Reds, whites, dry or sweet… every wine deserves a special place in your palette! However, it can still be pretty difficult to discover where those wines fall on your “favorites” list. Have you ever wanted to try a wine, but weren’t sure where to start? Sometimes the best place to start is at the very beginning, with a wine tasting party.

A blind wine tasting party is the perfect way to get friends and family together to try a variety of different wines and see which ones are the favorites. And for those women who might be nursing or pregnant, alcohol-free wines are an ideal option. A blind wine tasting party gives you the chance to try different wines, rate them and see which ones you want to drink again, all with a little added mystery. We put together some tips for how to throw your next blind wine tasting party, so you can have an evening full of fun, friends and delicious non-alcoholic wine.

Choose a Theme

The first thing on the list for a wine tasting party is to choose a theme. If themes aren’t really your style, that’s perfectly okay. Or, maybe you love a good theme, so building the party around one is definitely on the list! Perhaps the theme is a “romantic evening,” complete with decorative vinery, soft lighting and red cutlery. Or, maybe the theme is “girls night out” with pink and glittery decor. Whatever you choose for the theme, design the party around it for an extra fun appeal.

Get Prepared

Once you have a theme, prepare all of the pieces necessary for the party. You will need:

1. At least one (1) glass per person, otherwise you will need a way to rinse glasses between tastings.
2. Wine markers or charms to identify each person's glass.
3. Plain crackers or bread for people to cleanse their palates between tastings.
4. Plates, napkins, and cutlery for snacks on the side.
5. Tasting cards to keep track of the wines’ scores and see which ones people enjoy the most. You can make tasting cards yourself, download online or get them free included with our sampler sets.

Choose the Wines

When selecting wines, be sure to select multiple of the same family (red, white, rose, and/or sparkling). This allows you and your guests to compare more easily and identify favorites. Be sure to include a variety of different flavors, from dry to sweet as well as wines from different wineries. The more variety, the better the tasting party will be, as guests will have a plethora of different flavors to choose from on their tasting cards. If trying different types of wine, we recommend serving in multiple courses, starting with white, rose, red, and finally, sparkling!

Create your own wine sample set, search online for which wines might pair well together or you could try our available sampler sets. Decide whether you want the wine set to be alcoholic, non-alcoholic or a combination of the two. A strong sampling has anywhere from five to eight different wines, depending on the number of guests and length of the party. You also don’t have to provide all of the wine yourself; get guests involved by asking them to bring their own bottle!

Serve Snacks

Next, decide which snacks you want to go along with the chosen wines. Some foods pair better with different types of wine; for instance, a charcuterie plate would pair deliciously with a bold red wine. Consider the wines in your sampler set, then choose a few different snacks to go alongside them. By pairing snacks to the wines, you can intentionally draw out more flavors from the wines, and guests can get the best tasting experience possible.

Disguise the Bottles

Here’s the most critical step for a blind wine tasting party: disguise the bottles. This is where the “blind” comes in. Be sure bottles are of relatively the same size and weight, then use foil or paper to wrap them and disguise which ones are which. You want guests going into the process completely unbiased. The disguise could be as simple as paper bags with numbers drawn on, or as creative as your own personalized labels! However you want to disguise the bottles is only limited by your imagination.

Tally the Scores

Finally, invite guests to use their tasting cards throughout the wine tasting party, so you can track which wines you like, which ones you love and which ones you absolutely have to have. The tasting cards can be used to take notes, rate and compare the wines, for better discussion among guests. Then, at the end of the party, tally up the scores and see which wine was your favorite, and which wine was the overall favorite from the group. Unveil the wine behind the disguise to see which was the winner! You might just be surprised to find out.

A wine tasting party is the perfect way to gather friends and family and try a variety of wines, all from the comfort of your own home. A blind wine tasting party just makes it a little bit more mysterious. Use these steps when you want to throw your own party, so you can discover which wines are your favorite.