My Gloss
Maris Callaghan

If you’re looking for a creative way to entertain guests, skip the heavy dinner parties and been-there-done-that barbecues. Whether you have a deck that faces the sunset or a kitchen where your friends and family congregate you can create the perfect setting for guests to much on cheese and sip a little vino.

Before planning any wine tasting,  the first step is to know your crowd. If you’re planning on showcasing a fancy reserve that sells for $50 each but your friends fancy Franzia, they might not have the same appreciation for the wine that you do.

Tip #1: Before choosing your wines, choose your guests.
Once you know whether you’ll be serving your laid-back friends and relatives who like to sip bargain best-sellers or your wine-collecting coworkers, you can plan your wines and your menu accordingly. There are no rules when it comes to choosing your wines, although some experts recommend choosing one varietal, such as Sauvignon Blanc,  or region, such as South Africa, so that guests can compare and contrast similar wines.  When offering a variety of wines,  work from dry to sweet with white wines and light to full-bodied with red wines.

Tip #2: Check the temperature.
Once you know what you’'re going to be tasting, you need to know how it should be served. For example, white wine should always be chilled, but if it is served too cold, it can be difficult for guests to big up on delicate flavor nuances. Serve white wine no colder than 45 degrees F and red wine, no warmer than 60 degrees F.

Tip #3: Plan the menu. 
Food and wine pairings can be tricky, but the main point to remember is that your wine and food should not overshadow each other. According to Gwendolyn Osborn, Wine Director at Wine.com, the weight of the food should match the weight of the wine. For example, a rich, creamy cow’s milk cheese should be served with a full-bodied red wine, while an acidic goat cheese is best paired with a crisp white wine. If you’re serving a dish with lemon or tomatoes,  your wine will need to also be acidic so that the pairings complement each other.

Tip #4: Make it fun.
While wine tasting might seems more like an art or science than a game,  you want your guests to have a blast. If your friends are winos, make it an educational tasting and have everyone answer a trivia question about each sample of wine before they imbibe. Alternatively, in a “blind tasting” you can give each guest a list describing each wine that will be served and hide the labels so that guests have to guess which wines they’ve tasted.

Tip #5: Stock up on supplies.
A wine tasting party certainly doesn’t have to expensive, but make sure that in addition to wine and food, you have plenty of supplies on hand to make a memorable evening for your guests. Keep pitchers of water for hydration and bread or crackers for palate cleansing in between wine flights. Keep an attractive “pour bucket” for guests who prefer not to drink their whole sample of wine. Pens and paper for tasting notes will help guests jot notes and remember their favorite wines for future purchases. And most importantly? Bring your sense of humor. Even if the wine is forgettable, guests will remember an evening filled with laughs.

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