There are so many ways to organize your wine tasting! Perhaps you’ll compare different vintage years … get a taste for different red or white varietals … pick a variety and taste how it differs from region to region … or simply pick the wines you like best!
In general, it’s best to start with white wines, then rosés or lighter reds and on to the heartier reds. Have your guests fill their glasses only one-quarter full, and they should rinse in between so that one wine isn’t affecting the flavors of the next one. Be sure to have ice buckets handy for guests to discard wine, and have plenty of water available. And limit your tasting to six or eight wines; it’s difficult for most aficionados to distinguish among a larger number.
If your friends are particularly sophisticated, you might even sponsor a blind tasting, simply by putting the wine into decanters—or the bottles into paper bags. Give your guests scorecards to record their impressions. And offer a door prize of a nice bottle of wine to the one who guesses best!
Most importantly, keep it simple. That’s what summer’s all about.
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