How to Throw a Wine Tasting Party

Hosting a wine tasting party is a great way to get family and friends together to learn about new wines and to just enjoy an evening together. Whether you are inviting wine enthusiasts or casual wine drinkers, here are some tips for throwing a successful wine tasting party.

 

Step one: Select the types of wine to serve

First, begin by choosing the type of wine tasting you would like to have at your party.  There are several types to choose from:

 

Vertical Wine Tasting: Tasting the same varietals of wines from the same maker and the same vineyard only changing the production year. This allows your guests to see how a wine changes from year to year.

 

Horizontal Wine Tasting: The horizontal tasting is choosing varietals of wine from the same year from different vineyards

Old World VS. New World: Here you compare grape varietals grown in the "Old World" (i.e. Europe – France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal) with the same varietals grown in the "New World" (i.e. North America, South America, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia).

"Priceless" Wine Tasting: For the "Priceless Tasting" you simply withhold the price of the various wines featured in your tasting.

Price Point Wine Tasting: The "Price Point" tasting simply means selecting wines from a given price range.

The Big Eight: When it comes to wine, the "Big Eight" refers to the world's eight most popular wine varieties broken into both "reds" and "whites". This tasting will offer your guests a new appreciation and more education for what is offered. The Red Wines that make-up the Big Eight are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah/Shiraz. The Big Eight White Wines include: Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio.

Step two: Get your supplies ready

Here's what you will need for your party:

Wine: Choose at least four to six different types of wine as a starting point. Each bottle of 750ml of wine will give you about eight to twelve samples of wine. Use that as a guide to determine how many bottles of each kind of wine to buy.

Appetizers: While you do need to provide foods that complement the wines provided, the food should not the backbone of the party. Focus on the hor d´oeuvres such as: cheese, fruit, unsalted crackers, bread or other munchies that will complement the wine being served

Wine Glasses: one per guest

Pitcher of water: For rinsing glasses between and palates between tasting

Dump Bucket: Discarding excess wine

Score Card: Put together a score card for your guests to keep track of what they thought of each wine

Step Three: Know How to Serve the Wine

Typically, when tasting wines, you will want to begin with white wines, working from dry to sweet. From there move to red wines, starting with light bodied and progress to full bodied. It is also recommended to start with younger wines and have the more mature wines at the end of the tasting.

It is also important to remember the ideal serving temperature to allow your guests to enjoy the full experience of the wine. Here's a quick guideline:

White Sweet Wines: 37-43°F

White Dry Young Wines: 41-45°F

White Aged and Pink Wines: 48-54°F

Red Young Wines: 52-59°F

Port and Sherry: 54-63°F

Red Full-Bodied Wines: 58-63°F

Red Aged Wines: 59-65°F

 

Having a wine tasting party is always a good excuse to drink wine and enjoy the company of friends and family. Sit back an

Spanish Wine Porron Clear Glass Pitcher

Huge Antique Majolica Wine Jug, Beer Stein, Pitcher or Ewer, Pewter Lid 14" Tall $275.00

ANTIQUE WHITE PORCELAIN ITALIAN WINE AERATING PITCHER & PLATE $125.00

ITALY ART POTTERY MAJOLICA FAIENCE WINE EWER PITCHER $37.00

Minton Majolica mermaid & cherub wine pitcher $3,000.00

Moriyama Pottery Wine Cellar Frair Tuck Monk Pitcher Jug with Cork Top $89.99

German Salt Glaze Wine Pitcher (F) $125.00

Character wine jug pitcher mug Hungarian Pottery 1880-1910 Hungary Peacock mark? $99.99

ITALIAN MAJOLICA HAND CARVED & PAINTED WINE PITCHER VINTAGE $42.00

Zanesville Pottery Wine Pitcher Matte Greene Glaze #575 $125.00

WEST GERMANY ART POTTERY MID-CENTURY GERZ WINE PITCHER $30.60

Early Staffordshire (18th Century?) Child's WINE Pitcher. Goat/Satyr face. Cool! $90.00

Antique ca 1830 PARIAN WINE PITCHER fauns satyrs $550.00

German Ceramic Stoneware Wine Pitcher & 3 Tumbler Cups $29.99

Majolica Pottery Restaurant Wine Water Pitcher Madrid Spain Botin Cuchilleros $9.99

French MAJOLICA WINE PITCHER : GRAPE Shape $44.00

Ricco Deruta --- Outstanding WINE PITCHER-- Rare! $89.00

moriyama pottery wine cellar frair tuck monk pitcher and 4 cups $15.00

vintage wine pitcher and 6 mugs with wine bottle and cheese painted on front $15.00

PORTUGAL POTTERY WINE JUG PITCHER, grapes $27.50

Antique Hand Thrown & Hand Painted Grecian Style Water / Wine Pitcher $31.35

BELGIUM ANTIQUE POTTERY WINE PITCHER SUPER RARE۩۞۩ $49.99

DERUTA ITALY Italian Pottery RICCO LARGE Water & Wine PITCHER 1.5 LITERS $104.97

German Wine Pitcher-Salt Glaze Vintage $20.60

Handmade Pottery Wine Pitcher w/Purple Design Band Around the Bottom $22.74

ANTIQUE PAINTED STONEWARE POTTERY ITALY WINE PITCHER $29.99

Vintage German Stoneware Pottery Wine Jug Pitcher $24.89

Vintage German Wine Stein Pitcher Jug Salt Glaze Cobalt Blue Stoneware Wein $5.78

Vintage German Wine Stein Pitcher Jug Salt Glaze Cobalt Blue Stoneware Wein $9.99

8" Stien like pitcher bareware drinkware man with wine bottle grapevines blue $18.74

German Grey Stoneware Pottery with Blue Detail Glaze Wine Pitcher Stein $9.99

French antique wine pitcher $19.99

Vintage Ceramic Simonetti Castelli Pitcher Casal Thaulero Wines of Italy Italian $10.32

Vintage Pottery Stoneware Wine Pitcher Majolica French Ceramics $89.44

Water Pitcher/Wine Jug $35.00

Huge Ceramic Wine & Grape Pitcher Jug Artistica Made in Italy $389.94

L266 DANFORTH 1980s PEWTER WINE PITCHER, PORCELAIN 1950s MED HD PAINTED TOBY JUG $0.99

Vintage McCoy Pottery Vino Wine Pitcher / Carafe Pasta Corner $29.99

HAND PAINTED ITALIAN DERUTA BLUE ROOSTER ORVIETO MAJOLICA WINE CARAFE PITCHER $45.00

VINTAGE BULGARIAN HAND MADE PAINTED PORCELAIN FOLK WINE BRANDY FLASK PITCHER $70.00

Hull EBB TIDE Pitcher E-10 Chartreuse & Wine...MINT!!!!!! $98.00

Minton Majolica 9 3/4" Wine Ewer Pitcher Jug $174.99

BEURENER WEINFRUEGLE (BEUREN GERMANY) GLAZED STONEWARE POTTERY WINE PITCHER $24.95

2 Gray Cobalt Salt Glaze W Germany Wine Pitchers $24.99

Vtg VINUM BONUM LAETIFICAT COR HOMINOS .5l BLUE & GRAY STONEWARE WINE PITCHER $29.95

Vintage German Gerz Wine Pitcher Gray Grey Blue Grapes Leaf Vine Baby Boys 8" $39.99

Minton Majolica 7 1/2" Wine Ewer Pitcher Jug $144.99

Vintage french Yellow WINE POTTERY Pitcher $55.00

Vintage Marvelous Israel Naaman Ceramic Porcelain Decanter Wine Pitcher/ Bottle $65.00

w . germany Blue SALT GLAZE STONEWARE Wine PITCHER 0.25l $33.00

Stunning large ceramic wine jug pitcher $23.51

Modern MOD Round Designer Pitcher Wine Carafe Art Unique $34.99

Vintage White McCoy Pottery Vino Wine Pitcher Carafe Pasta Corner $33.82

AUTHENTIC POLISH POTTERY WINE PITCHER..MUST LOOK@@@BEAUTIFUL PIECE $45.00

ANTIQUE GERMAN 0.5LITER WINE/BEER PITCHER!! PERFECT CONDITION!! $14.99

Beige McCoy Pottery Vino Wine Pitcher Carafe $29.99

Vtg Staffel Stoneware Germany Wine Jug Pitcher Tankard Stein Blue Grapes .5 L $37.99

GERZ WEST GERMANY WINE PITCHER SET $149.00

Vintage German Wine Stein Pitcher Jug Salt Glaze Cobalt Blue Stoneware Wein $50.00

Free Shipping Terracotta Wine Decanter Pitcher w/Grapes by TOPF USA Cork Plug $17.99

California Olson Studio Art Pottery Wine Pitcher Iridescent Glazes $18.74

Kvevri Qvevri Wine amphora, dolium, tinaja. Winemaking clay pot, pitcher, jug. $220.00

8" FRENCH SALT GLAZE WINE PITCHER - GRAPE AND VINE DECORATION $16.99

ITALIAN SERVING BOCCALINO WINE PITCHER REVELLI ARKON $5.99

German Stoneware 'Drink Your Wine From Stone' Pitcher $14.95

Bodum Pavina Double-Wall Thermo Glasses, Set of 2 These glasses are lightweight because they are made of borosilicate glass - a strong heat resistant glass used to make scientific lab glass. It is much stronger than regular glass so it doesn't need to be as thick to be just as durable. With double wall construction, coffee, tea and other drinks stay hot longer. When drinking cold drinks, the dual layer construction works in the opposite direction...

Bormioli Rocco Kufra Glass Jug with Ice Container and Lid $12.99 Ideal for ice cold drinks and refreshing beverages, this pitcher is made from thick and durable glass, and features a convenient tube that holds ice, and so keeps your beverage ice cold at all times. This tube is sealed off from the rest of the beverage, so the ice will not dilute your drink. Attractively designed and shaped, the pitcher has a large curvaceous base, and an easy to grasp handle. Ad...

Prodyne 3-qt. Iced Fruit Infusion Pitcher. $30.00 Enjoy refeshing fruit infused water, iced tea or other liquids in this 3-qt. pitcher. Fill infusion rod with your favorite fruit and slide into pitcher. Liquid and fruit will blend naturally. For meal or party use, attach the removable freezer ice tube to keep pre-chilled beverages chilled for hours without ice cube dilution.....

Vinotemp VT-BOTTLETHERM Wine Bottle Clip Style Thermometer $15.00 Take the guesswork out of serving wine with this clip-on thermometer. This thermometer strip easily clips around the center of your wine bottle to advise what the current wine temperature is as well as what the suggested serving temperature range is for each wine variety. The temperature appears along the thermometer band clearly showing what type of wine the current temperature is best for servin...

Lithograph of Place Setting with Pitcher and Wine Glass - 24W x 17H - Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $33.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won't damage your paint or l...

Tagged as: wine pitcher, wine pitcher drinks, wine pitcher oinochoe rhodes, wine pitchers chicken, wine pitchers wholesale