You don't have to be a wine expert to host an outstanding, fun and educational wine tasting party. This is a great way to socialize with your neighbors and friends and learn a little about wine at the same time. Hosting a wine tasting party is an excellent way to expand your taste buds, find great inexpensive wines that you enjoy and broaden you understanding of wine styles.
You can focus your wine tasting party on a particular style or theme that may compliment the dinner you will be serving later in the evening. For example, if you intend on serving duck, goose, roast chicken, roast beef or roast lamb ask your guests to bring a full flavored cabernet sauvignon or merlot that is under $10. Setting a price limit helps prevent that one guest from trying to buy the best wine by bringing the most expensive wine. Follow these simple steps for each bottle to do the tasting:
1. Place each bottle of wine in a brown bag and number the bag so the guests cannot see the label. For a more classy approach, consider using decorative wine bags to cover the bottles.
2. Prepare your table setting with glasses, crackers and some water for each guest. Crackers or bread can be used, but they should be of a neutral flavor. Stay away from flavored crackers so you can truly clear the palette. Crackers and cheese may seem like a great idea, but it should be avoided because the cheese will actually influence the flavors of the wine. If your guests may be hungry, a nice loaf of French bread can be used instead of crackers.
3. Be sure to have a separate container for those guests who want to pour out the excess wine. Remember, this is about fun, education and friendship. Getting intoxicated is not the objective here and will most certainly deaden your taste buds.
4. Open the first bottle of wine and fill the glass only about 20%. For red wines, you may want the wine to breathe somewhat by pouring off about ? glass from each bottle. For white and blush style wines you may want to chill slightly before serving.
5. Sample the wine and rate each wine according to the following three senses: sight, smell and taste. You may find that you like the look of one wine over another, but prefer the aroma of another. You may also find one wine with a wonderful aroma, but it may be too bitter for your liking.
- Sight: Examine the wine and make notes about the color, clarity and transparency of the wine. Rank the color of the wine on a scale of 1 to 10 based on your personal preferences.
- Smell: Swirl the wine around in the glass to help awaken the aromas and take a good sniff of the bouquet and aroma. Rank the wine on a scale of 1 to 10 based on your personal fondness.
- Taste: Take a small sip and roll the wine over your tongue inhaling slightly to release the full flavors. Different parts of the tongue register different tastes so be sure to roll the wine around in your mouth. Try to focus on the characteristics of the wine such as the body, acidity, tannin (bitterness), sweetness and fruitiness of the wine. Also be sure to focus on the aftertaste of the wine. Again, make notes on the flavors and subtleties of the wine and rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 based on your personal fondness.
6. Once all of your guests have finished tasting the wine be sure to clean your glass or start with a fresh one. Also be sure each guest cleanses their pallet by eating a small cracker and/or drinking a small amount of water.
After you have cycled through all of the wines, have each guests finalize their notes and identify their most and least favorite wine for each of the three senses: sight, smell and taste. Also have each individual pick their all-around favorite and least favorite wine. Begin comparing notes for each of the wines. Once the favorites are identified by each individual, remove the bags from the wine bottles to identify the winners and losers. If serving a meal afterwards, offer your guests some of the wine just sampled with the meal. This will further expand on the tasting process as foods are introduced to complement the wines. This can be a fun and exciting way to host a wine tasting party in your home with some of your friends.
Of course, please drink responsibly and select designated drivers to ensure the safety of your guests.
A Wine Tasting Party
Most wine lovers, at some point, have taken the
opportunity to participate in a wine tasting. In
many cases, the tastings were sponsored by a
commercial winery. Sometimes local merchants who
sell wine will have a tasting. Even cruise lines
have wine tastings on many cruises. However, did
you know that it's quite possible to turn your
home bar, or wine bar, into a very professional
wine tasting event! Of course your wine tasting
doesn't necessarily have to be "professional",
but i'm sure you'd like it to be authentic and
fun. This article will provide some keys to a
successful wine tasting.
Home wine tasings should be rather small
gatherings. Anywhere from 4-8 friends is perfect.
Tell your friends to each bring a bottle of wine
in a specific price range. Now, there are two
schools of thought on the types of wine to bring.
Some wine tastings feature all of the same type
of wine, a Merlot, for example. Other tastings
feature a variety of different types of wines.
The single type of wine tasting is not as
challenging to the taste buds, and therefore a
better choice for an amateur event.
Certainly, you want your wine tasting to go as
smoothly as possible. Consequently, preparation
is the key. Definitely have a quality wine opener
on hand. It's well worth the investment to
purchase a heavy duty commercial opener. They are
fast and effortless, and seldom damage the cork.
They also are much more durable then standard
corkscrews. A good, modestly priced opener has
two prongs that slide down the cork and help ease
the cork out of the bottle has you twist. Also,
make sure you have a wine bucket handy with ice,
or an electric wine chiller, in case one of your
guest brings a wine that needs chilling. A wine
cart is a terrific way to present all the bottles,
and even serve the guests as it moves around the
room.
Make sure that you number the bottles and
disguise the labels. Have appropriate stemware on
hand for the type of wine you're serving.
Instruct your guests to evaluate the wines using
a 3 step process. First, have them look at the
clarity and color. Wine should have an appealing
look.After all, presentation is everything! Next,
they should smell the wine. Try to get your guest?
Both Kristi Paisley & Ms Hutchins are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Kristi Paisley has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Wine and Spirits and Birthday Gifts. Kristi Paisley is an writer and world wide shopper looking for unique gifts to offer on her website. For great. Kristi Paisley's top article generates over 8100 views. Bookmark Kristi Paisley to your Favourites.
Ms Hutchins has sinced written about articles on various topics from Wine and Spirits, Halloween Costumes and Games. Michael Hutchins has created convenient "one stop" shopping for all your home bar needs. Visit http://www.home-bars-and-more.com and you'll find an amazing variety of home bars, wine racks, wine furniture, bar stools, and bar accessories. All at GREAT Pri. Ms Hutchins's top article generates over 9900 views. Bookmark Ms Hutchins to your Favourites.
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