Tips on hosting your own successful wine party

                                                                              
Tip #1: Planning

 

If you’re anything like me, you stress out big time when it comes to planning events or parties.  However, planning a DIY wine party doesn’t have to be a dreadful experience if you take it step by step.  I like to start with a notebook to make an overall outline and grocery list of the essentials that will be needed for the party.  This is your party.  You can plan it the way you want to.  If you want to add a theme such as a cocktail party or a pajama party, then let your friends know to give them enough time to prepare.  Make sure you have enough glasses for each guest and then some.  Also, it’s nice to have some kind of chalk marker so your friends can personalize their glasses.  If not, wine charms are a super cute and fun way to keep track of which glass is yours.

Tip #2: The Wine

Wine is what your party is revolved around.  So, make sure there is good variety.  This doesn’t mean that you need to go out to the store and pick up every different kind of wine because that can get expensive.  The fun part about having your friends over for a gathering is that they are most likely willing to bring something to help.  Plan your wine party as a bring your own bottle event.  If you want to get even more fancy with it, tell each friend that’s coming to bring a different varietal so you have plenty of fun, unique wines to taste.  It’s a good idea to have paper so that you can label each wine so that way your guests can remember their favorite to purchase and enjoy in the future.



                                                                         
   Tip #3: Finger Foods

Since the party is focused on an alcoholic beverage, it is important to provide an ample amount of finger foods.  I went to a wine party that my boss threw for our staff and was blown away by the platter she had set out (pictured to the left).  She found a somewhat big piece of square wood and wrapped it with black paper to construct her platform for her finger-foods.  With the black paper, you can use a chalk marker to make labels of each thing you’re going to put on the platter before you do it. A charcuterie platter usually consists of a variety of meats, cheeses, nuts, and whichever finger food you feel is necessary to include.  This doesn’t mean you need to go all out and buy every single type of meat, cheese, and nut out there.  Just pick a couple of your favorite or the most popular from each category.

 

Tip #4: Enjoy

Quite often, people who host parties forget to relax and enjoy themselves.  Be sure to take time out of making sure your guests are accommodated and have fun.  A wine party should be a way for you and your friends to engage in conversation, sip wine and unwind.  If you follow these tips, your wine party will quite likely be the highlight of the weekend!

There are so many different ways to throw a successful wine and cheese party.  I found a great step-by-step video on some ideas of what kind of foods should be put on your charcuterie board. http://bit.ly/2EO4XGi