What to Serve at a Wine Tasting Party

If you are preparing to host a wine tasting party and aren't sure about the menu, take heart. What to serve at a wine tasting party is not set in stone and can be tailored to suit the wines you've chosen and your personal preferences. The most important menu item is the wine, of course. There are different ways to go about choosing what wine to serve. Some hosts go for something like three reds, three whites and perhaps three rose wines. You may or may not choose to serve rose wine at your tasting.

There are horizontal tastings and vertical tastings. Horizontal tasting means you choose one vintage and several varietals. For example, you may decide upon a 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon from six different wineries. A vertical tasting is where you choose one varietal and different vintages. For example you may choose a Merlot from one winery from the past six years. As you can see there are many choices when it comes to selecting the wine to serve at your party. Another important aspect of a wine tasting party is the food. The classic food to serve with wine is cheese.

Your cheese platter should include cheeses that go with the wines you are serving. Light cheeses go well with white wine and pungent cheeses go well with red wine. Light cheese may be something like Swiss or Brie, while heavier cheese would be Gouda or Cheddar. You also want to serve bread or salt-free crackers for palate cleansing between tasting. An assortment of fruit is also a good idea. If you are serving a meal, you might want to offer your guests a choice between chicken, fish or beef. White wine goes perfectly with chicken and fish while red wine is great with beef.

If you need more help choosing what to serve at a wine tasting party, there are lots of books that can help you. Here are some titles to get you started: Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food by Evan Goldstein, Wine Food & Friends by Karen MacNeil and The Renaissance Guide to Wine and Food Pairing by Tony DiDio. Books like these can help you choose what kind of food you want to serve with the various wines.



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