Do you want to organize a wine tasting evening for your friends but don’t know how to go about it? Domaine du Goût shares all its tips for organizing the best tasting evening.
A tasting evening, yes, but be careful...
A tasting evening, as the name suggests, involves tasting different wines, spirits, or even food, and discussing these tastings with the other guests. It sounds simple on paper—you need wine, friends, and conversation—but the reality is quite different. Indeed, appearances can be deceiving; knowing how to organize a tasting evening is far from as easy as it seems. Above all, a tasting evening is about knowing how to observe the wine, smell it, and taste it.
What themes and goals for your evening?
There are different types of wine tastings with completely different objectives. The first option could be called a "pleasure" or "leisure" tasting. This type of tasting evening focuses on sharing a good time with colleagues or friends over a glass of wine in a relaxed atmosphere. The second option is the so-called "comparative" tasting, which usually has a much more professional goal, often involving score sheets. It’s important to have a theme when organizing your evening. For example, you can focus your evening on a grape variety, a region, or introduce one or several wines. You are free to choose the theme and goal of your tasting evening.
Selecting the wines, a key step for a successful tasting evening
Selecting the wines is essential because they will be at the heart of your tasting evening! So it’s best to choose them carefully. Domaine du Goût advises offering a variety of choices and wines from different regions, appellations, and even colors. Diversity is important and encourages conversation. You can also add even more surprises and exchanges by organizing a blind tasting! A tip from the Domaine du Goût team! Remember to prepare sheets for each wine you will taste. These sheets can include essential information. The eye, the nose, the palate, or space to note impressions are important details. The sheets are especially useful when tasting several wines. They will help you compare them more easily and organize your thoughts.
Preparing the evening well
To truly prepare well, think about providing wine glasses, ideally one per wine. Otherwise, plan to rinse your glass between each wine. We recommend using glasses with a narrow opening to concentrate the wine’s aromas. For the rest, depending on your guests and tastes, you can arrange decorations, spittoons (recommended when the sommelier selection is extensive), aerators, etc. These tools should be planned according to your guests, the theme, and the goal of your tasting evening.
Should you eat or not during a tasting evening?
Again, it’s up to you whether to provide food. Several options are available. You can offer a full meal with dishes that pair well with the wine(s) being tasted. If you don’t want to complicate things by cooking a full meal, Domaine du Goût has the perfect solution for you!
Charcuterie and cheese platters are the best allies for your tasting evenings. However, be careful with the platters; there are some rules to follow when preparing them. Avoid cheeses that are too strong in taste or smell, as they might overpower the wines. Cheeses like Époisses or Roquefort should be avoided. Prefer a sheep’s milk Tome or Comté instead. The same goes for charcuterie: avoid hams or other truffle-flavored charcuterie, or wild boar, which could mask the wines’ aromas.
The secret to a successful tasting
The key step to succeed in your evening is to pay attention to the order of wine tasting. If you have chosen to taste several colors of wine, it’s important to taste them in a specific order. Start with champagnes, then white wines, rosé wines, and finally red wines, which are often fuller-bodied. Indeed, the order of wine tasting is an aspect that is too often overlooked, even though it is central to its success.
Serving and offering wines in a very specific order will allow your guests to experience a true gustatory journey. As we suggested earlier, Domaine du Goût advises tasting wines from the lightest to the fullest-bodied. This way, the stronger wines won’t overpower the lighter ones, giving every wine the chance to fully express itself.
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