In an entertaining rut? Host a wine tasting party for a fun night in with friends!
- Scorecard from Yes, Please
- Fabric bottle cover from Design*Sponge
- Cheese bite hors d'oeuvres from Martha Stewart
- Wood mingling plate from Pottery Barn
- Wine glass tags from Fred
- DIY invites/coasters from Real Simple
- Paper cocktail napkins from Caspari
Forget stuffy and complicated: A wine tasting party is a great way to spend an evening with friends, and is easy to throw! First, start by deciding what wine you'd like to focus on: Did you want to try different wines from a certain region? Or taste only reds, or only whites? Once you've determined the wine theme, invite pals over and have them each bring a bottle. Cover the labels of the bottles with paper, a fabric napkin, or place the bottles inside plain brown bags, and then label each bottle with a number. Create a simple scoring method for guests to rate each bottle, and when the tasting is done, reveal the winner! Pre-tasting, serve appetizers that compliment the region or type of wine you are tasting (Food And Wine Pairing http://www.foodandwinepairing.org/ is a great site for this), and have bland crackers or bread available to keep taste buds neutral between wine tastings.