Wine For A Party

by Jon Fiume
May 16, 2006

Quite often people are not too sure what kind of wine to serve when having a party. It seems as though you are never too sure if you overshoot it or undershoot it in your selections. This month I have pulled together a few tips for helping you select your wines as well as a great wine recommendation.

Audience.
Consider who your audience is. Are they people who really know wine or people who just enjoy wine? No use on sharing a 10 year old bottle of Cabernet that will truly only be noticed by less than 10% of your guests. On the flip side if 90% of your guests are what I term Wine-ees, you may want to offer a higher end selection.

Cost.
Examine the costs from various perspectives. Begin by projecting out the amount of wine you think your guests will consume. Typically we know by looking at the names on the guest list who are the heavy consumers, the moderates, and the sippers. Next, since you have identified who your audience is make your selection or selections. Are you going to offer a red and a white? A variety from a particular country or region? When contemplating those decisions, do not forget about those wines that are lower priced but are spectacular in their categories. These are mainly wines that receive a touch by the golden taste buds of Robert Parker with a high Wine Spectator score or their little secrets have been shared with you by your local wine guy. There are plenty of them out there and can save you dollars on your party budget. On the other side of the grape, I caution about jumping to the Charles Shaw or Crane Lake wines for a party if you can avoid it. They can be great for the mid week dinner table but unfortunately they have the reputation of being cheap, not the same reputation you want for your party. The same goes for the food...keep the pretzels and potato chips in their bags!

Taste.
Based on your audience is your wine selection one that will appeal to their taste? Most people may tell you that they cannot tell a difference between a Merlot and a Cabernet, but certainly an Amarone will get their attention. And I won't even mention what can happen with a White Zinfandel!

Food.
If you food offering has a theme for example Italian or Asian, does the wine accompany it well or are they opposites? Consider wines that can blend well the food. Your selection may not be perfect such as what you would have during an intimate dinner, but it can get you close enough.

Attention.
How much attention will your wine selection require? Can you get away with just opening and pouring and allowing the breathing to take place in the glass or will decanting be necessary? Obviously decanting will take some time and space as well as a more watchful eye from you during the event. The same goes for your whites. Make sure you have enough chilled versus the rush job of throwing a few bottles in the freezer and or heaven forbid your adding ice to someone's Chardonnay!

Here's to a successful party! Salute!

Featured wines of the month:

Folie a Deux 2004 Menage a Trois Red and 2004 Menage a Trois White table wine. $12.99

The Menage a Trois Red is a personal favorite of mine. First shared with me by two good friends, we consider it our "own" wine. It is consistent from bottle to bottle. Full-bodied, this wine is a blend of the best...Cabernet, Merlot, and Zinfandel. Folie a Duex's approach to making this blend is by fermenting the grapes separately prior to blending. The taste is appealing with dancing tannins, a peppery profile, and a deep, fruity taste of blackberries. In my opinion it goes well with everything!

The Menage a Trois White is equally fun. It is a great alternative to a traditional Chardonnay. Menage a Trois White is a combination of the Chardonnay grape with Muscat, and Chenin Blanc; two popular blending grapes. The taste is what I term hard line acidic, fruity, and slightly sweet. And of special comment, there is no oak! All three of the grapes have been fermented in stainless steel. You will find this to be extremely refreshing. A great summer wine!