If you’re thinking about how to host An incredible wine tasting evening for you and your friends, there is quite a lot to prepare.

Firstly, you may want to check how many of your friends will need to stay over, so you can either provide adequate accommodation or go the taxi route when the festivities end. You may also want to supply some nibbles to prepare the stomach for all that alcohol! Borrow or hire approximately five glasses per guest, and you are nearly ready to begin. Here is a list of other preparations so you can host an incredible wine tasting evening.

• Ordering wine: You may want to choose a theme for your evening, such as Italian wines, or you may want to choose just organic wines. Mix up the colours though, so there is something for everyone. You can find the best supply and variety of wines when you buy wine online or at your local LCBO. There is also always plenty of information about each bottle too.

• Tasting station: It’s often a good idea to provide a high table for people to stand at for the tasting. You can pour out small amounts of each bottle in glasses grouped together for people to sample. Leave the bottle next to the glass, so your guests can identify what it is. Alternatively, try a mystery tasting session, and see which bottle scores the most votes at the end of the night.

• Seating: Provide a separate seating area for the guests when they are drinking their preferred drop. This can create a lovely social aspect to the evening. Don’t forget to provide a coffee table and coasters so glasses can be put down. You may also want to give each guest their own glass charm to place around the stem, so they can recognize which glass is theirs.

• Food and water: Every wine tasting event should also include plenty of jugs of chilled water. Wine can cause dehydration, so if it is warm, make sure everyone is starting the evening with some water. Try not to flavor it as this can affect the taste of the wine. Cheese and biscuits with grapes and pate are commonly provided at wine tasting events. You may look to offer something less formal, like lightly salted crisps and cheese savouries.

• Looking after the wine: Usually, whites and roses are kept chilled in the fridge. On a warm evening, you can pop the reds in for five minutes before serving. Reds often need to breathe for up to twenty minutes. This means you need to remove the cork to allow air to get to the drink. Wine can be stored if you have any left at the end, although some may not drink as well after a week or two.

• Decor: This is where the fun really starts. The presentation of the wine is just as important as the taste, so the options are endless. Whether you want to host your wine tasting evening inside or outdoors, the table of wine and bites can be showcased in an artistic and fun way. We love the idea of

Any event at home requires some careful planning to make sure it all goes smoothly. If some of the guests don’t know each other, it can be a nice idea to introduce them to each other yourself. Prepare some cards so guests can write down which was their favorite drink of the night. You can then let them know where you bought it from so they can buy some themselves. Perhaps you would even be happy to gift a spare bottle to them!

Follow