I first heard about wine tasting parties when a friend of mine went to one several years ago. I was so intrigued and thought, “what a perfect thing to do for a girls night!”. So, I did some minimal research on what a blind wine tasting entails and then I put my own spin on it.
And here is that spin.
How to host a blind wine tasting party
What types of parties can be wine tasting parties
Honestly, you can make any party a wine tasting party! Mine was a girls’ night, but I think my next will be a housewarming party. You could also have this for a bachelorette party, bridal shower, engagement party, birthday party, anniversary party… The possibilities are endless.
Wine Tasting Party Guest list
I recommend inviting around 10 people… UNLESS you want to have a tournament style. A wine tasting tournament is not something I’ve done, but can you imagine?! I think it would be really fun to build a bracket! I hope everyone plans to stay the night or has a DD, though!
What you need to host a wine tasting party
4-5+ bottles of wine (typically guests bring their own)
Something to cover the labels on the bottles so no one can guess what it is. You can tape a piece of paper over the label or use a brown paper bag. Burlap bags look great, too!
A numbered label or a sharpie to write the number on the bag or label you created.
Scorecards so guests can write notes and rate their favorites. Try these
A whiteboard or sheet of paper to tally the scorecards and determine the winner.
A gift for the winner. This can be a nice bottle of wine, wine glasses, an electric bottle opener, etc.
How to “play”
Judging
Guests are given scorecards or placemats and a pen. As they taste each sample, they rate the wine 1-5. Remind them to take good notes for final scoring! At the end of tasting, have your guests write the winning wine bottle number at the top of their scorecard when finished.
Choosing a Winner
Tally up the winner from each scorecard to decide the final winner. Typically, the winner is awarded a nice bottle of wine or other gift provided by the host (see ideas above). Give scorecards back to guests so they can write down the name of their favorite bottle(s).
How to Judge the Wine
You can be as snooty or as chill as you want about judging the wine, but to help your guests make a decision on their favorite, here are some guidelines:
Appearance
Take a look at the wine in your glass. Here you’re checking for color, opacity and viscosity. Viscosity, or legs, is the wine lingering on the sides after you give it a swirl.
Smell
Now take a sniff. Is it fruity, floral, a bit herby? Maybe all three! You might also smell spices, roasted nuts, oak, vanilla, or even tobacco.
Taste
The most important part! Take a swig! Start big here and then take a couple of smaller sips. You’re not only tasting the wine, but also judging the texture.
Finish
Now that you’ve had it in your mouth, how was the finish? Did the taste change a bit after you swallowed? Write that down.
Final Scoring
How you judge wine is completely subjective. If you want to go based on taste alone, by all means do it!
What food to serve
Don’t make yourself busy in the kitchen while everyone else is enjoying themselves. This kind of party is best with light hors devours, a charcuterie and chocolate that can all be prepared ahead of time! You *could* ask your guests to bring an app to pass, but they’re already bringing a bottle of wine. It’s up to you if you want to ask for more.
The party I hosted was a good four years ago. I think my girls and I are about due for another! And at the next, I will definitely be using the placemats and scorecards that I created and you can buy here in my Etsy shop: Wine Tasting Party Kit Printable
