshing it around in your mouth. What's your first impression? Is it sweet? Bitter? Fruity? If it's a complex wine, there will be secondary tastes that come into play. Do you taste the wood it was aged in? Is it complementary or overpowering? Different grapes give off different tastes.
• Now for the hard part - spit out the wine in a provided container. (I swear - this is what they really do! What a waste! I'll leave it to your discretion of whether or not you want your party to be THAT authentic! Me? I swallow…wine. Caution: If you don't do the spitting thing, make sure there's plenty of water and crackers and time between tastings so the wine tastes don't conflict with each other.) Even after the wine is spit out, you'll taste the wine. Is there an aftertaste? If so, think about it. Does it last a long time? Is it a good taste? Is it worth drinking the whole bottle?
• Take a few minutes between wines to rinse your mouth with room-temperature water and cleanse your palette. You may with to take a bite of an unsalted cracker or bread to clear the taste before you try the next wine. Rinse and dry the glass. Okay…you're ready…bring on the next wine!

A Wine Tasting Party is a great way to increase your knowledge and your wine cellar. Make note the wines you liked and why. Next time you're at a restaurant or having a party, you'll be all the more savvy and know what to buy!

Set the tone of the evening with a mix of light and classical music. That and lit candles everywhere are a can't-miss combination.

Invitations:

Find invitations that have grapes, or a glass of wine, or a wine bottle motif on the front. Add some fun in the Given By or Hosted By area of the invitation, and write "Produced by the Vineyards of YOUR NAME of YOUR CITY.

If you're crafty and want to make your own, add wine labels to the front of each solid colored invitation. If you're extra crafty, cut out a bottle-shaped invitation and create your own label, using a bunch of grapes as one of the decorative elements. You can make these by hand or design them right on your computer and print them out on adhesive-backed labels. If you're really not crafty at all, let Party411 make the invitations for you. Or…for a really personal touch, attach your wine labels to real wine bottles and hand-deliver them! If you go the route of creating your own labels, use this theme throughout the evening - make stickers for nametags, napkin rings, and so forth.

No matter how you extend the invitation, make sure to invite your guests to each bring a bottle of one of their favorite or most interesting wines to share!

Décor:

A nice "Welcome to the Vineyards and Wine Tasting Party of John and Jane Doe" sign adds a warm touch to any party. If you made the wine label, carry that look through and use it on your sign. Need help with the sign? Party411 does a great job with custom-crafted signs - shaped like wine bottles with your wine label, or any other thing you want!

Grapes, grapes everywhere! No Wine Tasting Party is complete without grapes. Use several Printed Grape Cluster Streamers and hang them along mantles, tables, and walls. They make a bold statement and add color to the room. Bunches of fresh red and green grapes strategically placed on tables add a luscious effect and aroma to the ambiance. (Plastic grape bunches work nicely, too!) Dried or artificial grape vines and leaves placed on tables, doors, walls can also add an authentic touch. Most craft or flower shops carry these or similar vines.

Centerpieces add a special touch to any occasion. Try one of these:

• You'll need to serve unsalted crackers and/or French bread, to cleanse the palette between tastings. Several loaves of bread, crackers, and breadsticks in a beautiful basket, lined with white doilies, makes a lovely centerpiece.
• An array of wine bottles of different colors, shapes, and sizes, clustered in the center of the table look outstanding! For an elegant and festive look, you can add balloons in Metallic Gold, Sparkling Burgundy, and Ivory Silk or get the Mylar Champagne Bottle balloon. While you're collecting those wine bottles, try to find one of those wicker-wrapped Chianti bottles. Remember them? They still make great candleholders!
• Speaking of candleholders…for an intimate, elegant look, your centerpiece may be a beautiful candelabrum or several votives in sparkling glass holders set on a mirror tile to add extra sparkle. A variety of candlesticks of different heights clustered in the center of your table can also add a warm, charming mood. Don't have lots of different candlesticks? Stick candles in the clustered wine bottles (see above)!

Because there's a good chance that there will be wine drops and spills, keep those crisp white linen tablecloths locked up. Try an elegant solid-colored plastic tablecover in Dusty Rose or Gold and matching napkins. Instead of folding your napkins, roll them corner-to-corner and tie Gold Metallic, Burgundy, and Rose curling ribbon around them. Add a mini version of your wine label or find little grape stickers or gold seals to secure.

Food:

Typically, a Wine-Tasting event is pretty serious stuff. The object of the game is to taste and evaluate a variety of wines. Other than the unsalted crackers and French bread, food is not the mainstay and would "cloud" your ability to really taste the properties of the wine. That being said, what's a party without food?

When the tasting's all done, be a responsible host/hostess and have plenty of coffee perked. As long as you're serving coffee, why not serve some cookies and desserts? Fruit pies and pastries, chocolate anything. You could even offer one of your favorite dessert wines. Have great wine, food, and great fun, but don't let your guests drive drunk!

Party Favors:

Plastic wine or champagne stemware filled with candy or nuts is a great treat to take home! Remember those labels you made? Stick them to the stemware for a really nice memento of your Wine Tasting Party! Your guests will go home all the more knowledgeable about wines and will have enjoyed the best night they can remember in years!

Dim the lights…
pour the wine…
start the music…
it's time to get ready for love…
of wine!

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As zhey say en francais…Bon Appetit!
The Party Girl

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