08 Jun Tips To Buy Wine For That Holiday Party
If you’re a wine collector or even a wine aficionado throwing a party, the pressure can be extremely high. Your guests most likely expect you to pull out some fine wines to go with the food; this is especially the case if your friends also know a thing or two about wine. Even guests that don’t know their reds and whites will expect premium products. Here are some tips to buy wine for that holiday party:
#1 Choose the right wines
It’s never a good idea to over-think party wines. Keep the vintages in the cellar and choose some crowd pleasers that will be budget-friendly too. Complex wines are unlikely to be truly appreciated by guests that are paying far more attention to the rest of the people at the party, than the wine. If you want some good wines at the table, simply buy some mid-range options.
#2 Don’t stray from your budget
Never pour out rare wines at a party, especially if the guests aren’t wine-savvy, so to speak. The key to throwing successful parties is less about showing off premium, fine wines, and more about ensuring your guests are enjoying themselves. It’s important that you calculate how many bottles of wine you need so your guests don’t go thirsty. You can estimate about half a standard bottle per wine-drinking guest for every 2 hours for your party. That adds up to around 2 small glasses per person, every hour.
Once you have a fair idea of what you want to purchase, take the wine’s price point/bottle into consideration. Depending on the total number of guests they expect at the party, most hosts will stick with wine bottles that cost $60 or less. If you need a larger number of bottles because you have more than 10 guests coming in, you can stick with wine in the $30-$50 range/bottle. If you have invited fewer guests, bump your budget up a bit; but that’s only if you know that the guests will truly enjoy good wine.
#3 Choose wines by varietal
Once you have a fair idea of how much you’d like to spend per wine bottle, choose different varietals that will cater to a wider range of tastes. Ideally, most of the wines should appeal to guests that have the least wine experience. If you try to serve cult wines that would largely be appreciated by serious wine lovers, you may discover that most of your guests prefer more simple wines like Chardonnay or Merlot. These are the most popular wine varietals among casual drinkers, making them a very safe bet for your party.
You can also buy some sparkling wine; champagne is always a great choice. However, the bigger champagne houses such as Moet & Chandon might not always be suitable for larger party budgets. You can also opt for Napa Valley or Italian high-quality sparkling wines; these can be perfect for your party. Wines that are produced in the Marlborough region in New Zealand are an excellent option as well. The country is relatively new to the wine landscape and you can easily get upper-end bottles at lower price points, making them the perfect choice for larger parties. Opt for w ines that have fruit-forward, crisp and fresh flavours. These will pair very well with a variety of foods.
If you enjoy collecting fine wines, you should consider getting a custom wine cellar built. For any more information on custom wine cellar design and installation, you can call Signature Cellars on 1300 570 636 or use this contact form to get in touch with us. We’ll be pleased to assist you and provide custom solutions that match your requirements.
Thanks for reading,
Neil Smallman
Signature Cellars
1300 570 636
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