It is true, if wine is present at a social gathering it does qualify as a “wine party” but let’s shake things up a bit and add in some healthy competition, because really who doesn’t love some competition?

Making wine takes a lot of skill and practice, it is expensive and is a demanding career. Sometimes a winemaker decides to blend wine varietals together which adds a layer of artform to the whole scenario. But once a wine has been created we can take multiple bottles and blend them together, bypassing all the skill, expense and dedication needed to create a wine blend. Hence, practically making us like winemakers. It is truly amazing. 

 So let’s get to planning this shindig – here is what you will need:

  • A minimum of three bottles of wine, each a different varietal (you may have to have two bottles of each wine depending on how large your party is or how much they tend to drink)
  • Three wine glasses per person
  • A cup per person to discard their blend if all goes wrong
  • Paper and pen for everyone attending

You can make a blend out of red wines or out of white wines or a little of each to create a rosé. As far as which bottles of wine to choose, you can get inspiration from wine blends by looking at the label to see which wines the winemaker used to create that blend. 

Here is a simple place to start to create a red blend:

  • Bottle of Syrah
  • Bottle of Merlot
  • Bottle of Tempranillo

Fast forward to the party. Once all the guests have arrived you will want to give them the rundown on creating their own wine blend. 

Then each person can take time to blend the wines together in a wine glass, taking note of the quantities of each wine added. If they happen to not care for their creation, they can use the provided cup to discard the blend and start again. 

Once they are happy with their blend, they can use the pen and paper to name their blend, provide the recipe (ex. one part Syrah, two parts Merlot, two parts Tempranillo) and write some compelling tasting notes. 

Everyone can then re-create their blend in a separate glass (because germs) and submit it to the tasting panel (aka, the rest of the attendees). Each person can present their blend to the group, sharing the blend name and all the details. The tasting panel will then go around with a clean glass and pour some of each person’s blend into their glass to taste it. Taking note of whose blend they like best. 

Finally we come to the vote. This is where it is helpful to have some sort of a grand prize but you can also give the winner the title of Master Wineblender or something along those lines. 

Did your blend happen to not get any votes? Don’t worry, tasting wine is completely subjective. Besides, haters gonna hate. 

Find out more about hosting a wine tasting party in your home