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Altogether, it's a hit party formula! Picture this: The guests trickle in, and are greeted by a nice cheese display on a central table with a self-serve wine station, complete with a chilled white wine, a smooth, easy-drinking red (perhaps a nice Pinot Noir), some wine glasses and a nice assortment of non-alcoholic beverages.
Or perhaps the party is small, and the host is serving the guests.
Everyone feels right at home and appreciates the cheeses while they munch, mingle, and wait for the pairing to begin.
Once everyone has arrived, it's time for the host to get the group's attention and begin the first pairing, with fresh wine glasses, if possible.
Give an overview of how the pairing will be conducted, then provide an enticing menu-type description of the first appetizer and briefly describe the first wine as you pour it (the type of grape, the year on the label, where it's from, the winery's name and hopefully an interesting tidbit about the wine, the winemaker, the vineyard, or the winery - do your homework!), then offer just a very quick sentence or two about why you selected this wine to go with this particular dish (is it the lemon notes in the wine that bring out the lemon flavors in the shrimp's sauce? or the smoky bacon notes in the syrah that complement the grilled steak skewer? etc).
Keep it brief - after all, with 6 pairings you'll need to grab everyone's attention 6 different times! Most of all, encourage guests to form their own opinions and observations by first tasting the wine on its own (two sips minimum), then tasting the food item on its own, and finally, by trying the two together.
If the party is more than ten people, it usually works best to just command their attention for a couple of minutes for the food and wine info for each dish, then allow a few minutes between courses to let people chat and enjoy.
Sound fun? Here's how to plan it like a pro: First of all, pairing parties require more thinking and pre-planning than probably any other type of party - but that's the fun of it! The more you think it all through, the better your outcome is likely to be.
If you already have a lot of food and wine knowledge, so much the better - if not, consider teaming up with a professional company that specializes in wine events and have them throw it for you.
Then begin by deciding your party or menu theme (if any).
If you have a budget, you'll want to keep that in mind, and if you do end up having to choose between expensive food ingredients or better wine - I say favor the wine, because most people will remember amazing wines long after the party is over, and not whether or not they ate Beluga caviar or White Truffles in any of your dishes.
Of course you want the food to be good, to be very good, but you want the wines to be great.
Next, figure how many total dishes (& therefore how many wines) you will do - 5 or 6 is usually best.
For portions, plan to have enough of each appetizer to allow for an average of 2.
5 to 3 servings per person, and although for the pairings themselves you will only pour a couple of ounces of wine, you'll still need to allow a third- to half-glass of each wine per person, so that those who want more won't be disappointed.
After two whites and two or three reds, most Pairing Parties also do a dessert dish paired with a dessert wine for a sweet ending.
Naturally, you can trim this down to suit your preferences and budget, but 6 food items with 6 wines is the recommended maximum.
When considering what to serve - plan the menu first, then select wines to go with the food - and before your brain becomes too scrambled, remember this: Focus on flavors and you'll have the secret to successful pairings.
Because so many things affect how the food tastes and what flavor elements it will have - from the cooking technique used (barbequed or stir-fried, steamed or grilled...
), to the recipe ingredients themselves, and even what temperature the food is going to be when served - it can be a lot to consider.
All of these things can and will influence what wines you'll pick for the pairings, but if you just keep focusing on flavors, you really won't need to study like a Sommelier to plan your party.
And to further simplify - skip the spicy foods and the overly garlicky ones - anything that might burn the palette will affect how the wine tastes, and that can throw an otherwise good pairing out the window.
Another way to keep it in the Zen zone is to limit the number of hot (as in heated) appetizers to just one or two, and have the rest be a combination of chilled and room-temperature dishes.
Here's a sample menu - notice the overall arrangement of how the menu progresses with lighter wines first, then a medium-bodied red, then the bigger reds, and last of all, the sweet/dessert wine: • Goat cheese and fig tartlets; paired with Sauvignon Blanc • Grilled prawns with a mild lemon-zest & garlic marinade, served w/Tarragon aioli; paired with a lemony, full-bodied Chardonnay • Italian cold cuts platter (Prosciutto, Coppa, etc) w/dry-cured olives, pickled capers, and Spanakopita triangles; paired with a 100% Napa Sangiovese • Steak skewers; paired with Cabernet Sauvignon • Lamb burger pops; paired with a cool-climate Syrah • Chocolate-mousse cheesecake bites; paired with a late-harvest Petite Verdot So have some fun with it, get creative, and who knows? You might just be throwing the best "Spanish Tapas meet Napa Wines" pairing party anybody's ever seen!
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