Vino con Amigos: Hosting a simple wine tasting

We knew we were no sommelier when we decided to have a wine tasting for our friends. However, we knew we loved wine, loved pairing it with different foods, and overall loved the idea of being able to describe what we tasted. We’re becoming more and more curious about wine and wanted to share that with our friends, so we thought, why not host a wine tasting? I promise it sounds more snobby than it is! It was a fun experience and a great way to get together with friends and do something a little different than the typical weekend get-together.

A wine tasting doesn’t have to be complicated. Depending on what you want to taste, start with a few bottles of white wine, sparkling, Rosé, or whatever! Since this was our very first tasting and we enjoy both white and red wine, we decided to “taste” both. We picked four whites and two reds, which by the way was plenty for six people! It is recommended that you have at least half a bottle allotted for each person.

The wine and food

We picked a Chablis (white), which is actually the name of the region where the wine is made. This type of wine is 100% Chardonnay varietal, except it’s supposed to have a “earthier”, non-smokey taste. As a bonus, we got a bottle of an “oaky” California Chardonnay to compare. We also got a bottle of Riesling (white) from Germany, which is where this varietal originated. Both Chardonnay and Riesling are our favorite whites! The fourth white we provided was a Torrontés. We enjoy drinking New Age wine, which is a blend of Torrontés and Sauvignon Blanc, so we figured we’d enjoy this one as well. To pair with the whites we had ceviche, grilled asparagus, brie cheese and french bread with butter. The combination of food and white wine made for a nice, savory experience on the taste buds.

Our red wine picks were a Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Malbec is without a doubt my favorite red and Cabernet has the complex and bold flavors that beg to be enjoyed with food. We provided meatballs, dark chocolate, cheddar cheese, Gouda, roasted mushrooms & peppers, and cured meats to pair with both reds.

As elaborate as it all sounds, this was probably the most fun I’ve ever had planning a gathering. It was so easy to prep everything! We went to Trader Joe’s for all the food (the frozen party meatballs are so good), and Total Wine for all of the wine.

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Layout/decor/other details

I laid everything out in three boards, making sure I placed an equal amount of cheese, meats, ceviche, and everything else except the meatballs at each end of the table. This made it easier for everyone to reach for what they wanted to grab without having to bother anyone at the table. I recommend doing this if you’re having a seated tasting. If you would like to have a very informal gathering and lay everything out on the kitchen island, one plate for each food should be sufficient.

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I created simple score card for all of the guests (you are welcome to use it, click here), and provided a pencil. I found these cute pencils at target! The score card was easy to use. We wrote the name of each wine, wrote notes on what we tasted, and then scored the wine by shading in the little wine glasses. Perfect for beginners like us! You can also print other posters like this one or this one, to keep your guests engaged and committed to actually “tasting” the wine and not just drinking it. 🙂

I used two batches of eucalyptus greenery I found at Trader Joes (they’re only $3 each!) to decorate the table. I recommend cutting it into smaller pieces, about 12 inches long, and make sure to trim the thicker ends so it doesn’t feel like your table is filled with plants! I also added a pop of color with the two small vases (from Target “dollar section”) holding a “chico choke stem” (click this link to shop, they’re on sale for $4!).

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I wanted to briefly touch on the subject of how many people you should invite to your tasting. You should know better than anyone who you would want to have at this gathering based on how serious you want to take this experience and how intimate you want it to be. We had a group of six, including my husband and I, and honestly I think it was the perfect number. Obviously, I would have loved to host all of our friends and have a table set up for twenty people, but I had to consider cost and the overall experience I was going for, which was small, intimate, and simple.

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I wanted to conclude with a very important tip, which is to prepare. No matter how much of a procrastinator you are, please do your homework. It’s not about looking smart or impressing anyone, it’s about going through with having an enjoyable and different experience for you and your guests. We did a little research beforehand on what to do at a wine tasting, what wines paired well with what food and we even learned about the history of wine. My husband started listening to the podcast “Wine for Normal People”, which was super enjoyable and an easy way to learn about wine without having to sit down and read a bunch of information online. Even though we didn’t sit down and pour wine facts on our friends, we were able to point out a few things we had learned from the podcast.

I hope you enjoyed reading about this very simple wine tasting. It’s everything but snobby and boring. And I’ll say it again, I had the most fun I’ve ever had putting together a party/gathering and I can’t wait to do it again! I’ve linked a few things featured in the pictures for your reference- it’s basically everything you need (except the wine) to have your own wine tasting! 🙂

Thank you so much for stopping by! Let me know if you have any comments or questions down below.

LOVE,

Cynthia