How to Host the Best Wine Tasting Party at Home

The cold is lingering in the Finger Lakes and we're dreaming of warmer weather, sitting outside with a vineyard view, and sipping on rosé by the pool. If you just can't make it out of the house in these temps we're here to tell you exactly how to host the best wine tasting party ever - in the comfort of your own home. 

Plan your party:

Choosing a theme is a fun way to incorporate specific wines, pairings, and decor. Narrow down your guest list, and send some cute invites for a personal touch. Here are a few of our favorite templates: 

Minimal Dinner Invitation 

Trendy Invite

Simple Invite 

Grab your glassware and supplies:

Have some glassware on hand for samples. If it's not in the budget to stock up on some sommelier approved glassware, thrift stores are a great place to find some unique glasses and will often have bundles of glasses! Be sure to also have some paper and pens out for guests to take notes on their wines. Bonus points if you print out a wine tasting note card like this one!

Choose your wines:

Here comes the fun part- choosing the wines. It may be easiest to stick to one category so you can compare them - bubbles and rosés, Rieslings, a red flight or a white flight are all good options! Throw in a dessert wine if you're feeling like a little something extra might hit the spot as the evening winds down. 

Plan for one bottle of wine to serve about five or six guests with comfortable pours. For a tasting of five wines with 12 people, you'll likely need two bottles of each. However, pour size matters. A standard bottle contains roughly 25 ounces. If you're offering small, two-ounce tastes, one bottle can serve 12. For larger, six-ounce pours, one bottle serves only four or five. It's always best to err on the side of having extra wine—leftovers are never a problem!

What wines to buy:

To compare Rieslings, try our Four Degrees of Rieslings here

For red wines, check out these picks 

For white wines, try these

Or, try our new wines to compare the 2024 vintage to any previous vintages you may have around!  

Pair food:

Consider food pairings for a themed dinner, but if your more focused on the wines, having some palate cleansers around will do the trick. Try oyster crackers, a sliced baguette, apples, pears, mild cheese or olives, and have some water on hand. The best palate cleansers have minimal flavor that could interfere with the wines. Crisp or crunchy textures can also help to scrub the palate and remove residual flavors.

Time to host!! 

Curate a playlist of your favorite jams and get ready to host the best tasting party ever. Don't forget, wine tasting should be fun and accessible. Every person's palate is different, so you may enjoy something or find a tasting note that someone else doesn't. Wine doesn't always have to be tasted out at a fancy dinner or by a sommelier - enjoy a night with your friends or family tasting wine in a casual and enjoyable environment. Bring some games out or print out some dinner party questions to keep the conversation rolling. Have fun! 

(image source: Dupe)