Come Over October!
Come Over October is a fun, new initiative that encourages groups of wine enthusiasts to get together and share bottles! We all know you’re saving that 2016 Blackbird Red or 2014 Estate Riesling for a special occasion… why not next month? Many of us got out of the habit of hosting friends to our homes during the COVID years, but now is the perfect time to bring it back! Here are some ideas for a wine party your friends won’t want to miss.
Blind Tasting
One host puts numbered brown paper bags over the wines. Another person carefully opens the bottles without peeking. Give each guest a blank form to write observations about each wine and guess the style or grape variety. After everyone has a chance to taste each wine, unveil the bottles and give prizes to the best guessers. Make sure to have dinner or snacks available after the unveiling (check out our Recipes tab for ideas). Pro tip: use 4-6 bottles of wine for 6-8 guests.
printable wine tasting notes template
Wine & Cheese Pairing
Gather 3-4 artisan cheeses (4 oz. each of a soft, medium, hard aged, and maybe a blue – use our Cheese Board Guide for inspiration!) and 2-4 wines (red, white, rose, sparkling). Give each guest a paper with a matrix that has the names of the cheeses and wines. Try each combination and record your observations. Tally the results to see which wine and cheese paired best. You may be surprised by the results! Make sure each guest has a glass for each of the wines (2 wines = 2 glasses per person). Perfect for 4-8 guests.
Progressive Wine & Tapas Party
Invite each household to prepare an appetizer-sized dish and a bring a bottle of wine to pair with it. Set up each dish + wine at a station around your home (kitchen counter, dining room, coffee table, etc.). Assign guests to small groups and have them “progress” around to the different stations to try each food and wine pairing. At the end, guests vote for the best pairing and the winning chef takes home a prize (maybe a bottle of wine?). Perfect for 4-6 households/stations (6-12 people).
You can learn more about Come Over October here!
