Easy Themes
for a Perfect
Fall Gathering
Though entertaining with wine at home can be as simple as popping a few bottles and digging into a good bag of chips (and yes, we love that pairing), leveling-up the creativity on your wine hangouts in October and beyond is super simple and needn’t drain your wallet.
Ideas for a Memorable
October Gathering
How about going deep on discovery (and maybe a few plates of smoked chipotle chicken wings) with volcanic wines from places like Greece or Sardinia? Or juicy burgers with fizzy wines from around the world? What about star athlete-made wines perfect for a sports-driven sofa soirée, or moody wines that hit the right notes for a Halloween movie binge fest? Here are some ideas—and wines—that will make your October gathering memorable.
Karen MacNeil’s Wine Party Kit
Ten Easy Steps to Throwing a Great Wine Tasting Party
By Karen MacNeil
The key to learning more about a subject is usually NOT by throwing a party. Except when the subject is WINE. Wine tasting parties are a great, casual way to get together with friends. Any time is party time. And, any time is share-some-wine time, but especially when it’s Come Over October.
Here’s your checklist:
1. Choose a Group of Friends
Four to six people is an ideal number for a wine tasting because chances are, everyone can sit around the same table and talk easily. That said, there’s no rule here. Three friends? Eight? It’s up to you.
2. Choose a Good Theme
Good themes are easy to come up with. You could, for example, go with a grape variety such as Pinot Noir, and compare Pinots from around the world. Or you could focus on a country or wine region—Spain, Chile, Sicily, Oregon? Or make the theme a little wild, like: Wines We’ve Never Tasted Before.
3. Give Everyone Their Assignment
Ask each friend to bring one bottle of wine that fits the theme. So that everyone brings wines within a certain quality range, set a price range: Chardonnays between $18 and $28, for example. If you’ve chosen a white wine theme, don’t forget to have everyone bring their bottle already chilled.
4. Get Set Up
Every person will need a napkin, a pencil, a piece of paper (for notes), water, and an individual spit cup. (A paper coffee cup or SOLO cup works fine). And you’ll need a good corkscrew on hand. And, you’ll need a good corkscrew on hand (like the one in this party kit)!
5. Glasses
Each person will need one wine glass for each wine that is brought. To make things easy, have each friend bring their own glasses with them. (Even wine pros do this). Don’t worry about bringing white wine glasses versus red wine glasses. Just have everyone bring good sized glasses with generous bowls.
6. Food
During the tasting itself, all you need are some plain crackers or bread. Of course, by the end of the tasting, everyone will be starving so you may want to have some cheese or appetizers on hand then. (Consider making dinner reservations so you can all go out to dinner together later!)
7. Music
There’s a lot of evidence that sensory activities (hearing for music; tasting for wine) enhance and build on each other when they’re “consumed” together. So music? Definitely. Choose something with a vibe that works for the mood you’re going for.
8. Pouring
Have each person set their glasses up in a line in front of them. (The glass furthest on the left is considered Wine #1). With a marker, assign each bottle a number, and write the number right on the wine’s label. Then start handing the bottles around so everyone can pour the wines into their glasses.
9. Making it Blind?
To amp up the fun, you could also have everyone bring their wine in a brown paper bag taped at the neck of the bottle so no one can peak. When it comes time to number the wine bottles, randomly assign numbers to each brown bag then pour.
10. The Most Fun Part
…is talking about the wines. Sharing impressions. It’s not uncommon to be lost for words in the beginning but by, say, wine four, everyone should be in the groove.
Karen MacNeil is the author of The Wine Bible and co-founder of Come Over October and Share & Pair Sundays.