Choose Wine For Your Party Just Like a Pro
Choosing wine for a party begins before that last minute rush to the grocery store.
Some wines work well with warm foods, while others pair nicely with cold buffet foods.
Knowing which kind of party you will have and what is on your menu can help you pick the wines to compliment your food choices.
Shopping for Your Vino There are several reasons to shop early.
You should taste the wines you intend to serve and create a list of whites, reds and sparkling wines that you enjoy.
Keep a close eye on the cost per bottle.
Many wines are less expensive by the case and you can shop around to reduce the cost.
As far as how much to buy, keep in mind that each bottle will serve about five glasses.
And while not all of your guests will be drinking, you can safely estimate each guest will have one glass per hour of the event.
Your wine list should also include both reds and whites since most guests will prefer one type or the other.
Matching Your Wine to Your Food If your food will be a cold buffet then your wines should be served chilled.
Good choices are fruity red wines and crisp whites.
Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wines are good choices to serve along with light snacks or appetizers.
Pinot Noir and a fruity rose will keep up with a summertime buffet or afternoon get together if the foods being served are lighter.
To chill your bottles and keep them cold, you should use tubs of ice and water instead of the refrigerator.
Warm appetizers or hot buffets call for stronger flavors to stand up to the menu.
Serve a red wine with foods that are highly flavored like meats and cheeses, but also consider that a very dry white might work, as well.
The strong flavors in reds do well when your food selections are spicy, but reds are also likely to have a higher alcohol content.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot should have the variety of flavors desired in a red wine while still being a good value.
Playing it Safe When choosing a wine for a party, take your time to pick some that you enjoy or that at the very least are generally popular.
If you are unsure about which wines are popular, try asking your friends what they enjoy drinking.
A reputable wine merchant can often point out which bottles are fashionable, but make sure that he is not simply trying to unload the cheap (or the too-expensive) stuff on an unwitting buyer.
Remember, your guests will probably enjoy the wines you select whether they are complex and expensive or relatively simple and less expensive! If your guests are relatively new to appreciating wine you might have better luck with more of the fruitier wines and fewer of the dry varieties.
Experienced wine drinkers will likely prefer the dry varieties to the sweeter wines if given a choice.
A combination of the two is always a good idea! With the knowledge of your menu and some basic shopping rules you can make choosing wine for a party more like an adventure than a task to cross off of a list.
So have fun with it!
Some wines work well with warm foods, while others pair nicely with cold buffet foods.
Knowing which kind of party you will have and what is on your menu can help you pick the wines to compliment your food choices.
Shopping for Your Vino There are several reasons to shop early.
You should taste the wines you intend to serve and create a list of whites, reds and sparkling wines that you enjoy.
Keep a close eye on the cost per bottle.
Many wines are less expensive by the case and you can shop around to reduce the cost.
As far as how much to buy, keep in mind that each bottle will serve about five glasses.
And while not all of your guests will be drinking, you can safely estimate each guest will have one glass per hour of the event.
Your wine list should also include both reds and whites since most guests will prefer one type or the other.
Matching Your Wine to Your Food If your food will be a cold buffet then your wines should be served chilled.
Good choices are fruity red wines and crisp whites.
Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wines are good choices to serve along with light snacks or appetizers.
Pinot Noir and a fruity rose will keep up with a summertime buffet or afternoon get together if the foods being served are lighter.
To chill your bottles and keep them cold, you should use tubs of ice and water instead of the refrigerator.
Warm appetizers or hot buffets call for stronger flavors to stand up to the menu.
Serve a red wine with foods that are highly flavored like meats and cheeses, but also consider that a very dry white might work, as well.
The strong flavors in reds do well when your food selections are spicy, but reds are also likely to have a higher alcohol content.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot should have the variety of flavors desired in a red wine while still being a good value.
Playing it Safe When choosing a wine for a party, take your time to pick some that you enjoy or that at the very least are generally popular.
If you are unsure about which wines are popular, try asking your friends what they enjoy drinking.
A reputable wine merchant can often point out which bottles are fashionable, but make sure that he is not simply trying to unload the cheap (or the too-expensive) stuff on an unwitting buyer.
Remember, your guests will probably enjoy the wines you select whether they are complex and expensive or relatively simple and less expensive! If your guests are relatively new to appreciating wine you might have better luck with more of the fruitier wines and fewer of the dry varieties.
Experienced wine drinkers will likely prefer the dry varieties to the sweeter wines if given a choice.
A combination of the two is always a good idea! With the knowledge of your menu and some basic shopping rules you can make choosing wine for a party more like an adventure than a task to cross off of a list.
So have fun with it!
