HOSTING A WINE TASTING PARTY

So after a week of thoughts and dreams about a perfect indoor activity with your friends, the choice fell on a wine tasting party. It’s nontrivial, elegant and fun. Great decision! 


Where to start? While the idea sounds really entertaining, without a good plan the intelligent party can turn into a college-like rager. Well, not something you aim at. Following the below hints will make your wine tasting parties the main event in your friends’ calendar.


Step 1: Select the Wines


One of the most important steps to the perfect wine tasting is to decide the style and theme of your party. What’s your goal? If you consider yourself a wine connoisseur and would like to get your fellas acquainted with your favourite tastes, then the choice is easy. Just select your favourite flavours (4-6 will be enough) and that’s it!


If you would like to make the event more educating and give your guests an opportunity to compare and learn, it is a nice idea to choose the wines by specific criteria. Some examples:


  • Explore the regions: serve different wines from the same region (France, for example)
  • Compare the varietal: try wines made of the same grape varietal, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, produced in different areas (i.e., Bordeaux and Napa Valley)
  • Cheap vs. expensive: these can be of the same type but be located on different points in the price list rate
  • A round-world trip: choose several countries and try the bestseller options 

Step 2: Prepare the Kit


After you have the wine bottles, it is necessary to get the ‘associated inventory’ which includes:


  • Glasses. Normally, red wines require a glass with a fuller bowl comparing to whites. Glasses are to be clear so that the guests can see the color as it is. Besides, make sure that you have enough wine glasses for each guest to taste all the offered wines.

Each glass from our Supremo Collection boast a combination of elegance and strength. Oh, hey are also dishwasher safe and have TITANIUM Reinforced stems! 

  • The spit buckets. Your guests don’t want to get too tipsy, so this is an essential.
  • Enough water. Just for the same purpose.
  • Bread or crackers. These will be needed to cleanse your palate between the degustation.
  • You can consider providing your guests with pens and paper, so that they can take notes during the degustation.

Step 3:  Wine Tasting Master Class


Educate your friends how the tasting should be done properly. Here are the rules:


  • Check the color of the wine: is it bright (light-bodied) or dark (full-bodied)? Clear (drink up) or cloudy (toss it)?
  • Enjoy the aroma. The best way to do it is swirling the glass in a gentle way and putting your nose deep into the glass (it sounds funny, though is worth trying). You may smell various essences: floral, fruity, herbal or even earthy.
  • Put some wine into your mouth and hold it there. At the same time, slowly inhale some air. This practice will help to aerate the wine and open up your olfactory sense to enhance its flavors.



Step 4: Have fun!


Having fun is the main goal of the whole event, so do not miss the chance. Some relaxing music, coinciding with the area where the wines come from, will do a perfect match and make the party an unforgettable experience for all the members.



At Luigi Bormioli, we take pride in our Italian-crafted, superior quality glassware. Your glasses, created using our proprietary SON.hyx ultra-clear formula, will retain their brilliant and transparent appearance and are backed by our 25-year guarantee that guards against chipping on the rim or foot, as well as discoloration or cloudiness resulting from washing. You will enjoy their beauty, durability and strength for many years to come. We aim to enhance your tabletop lifestyle and entertaining experience with a glass for every occasion. When the moment matters, the glass matters.