A Short and Simple Guide to Hosting a Wine Tasting at Home!

A Short and Simple Guide to Hosting a Wine Tasting at Home!

Hosting a wine tasting evening isn’t quite as effortless as getting in a couple of bottles of red, a few whites and some rosé and then slurping them all… well, not if you want it to be a success anyway!

There’s a little bit more to consider than that.

Our speedy and straightforward guide will show you all the elements you need to have your guests talking about your wine tasting for years to come.

• The Basics
• Palate Cleansers
• Receptacles
• Tasting Cards
• Wine
• Food

The Basics

Yes, first of the bat, you’re going to want to make sure you have enough wine glasses, a corkscrew and some way of cooling the lighter wines (fridge or wine cooler).

All obvious elements people will normally have, but remember to do a swift headcount before the event to ensure you have enough glasses to go around.

Palate Cleansers

Now, this is one component people do forget… often!

Cleansing your palate is a must if you want to enjoy each wine at its very best (which, if you’ve spent a bit of money on them, we reckon you’re going to want to do).

If you don’t cleanse your palate after each tasting, the residual wine left on your taste buds will impair the flavour of your next taster.

The internet serves up a whole load of bizarre suggestions of what you can use, but we’ve found the two most effective options are white bread or plain crackers plus some water.

Nice and easy!

Receptacles

Spittoons/receptacles are optional, but even if you’re intending on swallowing your wine samples, some of your guests may want to taste them and then spit them out (particularly if they’re driving), so it’s worth purchasing some to give people the option.

Tasting Cards

Tasting cards are also an essential part of a successful wine tasting as you need to be able to remember each aspect of the specific wines when it comes to comparing notes.

Plus, if you have a vast array of wines on offer, it can be easy to lose track of which was what (even more so if you aren’t using a receptacle!).

It is also a good idea to print off menu cards with descriptions of each wine, but obviously don’t do this if you’re wanting to do a blind wine tasting as it will spoil the fun!

Wines

Now, if you’re already a self-professed wine connoisseur, you’ll probably have ideas for what to do yourself, but if not, keep reading for ideas and inspiration.

Whilst you can get a random selection of reds, whites and rosés, you could try themes such as sampling wines in specific vintage years (one wine producer, but several vintages), or have wine from a specific year but from various producers.

If you’re unsure, speak to a wine merchant or even follow some experts on social media for tips and advice.

Be sure to get everyone to bring a bottle rather than forking out for loads of different wines yourself which will be quite a costly affair.

Food

Specific foods complement specific wines, so do your research beforehand and get people to bring a food accompaniment with their chosen drinks.

Or, why not have a meal once your tasting session is complete?