How to Host a Wine Tasting at Home
Hosting a wine tasting dinner party at home is such a fun excuse to invite the girlfriends over and chat over a few glasses of vino. You guys love this reel I posted showing our wine tasting night, and I wanted to break down the steps so it’s easy to bookmark.
Creating a wine tasting setup is easier than you think! I will walk you through each step so it’s a breeze to host and you and your guests have an unforgettable night.
What you will need:
Here’s what I used for mine. I had five place settings, so adjust your shopping list quantities as needed for your party. You can get your food pairings from any grocery store you prefer, but I highly recommend grabbing everything from Trader Joe’s:
Trader Joe’s Shopping List:
Cheeses:
- 1 plain goat cheese log
- 1 bag of individual brie bites (they come in a pack of 5)
- 2 sets of the Spanish Cheese Tapas sampler cheese pack. It comes in a square red container. Use the Iberico and Manchego in the packs!
Fruits:
- 1 green pear
- 1 green apple
- 1 small carton of black berries
- 1 small carton of strawberries
Meats:
- 1 pack of prosciutto
- 1 pack of salami
- 1 pack of cured beef
- 1 pack of peppered salami
Finishing bites:
- 1 jar of green olives
- 1 jar of fig jam
- 1 bag of dark chocolate squares
- 1 bag of milk chocolate squares
Wine List:
- 1 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 bottle of Rosé of Pinot Grigio
- 1 bottle of Malbec
- 1 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon
I love getting a box from Naked Wines because the selections are so great and they only source from the best independent winemakers. I bought the Summer Case for my tasting. You can, of course, buy your favorite brands of wines.
Here are the exact wines that I used for this tasting:
- Small and Small 2025 Sauvignon Blanc
- Jen Pfeiffer Rock it Like a Readhead Rosé of Pinot Grigio
- José Hernández Uco Valley Malbec Malbec
- Dave Harvey Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Creating the tasting setup:
You will only need a couple of things to create the tasting stations. It took me about one hour to get everything ready.
- Wine glasses: I bought mine off of Amazon and bought a set for white wine and also for reds. We got these from our wedding registry, and I absolutely love them!! They are affordable for the quality of the stemware.
- Brown Craft Paper: This will be the tasting placemat! I cut mine into 18×19 inch squares, and they turned out perfectly. I really liked this specific one because the oil from the cheeses did not bleed out onto the rest of the paper.
- Black Sharpie: After you cut your placemats out from the brown craft paper, take a minute to write out each item into rows of four. Below, I will show you what item goes under each wine.
- Add the food after you have written everything down with the Sharpie.
- Sip Social Tasting Cards: I bought this design from Etsy and reworked it quite a bit. You can really do anything here as long as you have the wines listed and give some space for people to write down their thoughts and mark favorites. I printed mine out on cardstock paper to make it sturdier. If you host a lot, this is a GREAT way to find out what people love to drink.
Arranging the food pairings:
This is the fun part!! It will come together quickly and look amazing. You will create four vertical rows on the placemat. Under the rows will be four small bites of food for your tasting pairings. Use the photo for reference, and below is the list as well:
Row Number 1:
Wine: Sauvignon Black
Meat: Prosciutto
Cheese: Iberico
Fruit: Pear
Finishing Bite: Green Olives
Row Number 2:
Wine: Rosé of Pinot Grigio
Meat: Salami
Cheese: Goat Cheese
Fruit: Green Apple
Finishing Bite: Fig Jam
Row Number 3:
Wine: Malbec
Meat: Cured Beef
Cheese: Manchego
Fruit: Blackberries
Finishing Bite: Dark Chocolate
Row Number 4:
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon
Meat: Peppered Salami
Cheese: Brie
Fruit: Strawberry
Finishing Bite: Milk Chocolate
I hope you have the best time creating a memorable night! This was so much fun, and I would love to hear about your party if you decide to do this too!
