21 Wine Tasting Party Ideas
Mary-Anne Desai
Contributor
From Italian landscapes to the farmlands of South Africa, wine has become a beautiful, luxurious beverage across the globe. From the aromatic smell to the unique taste, it has captured the hearts of everyone it touches. While you may enjoy these darling drinks in the comfort of your home, why not explore their refined flavor with a wine tasting party?
Today, we're pulling the cork and providing tons of wine tasting party ideas from venues to vendors to food and drinks! Whether you’re hosting a wine tasting party at home or visiting a local vineyard, these ideas will help you get started with planning.
If you’re looking to choose a theme for a dinner party, this may just be what you’re looking for.
Here’s everything you need to know to host a wine tasting party:
Choose a Venue
Vineyard
Whether you enjoy grape picking or strolling through vast gardens, vineyards are everyone's number one place to host wine events. Besides having a peaceful and romantic atmosphere, these areas carry a lot of knowledge about the wine you drink.
This intriguing location may also be historic, with wines that date back centuries just for you and your closest friends. The best part of hosting your event at these wine estates is that the wine and the location’s scenery will work beautifully side by side.
The local vineyard may have tasting pours prepared as well as food and wine pairings available too.
Restaurant
Since wine goes well with food, why not gather your friends and host your event at a local restaurant? Having your event nearby can cut costs and time for you and your loved ones. Restaurants specializing in wine can also help finalize your selection of hundreds of well-known brands.
These private spaces may vary from elegant and sophisticated to modern and rustic. So before you pick your establishment, figure out what theme you're going for.
Boat
Set sail and say, "bon voyage," to boring party venues. You can create a wine-tasting party that everyone will remember with the beautiful ocean air. Though boats come in a range of sizes, like yachts and cruise ships, you can find a boat that's perfectly suitable to your party's needs.
Your intimate event can enjoy a tasty beverage and have plenty of room to dance the night away on wooden decks, modern patios, and more. You can also take full advantage of their breathtaking backdrops, from romantic sunsets to vast waterfront views.
Pro Tip: If a wine tasting party at home is more your flavor, you can incorporate these same wine party ideas for that too!
Book Wine Tasting Party Vendors
Wine Connoisseurs
Talk about a glass that's half full; wine connoisseurs know every detail about this juicy, delicious drink. Some collect these popular beverages, while others share their love and passion for the ancient beverage with couples, groups, and individuals across the world.
Many are certified in their craft and will be happy to talk about each dramatic smell, taste, and texture. They can also help you pair each glass with its most suitable snack or dish.
Caterers
Food, food, and more food. The missing ingredient to your event of a lifetime is a tasty meal. On The Bash, you can find a range of caterers who make everything from juicy seafood to a meaty BBQ. These professional caterers will be delighted to prepare a meal for every minute of your event.
From appetizers to buffets, you can have your desired dish for your fun day. You can also find caterers with trained servers and bartenders to create a luxurious and seamless experience. If you’re hosting a wine tasting party at home, a caterer will make all the preparations much easier.
Florist
Need some help on the decor front? Look no further because every event is better with vibrant flowers. Depending on your event venue, you can find big or small arrangements to suit your theme.
You can find centerpieces, flower walls, and more to transform your venue from simplistic to breathtaking. Can't find a florist nearby? That's okay because, here on the The Bash, you can explore florists near and far who will be happy to deliver items to your front door.
Acoustic Band
From the energetic soul of the trumpet to the smooth jazz of the saxophone, acoustic bands know how to set the mood. If you desire music to keep your party going, you can find a range of bands or solo acts. Acoustic bands can provide their own equipment.
All you need to do is provide them with your desired playlist and let the music transport you. You can also hire bands to perform live and create background music throughout your big event.
More Wine Party Ideas
Wine Inspired Games and Activities
The Guessing Game
Are you a wine aficionado? Let's take a look into what your taste buds know with a fun guessing game r blind tasting. While you're hosting your event, you can also play along with multiple glasses of wine for each person. You can design your own card with the flavors and names of each wine.
All you and your guests have to do is tick all the boxes suitable for each glass of wine, and try to guess which is which. The person with the most correct answers wins! What do they win? Maybe a bottle of wine to take home.
Wine Trivia
Since everyone's drinking, why not test your friend's IQ with wine trivia? Quiz nights are not only fun, but they keep your guests entertained throughout your event. Groups of two to six can fight for the wine champion title.
Your questions may include a variety of wine-based questions, like "what's the size of the biggest bottle in the world?" or "Who invented wine in Ancient Greece?" We know you're keen to know, so it's time to add to your knowledge with wine trivia.
Label Making
Are you a fan of sophisticated and artistic labels? Wine bottles are known for their elegance with unique colors, fonts, and other picturesque details on their lovely labels. So why not gather your loved ones to the table and allow them to design their very own label? These labels may be used for wine bottles, candles, and other delicate items.
Once they've got their signature stamp on each piece of paper, let them take their fine artwork home.
Stemless Wine Glasses
Did you know there are different types of glasses for different kinds of wine? That's right; wine is an elegant drink that deserves its own glass on any occasion. Luckily, we're not going to provide you with a long list of dos and don'ts; instead, we're offering a more modern approach with the stemless wine glass.
These glasses are great for wine tasting as you can use them for any type of wine. And since they have no stem, they can be placed and balanced on any surface with ease.
Wine Barrels
If you can't go to Verona, Napa, or Geneva, try bringing a piece of these places to you. Hiring wine barrels can add a romantic countryside touch to your event venue. These barrels aren't just for decorating your space; they may also be used as tables for your standing event. Each barrel may be placed in the corners of your venue or across the room for easy access.
Fruit
Fancy a bowl of fruit? Thanks to the Greeks and their romantic paintings, grapes and other sweet fruit have become a great addition to all wine-tasting parties. Whether you find grapes at your local store or artificial ones online, you can add personality and style to your dining table, cocktail table, or bar area.
You may also add apricots, cheese, and tons of other imitation food decor to make your event feel and look authentic. If artificial, you can add grape vines and tie them across your ceiling or arch display.
Rustic Furniture
Indoor or outdoor events can benefit from rustic decor and an array of old-fashioned furniture. You and your closest friends can rest with ease using benches, wooden chairs, and more. These vintage items not only add a historic feel to your atmosphere, but they are great for photographs under ambient lighting or spread across a manicured lawn.
Wine Tasting Party Foods
Meats & Cheeses
Nothing goes better than wine and cheese. Mouthwatering meats can range from slices of spicy salami to smoked beef. While crackers and cheese may be enough for some, others add meat to create an unforgettable experience. This salty, savory food is an important part of your tasting process as it complements every juicy flavor.
For example, white wine may be paired with—you guessed it—white meat, like tender chicken strips, turkey sandwiches, and more. You can also serve your loved ones lamb steaks or mini pork sausages alongside their fresh glass of red wine.
When it comes to cheeses, you can choose some of your favorites, get traditional flavors, or research some fabulous wine and cheese pairings.
Chocolate
Whether you're craving a strawberry dipped in chocolate or desiring a chocolate fountain, chocolate is definitely a crowd-pleasing ingredient you can add to your wine-tasting party. If you're a fan of milk chocolate, add these tasty slabs to your Pinot Noir or Merlot.
In comparison, dark chocolate is ideal for red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or a glass of Zinfandel. No matter the type of luxury you choose, you can find a sweet, dry, or bubbly wine to suit your taste buds.
Seafood
From a large bowl of paella to a tray of delicious oysters, seafood is not only a sophisticated meal, as it adds to your salty-sweet refreshment. Though several wine buffs pair seafood with white wine, there's actually a lot more flavor in these salty dishes that you can explore.
While raw clams and calamari may work well with light aromatic wines, like Chenin Blanc and Pinot Grigio, you can explore smoked fish for a red glass of Merlot. These types of fish may include smoked salmon or smoked haddock.
Wine Tasting Party Drinks
Photo: Africa Studio/shutterstock.com
Wine
Let the party begin, and let it breathe. It's time to open your selection of wines and serve each glass at your wine-tasting party. If you haven't tasted much wine before, you may like to know that the redder your drink is, the more bitter your drink becomes.
On the other hand, the lighter your wine is, the sweeter and softer it will be. So to find the right wine for you, explore the most common selections, like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Prosecco
The bubblier, the better! Prosecco is a refreshing beverage whose class and style can make any event worth your while. These drinks may be poured into champagne tulip glasses and can add a level of finesse to your chic soirée.
If you're not a fan of these sparkling drinks, grab your glass and pour yourself some still prosecco—this will give you the light fruit flavor without the endless amounts of fizz. These fabulous fizzless drinks are also known as "tranquilo" in Italian.
Freshly-Squeezed Juice
There's nothing better than a hand-crafted, freshly-squeezed drink. Since you're celebrating the fine work of grapes, you can add to your event with other fruits of the vine. These drinks may include your favorite fruit, like apple, grape, mango, guava, and other tropical selections.
Find more inspiration and ideas for events here on The Bash.
