wine tasting party by snippet & ink

My dad is
quite the wine connoisseur, so whenever we go out to dinner, I ask him
to tell me about the wine he’s ordered. So far, all I know is that
there are some wines I care for more than others, but I’m not really
sure why, or what makes them different. What better way to make
learning about wine more fun and less intimidating than to make it a
movie night with the girls. I’m not exactly a wine expert (not even
close), so I found this article really helpful as far as learning more about wine. As far as hosting a tasting party, here are some great ideas from Real Simple and Martha Stewart. And then I have my own amateur ideas of how this party should go:

When: Friday or Saturday night – just in case it turns into a slumber party.
The invitations:
Send your guests note cards inspired by vintage posters, preferably
ones with a wine motif. You can make your own with images found online,
or purchase some from Etsy seller Botamaki. Or, save empty wine bottles and make invitations decorated with the labels that you’ve peeled off some of your favorites.
The place:
Your living room! Just so long as there is a comfortable place to sit,
a table for wine and snacks, and a television, then you’ll be all set.
The food:
By starting the party after dinnertime, you can avoid having to serve
an entire sit down meal. Choose about five different wines for guests
to taste, and serve a variety of hors d’oeuvres – dark chocolate,
fruit, cheese and crackers (or thinly sliced baguette) are classic
choices to pair with wine. For the movie portion of the night, offer
your guests popcorn with different seasoning options (how about garlic and cheese, spicy cayenne, or cumin and lime).
The decor:
Set up grapes and figs in beautiful bowls or stands. They do double
duty as both a decoration and something to nibble on. You might also
put up a map of the world/country/region that the wines are from, with
pins in each of their origins. You could go the extra mile and place a
little informational tag by each bottle of wine to help guests learn
more about it.
Other details: Make small wine charms
for each guest to keep track of her glass, as well as a small journal
to note which wines she preferred. Once you and your guests have had a
chance to taste each wine and discuss them, pop in a wine-themed movie
(such as Sideways) and make sure all the nibbles are within arms’
reach. Or, if you’d rather go see the new movie Bottle Shock, get in the mood for wine tasting by meeting up at the theater beforehand.

Top row from left: fruit centerpiece from Getty Images, wine photo from Jupiter Images, photo from Real Simple, seasoned popcorn from Martha Stewart
Row 2: wine poster card by Botamaki, dark chocolate photo via bFeedMe, cheese styled by Heidi Johannsen, map and pin photo from Jupiter Images
Row 3: wine charms from Hostess With the Mostess, Sideways movie poster, journals from Field Notes, grape and fig centerpiece photo from Jupiter Images

By Kathryn of Snippet & Ink.