How to put on a successful wine-tasting party

  • By Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman Wine Press Northwest
  • Friday, December 7, 2012 3:51pm
  • LifeHops and Sips

During the holiday season, parties and get-togethers are common, and how to put on a wine-tasting party is a question that is posed to us with regularity.

The simple answer is: Invite some friends over, then open several bottles. While this works, a little planning will make your wine party successful.

Here are a few tips you can use during the holiday season or anytime of the year.

Use a theme: If you and your friends are wine aficionados or strive to be, putting on theme-based wine parties is a superb way to learn about different wines in a hurry. Here’s how it works: Set a theme such as “Walla Walla Valley Syrah” or “North Willamette Pinot Noir.”

Next, find up to a dozen friends who want to join you.

Why a dozen? Because you can get a dozen two-ounce pours out of a bottle of wine, which is a pretty good taste.

Then assign each friend to bring a bottle of wine. They can decide what to bring or you can give them a list from which to choose. When everyone arrives, open the bottles and enjoy.

There are any number of themes, everything from specific areas of Napa Valley to wines of Israel.

Make it blind: We love tasting wines blind because when you do not know who made a wine, that is a great equalizer. You won’t be influenced by price, pedigree or how good looking the winemaker is. The idea of doing a blind tasting will challenge you and your friends to look at each wine in a different light.

We recently put on a Pinot Noir challenge, pitting the wines of Oregon vs. California.

We had people there who were quite sure Oregon makes better Pinot Noir, as well as fans of California wines.

We’ve also put on a blind tasting that included Syrahs from Washington, California, France and Australia. The goal was less about how to choose the best wine but rather to understand the differences between the four regions.

Go dark: Riedel, the world-famous wine glass producer, makes black glasses, and they are beautiful. The purpose is to mask the difference between white and red wines, which doesn’t sound hard until you try it.

Use a red that isn’t too tannic (Cab Franc, for example) and a white that isn’t too aromatic (Semillon, Viognier or Chardonnay). Put them side by side and let someone taste. Most people will guess wrong as often as they get it right. One of our most memorable wine tastings was with black glasses.

Theme the food, too: We conducted a dinner party with friends that was built around Petite Sirah, the bold wine found primarily in California but also is an up-and-comer in Washington and Oregon.

Each couple was assigned to make a dish that would pair well with Petite Sirah. It was a memorable event with delicious food, wonderful wines and great friends.

End the night on a high note: Have a treat for your guests at the end. This could be a special older wine or a rare bottle or even an ice wine. It will help create a great memory of the evening.

Have the right gear: Regardless of the theme of your wine party, make sure you are properly equipped. You’ll want to make sure you have at least two glasses for each guest.

You know those little charms that are sold at winery tasting rooms? They actually come in handy at an event like this to make sure everyone keeps their stems straight.

If you’re serving white wines, have some ice buckets to keep them at the proper temperature. And include a few dump buckets so nobody feels compelled to drink everything in their glass.

Don’t forget to have plenty of water and coffee all evening long.

Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman are the editors of Wine Press Northwest magazine. For more information, go to www.winepressnw.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.