Tips for a great wine tasting party
Ahhhh, wine. All of us here at the Girlfriend Lounge are major wine-heads. We love wines of all kinds and we LOVE hosting wine-tasting parties. Here are some of our favorite ideas for your next wine tasting party. We've also paired some great cheeses and easy recipes with the different wines you may serve.
A great way to host a wine tasting party without breaking the bank is to ask your guests to bring a bottle of their favorite wine with them for the tasting. One option that has always been a hit at our parties is to do a blind tasting. For the blind tasting be sure to have some colored paper, tape, a notebook, pre-printed wine report cards (sample below) and pencils/pens on hand. Before your guests arrive create the report cards and print numbers on each piece of paper (you'll need a number for every bottle of wine at the tasting). When a guest hands you a bottle of wine, write down the type of wine and the guest's name in the notebook. Now you'll write the type of wine (pinot noir, chardonnay, etc...) on the colored, numbered paper and tape it over the wine label & write the corresponding number next to the guest's name in the notebook.
Hand each guest a report card and let the fun begin. This is a great way to get your friends to taste different wines they might not ordinarily consider. At the end of the tasting you'll reveal the most popular wines & you might be surprised by the results. At one of our parties the most popular chardonnay was actually a bottle of Two Buck Chuck from Trader Joes! You wouldn't believe how shocked (and slightly embarrassed) our wine aficionado friends were by that one
However you host your wine tasting party, be sure to have fun & most importantly don't let anyone drink & drive.
Enjoy!
:::::White Wines::::::
Cheeses that are FABULOUS with White Wine:
Provolone
Gruyere
Mild Cheddar
Another great pairing with white wine:
Salmon Appetizer
1/2 pound best quality smoked salmon, sliced very thinly
capers
lemon wedges
Thinly sliced French bread
Light Cream Cheese
Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on the French Bread, top with salmon and capers. Place appetizers on a chilled platter garnished with lemon wedges.
:::::Red Wines::::::
Delectable cheeses that pair perfectly with Red Wine:
Brie
Camembert
Edam
Fabulous Finger Foods
Tapenade
There is nothing better than fresh tapenade. If you're in a pinch for time you can get fabulous pre-made tapenades at most grocery stores (our favorite is from Trader Joes). If you have the time though, try out this recipe. You won't be sorry!
Ingredients
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 3/4 cups whole, pitted kalamata olives
1 (2 ounce) can anchovy fillets, rinsed
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Combine garlic, olives, anchovies, capers, thyme, rosemary and lemon juice in an electric blender. Slowly drip the olive oil into the blender while you are blending the ingredients together. Blend until a paste is formed.
Serve with pita squares.
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