Many people say to themselves, “I’d like to have a wine tasting at my home, but I am not sure of how to start” Simply having a drink is not enough to call a theme. You can designate the type of product you will be sampling. You can keep it simple, or you can make it more advanced. This way, not only will your party have some organization, but you’ll have some clue as to what kinds of foods to serve.
There are many ways to do a tasting; either you can buy all the drinks, or all of your guests bring a bottle or two or complete wine gift baskets! Keep the food simple. Offer an array of cheeses, and a veggie platter. You don’t need to complicate the food, unless it makes sense with your theme. Make sure that the focus is on the main product. If you’re having a tasting party, plan on one bottle for every ten people. This allows everyone to taste and compare small amounts. The fun of this kind of party is that it is completely based on your own opinion. You can hand each of your guests score cards, and compare that way.
At these kinds of parties using one or at most two glasses per person (perhaps one for whites and one for reds) will be the most beneficial and the easiest on you when it comes time to clean. Use large mouthed wine glasses You can buy fairly decent, all-purpose wine glasses from just about anywhere (department stores, supermarkets, or discount stores like Target, Wal-Mart, etc.) for really inexpensive prices. If you have the money, you spring for the expensive lead-crystal glasses, but be careful putting them in the dishwasher, especially if they have long stems, since these are known to break off in the dishwasher. You want to get glasses with bowls as large as possible so that you can taste and smell the wine properly, and get a good idea of the quality of the product.
Water should be available for rinsing for both the glasses and your guests palate. Put out water glasses as well, and urge people to drink some between wine tastes. (A good rule of thumb for keeping hydrated—and to avoid being sick later is one glass of water for each glass of wine you have.) Your guests will thank you when they go home later.
If you’re going to taste a dozen wines or more, you may want to have a designated place for people to discard their wine after tasting. Professional tasters move the wine around in their mouths, and then discard it. You get the same perception of wine as if you swallow it; it is just easier for the guests who are driving to not swallow. It may also be helpful to prepare little baskets for the guests to take home with them. These baskets can include little food items, or any unopened bottles of wine that are left over. This allows your guests to feel special when they leave.