It's National Wine Day, and we'd be damned if we didn't celebrate it by throwing a classy AF party for our friends. Having people over for wine and snacks is all well and good, but why not kick it up a notch and have a little friendly competition while you're at it? This easy last minute party idea is a great way to celebrate with some all-in-good-fun snobbery. Just download our free printable, grab some pens, and get to sippin'.
Ah, yes. I detect cherries and dark chocolate on the nose, pepper and smoke on palate, and just a hint of snobbery and sarcasm on the finish! Wine tasting doesn’t have to be intimidating. In fact, the more creative you can get with descriptions, the better! I saw a documentary once where a sommelier (that’s a fancy word for a wine expert) described a white wine as smelling like “a cut garden hose” and a “fresh opened can of tennis balls”. Not kidding.
Embrace your inner snob (and try some great wines while you’re at it!) and have your pals over for a blind tasting party; all you need is our free download here, some paper bags, pens, and a sense of humor! Oh, yeah- and wine.
Step 1: Pick our four different kinds of wine; 2 whites, 2 reds. If you want to, you can research a bit and pick wines that traditionally taste different from each other so it’s a bit easier to tell what’s what and it’s not a total shot in the dark. For example, chardonnay is usually smooth and buttery while sauvignon blanc can be crisp and tart. Syrah is darker and richer for the reds, while pinot noir is usually lighter and a bit sweeter to taste. Or, you know, just get 4 with really pretty labels.
Step 2: Use a marker to write out numbers 1-4 on four paper bags. Open the wines and remove all foils or bottle markings that might give it away. Place the wines inside the bags and tie them at the top with ribbon or twine.
Step 3: Give your guests a copy of our free download and pour them a taste of each wine! They have a few minutes to write down their guesses and impressions for each of the four wines. It’s like fancy mad-libs with alcohol- what’s not to love?
Step 4: When all the guesses are in, remove the wines from their bags and reveal the varietals- and the winner! It’s fun to have one more bottle on hand to give away as a prize to the person who gets the most correct or comes up with the funniest description.
Have a charcuterie board on hand while playing the game to make sure you don’t get too tipsy too quickly; some fruit, cheese, prosciutto, and crackers always pair well with pretty much any wine you’ve got on the menu!
The bonus of playing this game is that you can actually learn a lot about what kinds of wine you prefer when you’re out ordering next time at a restaurant or shopping for the perfect host gift. Drinking two kinds of reds and two kinds of wines right after the other can highlight what characteristics you like and don’t like of each. For example, I gravitated way more towards the tart, citrus wine whereas my friend Nicole much preferred the sweeter option. Now next time we go out at happy hour, we know what we’re getting!
Kelsey Formost
As an only child who had to entertain herself a lot, Kelsey has always been a DIY fanatic! She grew up half beach bum in San Diego, CA, and half country bumpkin in Colorado Springs, CO. When she's not living the dream DIY-ing with Makeful, you can see her pop up on TV once in awhile on shows like 'Modern Family' and 'New Girl'!
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