Planning Wine for Your Party

Planning a Party with Wine.Entertaining can be apurchase and another great option is overlooked,
stressful event, but one way to ensure a goodChampagne. Sparkling wines accompany many
for everyone including yourself is to plan ahead.dishes well, and are especially good to sip alone
By taking care of as many details in advance, youover good conversation. Be sure to keep it well
will have time to enjoy your company and takechilled, and don't open too many bottles in
care of the few unexpected things that arise. Oneadvance or else they will go flat before getting to
area that is especially easy to plan in advance isthe glass.How much to buy.If you will be serving
buying and serving wine.What to buy.What typesprimarily wine, or you know your guests will be
and varieties of wine you purchase and offer willdrinking mostly wine by choice, you will want to
depend on what type of event you are hosting. Ifplan on one bottle for every 3 or 4 guests. If
you are having a stand-up party with mostlythere will be beer and spirits, reduce your wine
appetizers and finger foods then you will want tocache to about one bottle for every 4 or 5
offer both red and white wines. For white wineguests. For dinner parties, you will want to make
consider having two options, first a goodsure every guest can have a glass of each wine
Chardonnay with ample oak tones that stand upserved with each course. A bottle pours about 5
to the many different foods that will be offered.glasses of wine, so plan on a bottle for 5 guests.
A second good white wine choice is a lighter andAn extra bottle of the main course and desert
drier Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. For redwine is always a good idea.How to serve.First, get
wines, avoid anything too big and bold. Instead athe wine to the correct temperature well in
lighter Zinfandel, Merlot, or Pinot Noir are all greatadvance of the party. Set out all of the glasses
choices.If you are serving a formal sit downwhere guests can easily access them, in close
dinner, you may wish consider having both a redproximity to the wine. Don't open it all right away,
and white wines on hand. But you should alsoand don't set the chilled white and sparkling wine
consider the food you are serving and matchout at once. Just before guests are to arrive,
your wine selections accordingly. If you areopen enough wine to fill glasses of the initial
serving a multi-course dinner event, don't bearrivals. After everyone has poured their first
afraid to offer different wines with each course.glass, you can then open more to replenish based
Encourage guests to pour just a half glass ofon the rate it is being consumed. Keep sparkling
each wine if you will be serving different wines inwine chilled in an ice water bath, but white and
order to avoid over indulgence.Many times if yourreds will be fine sitting out at room temperature
focus is solely on which white and red wines tofor 30-45 minutes.