So, you want to have a wine tasting for
your group? Whether it’s a corporate night out, or a night with friends, a wine
tasting is a unique experience that almost everyone can enjoy. If you are
looking for something new for an evening’s entertainment, then a wine tasting
is certainly the way to go. It’s not a difficult event to host, but there are
some rules that you should follow in order to get everything just right. That’s
why we’ve got some top tips for you to follow to make your wine tasting one to
remember.
Pick a Suitable Venue
If you want to host the wine tasting at
home, make sure that you have enough room to do so. Depending on the size of
the group, it can easily get uncomfortable, and elbows and wine glasses just
don’t mix! Everyone should have plenty of room to relax while still being able
to discuss the virtues of the different wines that they are tasting. Hiring out
a venue is worthwhile, especially if it’s for a corporate group. This provides
you with a lot more options on what to do with your night and takes a certain
amount of pressure off you as the host of it. There are a wide variety of wine
tasting venues for hire in London, so finding one that is easy to travel to for
you and your group shouldn’t be an issue. If they have hosted these types of
events before, they’ll even be able to provide you with their own set of top
tips.
Consider Hiring a Sommelier
While you might know your wines inside out,
hosting a wine tasting evening is another matter entirely. You’ll also probably
want to enjoy yourself alongside your group, which you won’t be able to do if
you are the one that has to serve them everything, answer all of their
questions, and explain each wine to them. This is where a sommelier comes in. They
know what they are talking about when it comes to wine and will be able to
guide your guests through each glass in a professional manner that leaves you
the room to enjoy yourself. If you are hiring a wine tasting venue, they may
even be able to recommend someone to you that they have successfully worked
with before.
Choose a Theme
Every wine tasting needs to have some sort
of theme to link all the wines together, otherwise they are just disparate
wines that don’t leave any room for a narrative that your guests can be taken
through as you explore and compare them. Type of themes can be as simple as
‘The Wines of France’ or ‘Key Varieties of Grape in Winemaking’. If your event
is for a special birthday for example, the wines can take their cue from the theme
of that event. Whatever it is, having a theme will help your guests to
understand the explanations surrounding each wine, and they’ll be able to
easily compare them when they have the stories and providence of each glass.
Choose Your Wines
Once you have your theme, it’s now time to
choose your wines! If you are hiring a sommelier, they will be able to help
suggest some for you and will be able to tell you where the best place is to
buy them. Supermarkets are generally quite overpriced for the quality you
receive, so if your sommelier can point you in the direction of a good wine
store then you should take their advice. One bottle of wine will give you
enough for twelve people to have a taste, and you should have eight to ten
wines on the menu. Reds are generally more popular, so consider six or seven of
those and three or four whites. You can even have a dessert wine or port to
round the evening off. Wines should be tasted two at a time so that they can be
compared, and don’t forget to have pouring buckets for any unfinished samples.
Don’t encourage your guests to drink it all!
Consider a Food Pairing
If you really want your wine tasting to be
a night of decadence, then why not consider having a food pairing with each
wine or each duo of wines? Many wines are designed to be taken with food, and
so things such as cheese, chocolate and a charcuterie board can enhance the
flavours, give a better feel for the wine’s providence, and keep those hunger
pangs at bay! If you are having a sweet wine, this is also the perfect time to
serve a dessert. Having a food paring with your wine tasting will really
elevate the evening into something special and your venue might be able to help
you to arrange this, particularly if they have hosted similar nights in the
past. Again, if you are hiring a sommelier, you should defer to their knowledge
on the best type of pairings to have.
Think About Your Set-Up
When hosting a wine tasting, how your
evening is set up is just as important as the wine you serve. Is it going to be
a very formal evening or a more casual affair? Will guests all have their set places,
or will they wander from station to station? Things to remember when it comes
to set up include having two glasses per person set out. As well as the pouring
buckets for any leftover wine, you need to ensure that the white wine is
chilled in ice. Some wine tastings even provide sparkling wine as a welcome
drink so you will need to make sure you have the right glasses for this as
well.
A wine tasting is always a fun event, no
matter how you decide to do it. Once you’ve chosen the perfect venue, the rest
of the evening should fall into place. Don’t be afraid to go for the
high-quality wines when choosing your selection as everyone will love tasting
something decadent.
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