Wine Tasting Party
A couple of weeks ago we threw a wine tasting party - an event that was supposed to be held outside to show off and enjoy our newly lit patio. However, Hurricane Matthew had other plans. Thank goodness we didn't suffer any damage, but due to wind and rain, we had to hold the event inside. I was pretty disappointed, as I had just added a sturdier base to each pole....not pretty, but functional:
Between the square container and extra helping of concrete, I hope these will be less likely to tip over!
So since this was our first time hosting a wine tasting event, I just asked people to bring a bottle of something - anything. I didn't give any parameters and was a little curious about what we'd end up with, but it worked perfectly. We had a pretty even mix of white and red, some people brought two bottles, some people brought a food to pair with their wine choice, and everything went smoothly!
I really wanted to keep snacks simple so the wines would shine. I got several cheeses and meats plus fruit, nuts, crackers, and bread. I covered the dining table with black paper so we could label everything with metallic Sharpies.
As usual, not nearly enough photos were taken - I was quite proud with how everything turned out!
I provided a spicy Zinfandel....
....an oaky Sauvignon Blanc (recommended to me as someone who loves both Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc)...
...and a very drinkable Rosé. There wasn't anything I didn't like (of course) - everything was good, from my budget Trader Joe's Rosé to a European white my friend Deidra brought back from a trip last year.
I made up little tasting tally sheets so people could make notes about ones they liked (or didn't like), and we played Postmodern Jukebox - it really was the perfect playlist! We had friends and parents, and I think attendees of all ages had a great time.
I'm already looking forward to the next one, and I might try to do some kind of theme next time. However, the "just bring whatever" approach really worked well!
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