Home Wine Tasting Party Ideas and Tips

A great cocktail party idea is to host a wine tasting. Guests can enjoy a relaxed atmosphere sampling a variety of fine wines while enjoying an assortment of delicious appetizers. The host can provide all of the wine or supply some of it, while guests are asked to bring along a bottle of their favorite wine for tasting.

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Party Wine Glasses

Some people prefer to use plastic party wine glasses as it cuts down on cleaning afterwards, not to mention not having to worry about guests breaking glasses. If preferring to stay with glass, a tulip shaped glass is preferred.


According to the book The Creative Cooking Course, "For good balance a tulip glass should have a stem approximately the same length as the bowl and the stem should be solid rather than hollow." The reason for a solid stem is to help keep chilled wine cold.

Wine Temperatures

Wine needs to be served at the right temperature to bring out its best flavor. Sparkling wines including champagne should be kept in an ice bucket to keep them cold. White wines should be chilled and kept at a temperature of 40 degrees.

Rosé should also be chilled at 45 degrees while red wines, such as Burgundy, should be served at room temperature at about 65 degrees. A tip is for guests to hold the glass by the bowl if preferring to warm the wine up. Be sure to have pitchers of water available so guests can clear their pallets between tastings.

Wine Tasting Food

It's nice to have an assortment of appetizers to choose from when throwing a wine tasting party. Some simple ideas include a cheese and meat platter, vegetable platter and fresh fruit. Another idea is to pair each wine with an appetizer.

For example, some type of shellfish appetizer, such as oysters, would work well with a Chablis. A chocolate covered strawberry would be a tasty treat with champagne. Remember when serving the wine, only put a small amount in the glass as it is meant for sampling, not to become intoxicated. Once the tasting is done, offer guests a glass of their favorite wine that was tasted.



Wine Tasting Ideas

There are so many wines available that it can be hard to choose which ones should be used for tasting. It's best to have a nice selection of both red and white wines. Some wines to consider include:

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  • Chablis
  • Chardonnay
  • Sauvignon
  • Riesling
  • Pinot Noir
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Merlot
  • Burgundy
  • Zinfandel


When hosting a wine tasting party, it's a good idea to have a good assortment of wines served at the correct temperature along with some appetizers and cold water. Be sure to keep an eye on how much wine is consumed, particularly for those driving. Remember that this a home based party, so don't worry if everything isn't perfect. Just have fun and enjoy sampling a variety of wines while relaxing and having fun.


Author Sunil S.


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