Hosting A Wine Tasting Party
As your love and knowledge of wine grows, it is inevitable that you will want to share your revelations with friends and family. Hosting a wine tasting party is a great way to do this.
When planning a wine tasting party, some obvious questions about parameters arise. How many people should you invite? What types and how many wines should you pour?
It is my opinion that an informal gathering should be kept to 12 people or less. This ensures that conversation and dialogue will be much more conducive than with a larger group.
Blind tasting is the most fun and informative. Wrapping bottles in bags will negate past preferences and prejudices. You may be surprised what you "like" without access to the wine label.
Focus on a relatively specific style of wine. Within this framework, some variations should be considered. I recently hosted a wine tasting party where we tasted Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons.
To make it more interesting, we tasted two wines from Rutherford, (valley floor) two from Stags Leap, (east hills) and two from Mount Veeder (west hills). This was a pleasant and educational mix: a consistant varietal, but different styles from different regions. Another option is to taste the same varietal from the same region, but in different price ranges.
For the initial tasting, pour a small amount in each guest's glass. Refrain from pouring full glasses until every wine has been tasted to avoid the cloud of inebriation on the senses.
Provide some neutral flavored foods for your guests. Make sure this does not interfere or clash with the wine tasting. Don't serve blue cheese if you are tasting Pinot Blancs. Try bread or crackers and a mild, white cheddar or brie.
Paper and pencils are necessary for your guests to write notes and preferences. If you regularly taste with the same group, you may want to use a designated notebook as well as articulate some additional guidelines and procedures for the tasting notes. This will create and ongoing reference point and perspective as your tastes develop.
Benjamin Bicais lives in the Napa Valley and is the webmaster of http://www.california-wine-tours-and-accessories.com
MORE RESOURCES:
|
Wine, Spirits & Food Tasting Aug. 22 at Two Rodeo, Beverly Hills
Westside Today By Michael One of the most chic corners of the world—the Two Rodeo shopping district in Beverly Hills, will provide the setting for the LA Gay & Lesbian ... |
|
US: Demand for premium wine, spirits to rise - S&P
just-drinks.com (subscription) The demand for premium beverages in the US is expected to rise in the long-term, according to new research, with a possible easing of pricing pressures. ... |
 Examiner.com |
NJ wine/spirits tax hike in effect
Examiner.com Anyone who went wine or spirits shopping in New Jersey this weekend found it a different experience. That's because August 1 was the effective date for a ... |
 Examiner.com |
IW&SC wine/spirits results are in
Examiner.com What event involves 10 weeks of blind tasting by 70 industry experts from around the globe evaluating light and fortified wines from 33 different countries ... |
|
Wine, etc.: Wine recommendations under $12 from local experts
Annapolis Capital No matter how many times you've asked a wine salesman for a recommendation, it's amazing that he or she can come up with ... |
|
Quebec liquor board profits up 12.8 per cent to $187 million on ...
The Canadian Press The state-run Societe des alcools du Quebec said it earned $21.2 million more from the sale of wine, spirits and beer than it did a year earlier. ... |
 Adweek |
BevMo! Eyes 3 Shops
Adweek The chain of wine, spirits and beer superstores is expected to choose a winner by Labor Day. Incumbent Hoffman/Lewis, San Francisco, which has held the ... |
|
AUSTRALIA: Senate passes RTD drinks tax hike
just-drinks.com (subscription) Australia is set to reintroduce a 70% tax hike on ready-to-drink (RTD) alcoholic beverages, after the country's Senate approved the proposal. ... |
|
Medford Square businesses Lighthouse Cafe, Grapevine Travelers to ...
Medford Transcript Grapevine Travelers Fine Wine, Spirits and Beer Shoppe, located at 18 High St., will soon be transferring ownership, but not closing or relocating. ... |
 Boston Globe |
Add a personal message:
Boston Globe It hasn't been the warmest or sunniest of summers here. Blue sky has been a little hard to come by. To judge by our neighborhood, this hasn't meant a mass ... |
Tasting Wine
Wine Tasting Component I: LookThe first step you have to undertake in wine tasting is visual.1.
Australia Is More Than Jacobs Creek
The Jacobs Creek Brand of wines have taken the world by storm. And so they should.
Barbera Wine
Barbera is a wine grape variety from Monferrato in Piemonte, Italy. Babera produces an intense red wine with deep color, low tannins and high acid and is used in California to provide "backbone" for so-called "jug wines".
Choosing a Wine Gift Basket
During the holiday season, most of us are in a frantic search for presents for loved ones and friends. Next time, instead of the usual hassle of selecting a gift which will suit him or her, try sending a wine gift basket instead.
Chablis Wine
Chablis is thought to have originated in northern Spain and grows well in a 'Mediterranean' climate. As a result, it is widely grown in many of the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea including France, Italy, Spain, and Algeria.
Using Cooking Wine
Cooking wine is sort of a holdover from prohibition. People who grew up thinking Alcohol is Evil didn't want to have any in their homes.
Riesling Wine
The most famous cool climates for Riesling wine are in Germany, Austria, and the Alsace region of France. In these places, Riesling wine can be dazzling, with intense mineral and peach flavors and breathtaking clarity and transparency.
What is Corked Wine?
Keeping a wine bottle sealed is probably the most important factor when it comes to maintaining a good wine.A cork is essential, as it keeps oxygen out of the wine bottle.
Burgundy Wine
Burgundy red wines are produced in an area of France stretching from Dijon south to Beaujolais. The northern section of Burgundy is called the Cote d'Or (hills of gold) and generally, the farther north the Burgundy vineyard, the richer flavored the wine.
Ideal Wine Temperature
The ideal temperature to store wines is between 55�F and 58�F (13�C-15�C). However, any temperature between 40�-65�F (5�-18�C) will suffice as long as it remains constant.
Wine Etiquette With Ease
Correct wine etiquette makes the tasting experience much more enjoyable. Like most interests, there is a set of protocol that most wine lovers adhere to.
Champagne
Champagne is without question the finest sparkling wine made in the world. Champagne is the name of the wine region located about 90 miles northeast of Paris.
Bordeaux Wine
Bordeaux is a region in France that produces some of the world's finest and most famous red, white and dessert wines. The greatest red wines of Bordeaux come from the Medoc, Graves, Saint-Emilion and Pomerol; dry white wines mostly from Graves; and dessert wines from Sauternes, Barsac and Sainte-Croix-du- Mont.
The Mystery of Decanting
Decanting is a strange word to many people. Some do not even know what it means exactly.
The Ten Most Important Wine Label Terms
For the average wine consumer, there is a plethora of intimidation associated with wine buying. This is a feeling that is most often associated with not understanding wine labels.
Tempranillo's Role As A New Varietal Wine In Australia
Tempranillo is the premium red wine grape variety from the Rioja region in Spain. It is now challenging Sangiovese as the up and coming star of the red varietal wine scene in Australia.
Wine Tasting -- The Traditional Way
Wine tasting is properly known as 'Wine Degustation'. It is the art of being able to note the various differences between difference types of wine, and even the various differences between the vintages of the same type of wine.
Wine Making and Home Brewing: Whats the Deal?
When it comes to making alcoholic beverages at home, wine making and home brewing is considered sort of a 'niche' market. You either know how to do it or you don't! This is very hard to believe as wine making and home brewing has been going on for thousands of years.
Carignane Wine
The Carignane grape variety is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world. It's popularity stems from the high crop yeilds that it produces as well as the characteristics that it can bring to a wine.
Buying Wine, How to Read a Wine Label and Select a Great Bottle of Wine
I must admit, that for many of us, walking into a store to buy a bottle of wine can be a little like visiting a foreign country and not knowing the language. If you're buying wine for yourself that's probably not a big deal, although it might be nice to be somewhat knowledgeable so that you're more likely to buy something you will enjoy.