Wine Tasting Party in Lake Leelanau, MI

How to Host a Successful Wine Tasting Party

Planning and hosting all types of events takes careful deliberation over factors like location, foods, beverages, activities, and many others. A wine tasting party can be fun for adults to relax and enjoy their favorite and new vintages together. Aurora Cellars gladly helps Lake Leelanau, MI locals and visitors partake in our delicious selection of reds, whites, and sparkling wines in a comfortable atmosphere. However, you don’t need to visit a tasting room to imbibe with friends and family. We have some tips for hosting a wine tasting party at home or anywhere else you want to gather and sip.

Choose a Theme for Your Party

Picking a theme is a great starting place when planning a wine tasting party. You can figure out which wines and finger foods will go with your theme based on a location, time, social event, or another element. For instance, a roaring twenties party may include sparkling wines, or a night in Paris theme could consist of a Bordeaux, Merlot, or Cabernet Franc. Decorating your party location can enhance your guests’ enjoyment, and appropriate attire can play into your plan. The important thing is to make it fun for guests.

Figure Out Your Party Size

You can have an intimate affair with a few close friends or fill a room with dozens of wine enthusiasts. Your party size will help you decide on a venue or where to host it in your home. Besides adequate seating, you need to ensure you have enough wine for everyone. A good rule of thumb is to have at least one glass of wine for each guest, but that will also depend on how long you intend your party to run or if you want to do a tasting. When creating invitations, you might want to recommend guests arrange rides home, such as Uber or Lyft.

Check Your Wine Supply

If you don’t have a wine cellar of your own filled with a comprehensive selection of wines, we recommend checking what wines you currently have and if they will be enough. You can expect to give people heavy pours instead of small amounts to taste during your party. Wine bottles typically have about 25 ounces of liquid, so you’ll get six glasses with four ounces of wine out of each bottle.

Pair Your Wine with Hors d’Oeuvres

Aurora Cellars can supply you with wine for your party, but you’ll need to plan and prepare hors d’oeuvres for guests. While food isn’t mandatory at a wine tasting party, we do recommend it since people will be drinking alcohol. Having something to nibble on that complements your wine selection can enhance people’s enjoyment and help them process alcohol. Drinking on an empty stomach can make alcohol have a stronger effect on a guest.

Have Activities for Your Guests

While drinking wine and nibbling on scrumptious finger foods will fill your guests’ bellies, you should have an activity for them to participate in while attending. If you host a blind wine tasting party, that activity engages your guests in guessing which wines they’re sipping. You can also run a wine trivia game with prizes or break out a wine- or theme-related board or card game.

Have Fun in Lake Leelanau, MI

After planning and preparing your wine tasting party, make sure you have fun with your guests. Everyone in attendance should enjoy their time, and that includes you. Contact us to learn about our wines and how we can help you host a successful wine tasting party.