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Hosting a wine tasting in your home is a great excuse to come together with friends and sample new wines.

So many of us get stuck in a rut with the wine we drink. We order the same varietal and more often, select wines from the same winery because it is what we know.

Attending professional wine tastings at wine shops and restaurants can be intimidating to the average wine drinker. Many fear that they don’t know enough about wines to make a judgment about them.

And why not? One’s fondness to a wine is personal. It is no different than how you might perceive art or music or how you like your steak cooked. There is no right or wrong answer.

The best way to try new wines is to have a wine tasting party. Invite other wine enthusiasts like yourself, put on some music, sample a variety of good food and new wines and let the conversation flow. It is really that simple.

Plan your guest list.

Twelve people is a nice size group. Ask everyone to bring a bottle for the tasting. A 750ml bottle of wine has approximately twenty-four 1 ounce tastes so there will be some for leftover tastings after the event.

What kind of wine should everyone bring?

As the host, that is up to you. You could choose a varietal (like Chardonnay or Pinot Noir), a region (a wine from the Sonoma County region in CA or a wine from northwestern Spain) or something silly like choosing a wine based on the name on the label.

Other options include a wine tasting based on the price of the bottle or simply encouraging the guests bring their favorite wine to share.

Should we eat? Of course!

To cleanse your palate, be sure to have plenty of crackers like water crackers, bread sticks or Tuscan bread. When sampling the same varietal, cleansing your palate makes it easier to differentiate between the tastes.  

Wine friendly appetizers include olives, fruit (berries), hummus, sausages, cheeses, nuts and chocolate. Some people will tell you not to eat when tasting, because the flavors from the different foods will alter how a wine will taste.

That is true. However, if you are not crazy about a wine, try tasting it with food and you may get a different perspective.

Because wine can be dehydrating, be sure to have plenty of water available for your guests.

What else do you need?

Purchase inexpensive wine glasses at the local Walmart or restaurant supply store. Don’t worry if the glasses are for white or red wines. As long as they are glass and you have one for each guest, you will be fine.

You will need a dump bucket for your guests to pour out those wines that don’t appeal to them. An ice bucket works well for this job.

Blind taste testing is preferred because wine tasters often judge a wine by its label. More on that later. So you will need bags to go over the bottle. Here’s some cute burlap ones that I like but you can also make your own.

Lastly, you will need pens and paper for each taster to make their notes and mark their favorites.

Putting it all together.

As each guest arrives, place the bottle in a bag and mark with a number. Be sure to mark the bottle with a number so everyone can identify the wine they are tasting. Use random numbers so no one can guess the bottle based on when the guests arrived.

If tasting red wines, uncork the bottles to allow them to breathe. Everyone can mingle and eat while they are waiting for the rest of the guests to arrive.

When you are ready to taste, the host then goes around and pours everyone about 1 oz. to taste. Since you only have the one bottle, it is better to be accurate and use an automatic measured bottle pourer.

When they are pouring, the host should announce which bottle number you are tasting (not the actual varietal or winery).

If you are using plain paper, each guest will rate the wine in their own way – smiley faces, scale of one to ten, notes about color or bouquet. Remember, you are among friends so there is no right or wrong way.

When all the wines have been tasted, the guests choose their top three. By a simple show of hands, the best wines are tallied and a winner is chosen.

As the host, you may want to offer a prize for the best wine of the evening – a wine shop gift card, bottle opener, wine stopper, aerator, or even something silly like a pair of wine lover socks or wine condoms.

When the tasting is over, all wines are removed from their bags and the guests can make note of their new favorite wines to add to their cellar.