Wine-Tasting Parties

Are all of the social functions that you are invited to attend seem to be reruns. You know the drill: Cocktails, Dinner, Dessert, After-Dinner Drinks…YAWN! Break the mold!

Next time it is your turn to be the host or hostess, opt for a wine-tasting party instead of the same old, same old. Now understand that a wine-tasting party can be as complicated as a five-course meal or as easy as you choose to make it. The degree of difficulty is strictly up to you, but one thing is certain. Your party will not be a rerun of the one you attended last week or last month. Your guests might even actually have fun!

Here are some ideas about how to have a wine-tasting party that will be a big hit:

1.  You might choose bottles of the same wine from different vintage years.

2.  You might choose bottles of the same wine that were bottled in different countries. Choose one wine type and select one bottle from the USA, another from South America, another from Australia, and a traditional European label.

3.  You might remove the labels and have blind taste tests with no hint of type or country or origin.

Which ever wines you choose will be fine and your guests will enjoy the experience of wine tasting. Wine tasting is simply not as complicated as those so-called experts would lead us to believe.

There are basically only five simple steps to wine tasting:

1.  Observe the wine in the glass. Note clarity and color and the presence of sediment.

2.  Smell: Put your nose into the glass and inhale deeply. There should be a pleasant aroma.

3.  Swirl and Smell: Before the wine stops swirling, take another sniff. The aroma should be stronger but still pleasant.

4.  Taste: Take a sip of the wine and move it around in your mouth. You should want another sip.

5.  Evaluate: Only you know whether the wine was a good experience for you. Make your evaluation based on sight, smell, taste, and feel. There are no wrong answers.