A Winemaker’s Guide To Hosting The Perfect Wine-Tasting
Mitchell Simpson of Deepwater Vineyard shares his best tips on throwing together a successful sipping soirée
One of the best ways to learn about wine, develop your palate, and discover what love you love is by tasting an array of wines alongside each other.
But unless you live near a vineyard or winery, it can be difficult to try more than one wine at a time (unless you want to open up 5 bottles for yourself… and absolutely no shame if you do).
So how do you solve this conundrum? An at-home wine tasting, of course! A wine tasting is a ton of fun, a great excuse to get some of your friends together, and will give you a perspective on wine that you might not get otherwise.
I spoke with Mitchell Simpson, the winemaker for Deepwater Vineyard on Wadmalaw Island, SC, who offered up these tips to host the perfect at-home wine tasting.
1. Keep your wine-tasting small
A group of five people or less is ideal, especially if it's your first tasting. "It keeps it intimate but still a lot of fun. You don't want people spread all over your house, and everyone should be together and comfortable," Simpson says. A smaller group also leaves room on your table for all the other required wine-tasting accouterments (more on that below!).
2. Set the table like a pro
So, what should you put on the table? Everyone should have a glass of water, a napkin (preferably white to help see color hues in the wine), some unsalted crackers, a pen, and a bucket in the middle for those who want to try their wine, and spit it out. And of course, if you really want to look like a pro, have some wine-tasting notes available for your guests to jot down what they think about each wine.
3. Know your audience
Wondering how much wine to buy? A bottle of wine is about 24 ounces, which will yield (12) 2-ounce tastes per bottle. But you know your people. And if they're drinkers, it's very likely that someone will want a second taste, or just... more. So plan accordingly, and have a couple bottles on standby just in case.
4. Choose a theme for your wine tasting
There are SO many different wines to try that without a theme, it may be overwhelming. "It adds a bit of structure to the tasting, helps keep everyone focused, and usually makes it more educational," Simpson says.
Think of your theme like your guiding light. Try choosing wines by region, varietal, price point, or vintage (year). If you wanted to make wine tastings an ongoing thing, the next time you could try something different — just like book club, but with wine!
If your guests aren't super familiar with what they like, it might be best to roll without a theme, and simply pick a few of the "big eight" wines to try. The big eight wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, and Pinot Noir for red wines, and Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio for white wines.
5. Don’t overdo it
As far as the number of wines to try, Simpson recommends tasting 4 to 5. "This allows you to really concentrate on what's in front of you. Having too many makes it difficult to compare the subtle nuances between the wines and it's a workout for your palette. As you consume more alcohol both your nose and taste buds can detect less," he says.
6. Consider doing a flight of wines
If you're really looking to compare and contrast wines, then consider doing a flight of wines, where the wines are lined up side by side, as opposed to tasting one by one. "Having them all poured in front of you at once allows you to go back and forth between them rather than one at a time." That can add up to a lot of glassware on the table, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with using plastic wine cups. Plus, it makes cleaning up easier!
7. Serve food last
Food is always a great idea, but hold off until your tasting is done as you don't want the food to interfere with your palate. Once the tasting is complete, bring on the food (and more wine!).
Depending on the theme of your tasting, you could even get really creative with what you serve to eat. "If it's a "regional" themed wine tasting, try to prepare some small dishes native to that area. “Usually the reason those wines are popular [in your area] is because it pairs amazingly with the regional cuisine," says Simpson.
So there you have it! A winemaker’s guide to hosting the perfect wine-tasting at home. Cheers!
