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WINE
TASTING EDUCATION:
How
to have a Wine Tasting Party
Having a wine party at your home is easy, fun, and one of the best
ways to learn about wine. We have created a guideline to help
you organize your wine tasting party for the maximum enjoyment.
Steps
to a Successful Wine Tasting Party
Step 1: Choose a Tasting Format
Is this to
be a formal or informal tasting? Informal tasting parties focus
more on the social aspects than on the tasting process. An
informal tasting is ideal for a group whose tasting and wine
experience is either greatly varied or unknown. The key focus is
wine discovery since many guests may be trying the wines for the
first time.
Formal
tasting is much more education oriented (but don't forget to have
fun!). This type of tasting is ideal for people who have some wine
knowledge, and are looking to expand and build upon that
knowledge. These tastings often include blind comparisons (bottles
are bagged, then sampled without seeing the label), component
identification (what different wine aromas, flavors, structures
are noted in each wine), or even competitive tasting (each wine is
rated in competition with the other wines).
Step 2: Choose a Theme
A themed tasting provides several benefits. If you are asking your
guests to bring a bottle of wine to taste, it makes the wine
selection process much simpler. Guests who have limited experience
with wine tasting will be able to more easily make a selection.
Plus, it simplifies your job as host. You will be able to prepare
in advance generalized tasting information to help your guests
learn about the wines.
Sample Themes
Favorite Wine: The simplest of all themes, each guests
brings his/her favorite wine. You will need to arrange the tasting
in order of Dry Whites to Sweet Whites and lighter, fruity reds to
dry, heavy reds. Ideal for people just beginning their wine
tasting experience.
White or Red: Guests bring any wine of one specific color.
Again, you will need to try to determine the order of tasting, so
you will need a bit of advance planning.
Specific Varietal: Guests bring all one type of wine-
Cabernet, Chardonnay, etc. You can make it more specific by
specifying wine regions (Napa, Central Coast, etc), by Country
(Australia, US, etc.), by price (Under $7, $7-$10), by vintage
(all 1999, all 200, etc.), or just about any other specific
limiter.
Step 3:
Wine Tasting Accessories/Supplies
In
general, the host is expected to supply the basic supplies needed
for wine tasting. The list below is certainly not exhaustive, but
will help ensure that you have the makings for a successful
tasting.
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Glasses:
Use real wine glasses if at all possible. They are better suited
for swirling and smelling wine.
Click here for
information on the proper type of glasses for the wines you intend
to taste. If you are having a formal tasting, especially a blind
or competitive tasting, we recommend two or more glasses per
person.
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Dump Bucket: Set out several large containers for guests to
spill out any excess or unwanted wines. This will reduce the
chances of wine spills, and may help some tasters from drinking
too much.
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Rinse Pitcher: Keep a pitcher of room temperature water by
each dump bucket to allow guests to rinse their cups after each
wine.
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Drinking Water: Many tasters like to rinse their mouth after
each taste. We recommend providing several gallons of bottled
water, which tends to have less noticeable chlorine taste than
tap water.
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Bread/Crackers: Each wine tasted will leave an aftertaste,
so it is helpful to "cleanse the palate" after each wine. Bread
is ideal, especially a sweet or mild French bread cut into 1
inch cubes. Crackers can also be used. We recommend saltines or
other baked, low fat unflavored cracker. The key is to use one
that has little or no added flavor.
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Tasting Form: Trying to remember the wines you taste can be
difficult. Give each guest a tasting form that will allow them
to write the name and vintage of each wine, plus provide space
for making tasting notes. Feel free to download and copy our
tasting form if you
desire.
Step 4: Food Pairing
Selecting
the right food to serve at your tasting can be crucial to success.
Your tasting theme should drive the selection of foods. For a
"favorite wine" theme, ask your guests to provide a dish they
think will compliment the wine they bring. If you wish to provide
the food, try to ensure a variety that will enhance many different
wines. Meat and cheese platters, hors d'houvres such as
mini-quiches and egg rolls, or crudités work well. Try to avoid
foods with overpowering spices or aromas.
For a more
formal tasting, the foods should be selected for the specific wine
tasted. If you are tasting Chardonnay or Bordeaux whites, chilled
shrimp, vegetables with light, creamy dips, and mild cheeses work
well. For a heavy red such as Cabernet or Merlot, try hearty beef
appetizers and strong cheeses. Asian foods will compliment fruity
white wines such as Riesling or Gewurztraminer. Pinot noir is
enhanced with game, dark poultry, and smoked meats. For more
information, visit our food pairing
page.
Step 5: Learning While
Tasting
The best
wine tasting parties are a seamless integration of wine learning
and social enjoyment. Encourage your guests to share and discuss
their wine knowledge. If you have a computer or wine books
available, keep them handy for your guests to use during the
tasting party. For an added treat, contact a local winery and see
if they have an in-home tasting policy. They may be willing to
send a winery employee to talk about their wines, or even supply
wines for your tasting. Organize a wine tasting club, and hold
monthly or quarterly tastings.
Keep it
Fun
Never
forget that the true purpose of wine is to enhance your enjoyment
of life. If planning and running a wine tasting becomes a
stressful chore, you're trying too hard. Relax, plan, enjoy, and
most importantly, keep it fun!
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