How to Host a Wine Tasting Experience at Home

Blog Post

Whether you’re hosting a crowd or just looking for a fun activity to enjoy, we’ve created a resource to help you plan the perfect wine tasting experience.

First Annual: Come Over October

The first annual Come Over October is happening this year, and we’re inviting you to participate! This new initiative celebrates wine’s history as a communal beverage. This October, we invite you to use RIDGE wines as an opportunity to gather & connect with friends & family.

In-Person Wine Tastings

If you’re looking to create a wine tasting at home or at a venue, we have you covered. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to plan your ideal wine tasting.

1. Choose a Theme

Is this event for a birthday, anniversary, or other celebration? If so, you’ll probably want to plan your theme around the interests of the person or holiday you’re celebrating. Carry out the theme in everything from tasting menu colors, streamer and party decorations, flower arrangements, dress code, and more.

2. Select Your Wines

The most important thing to consider when planning your wine tasting party is which wines you’ll want to feature. Try to pick and choose wines according to a specific theme (like Bordeaux-style wine selections or area-specific wines.) You’ll also want to make sure you organize the order of your wine tasting so that you taste the lighter wines first and end with the fuller-bodied wines.

Find Wines Now

4. Get Supplies

Supplies for the wine tasting may include any of the following:

Wine glasses
Bottle opener
Decanter
Wine charms/markers (to keep track of glasses)
Palate cleansers
Tasting note guides and/or a wine menu
Score cards
Complementary snacks or wine pairings
Music or video tasting guides

5. Find Wine Pairings

If you’re planning to make food to serve during your tasting event, try to pair your menu with your selected wines. For help, make sure to visit our recommended pairings.

Find Food Pairings

6. Information Sheets

Looking to take your wine tasting event to the next level? Try to build tasting note information or score cards. Make sure to check out our tasting package resources for help when setting up your wine tasting. We’ve created a set of documents for you to print and use.

Unwrap the Tasting Package

7. Enjoy the Tasting!

When it’s finally time to start tasting wine, consider sharing the following process with your guests. Consider trying to:

Evaluate by sight, including a straight angle view, side view, tilted view, and swirl.
Evaluate by scent. Smell for fruit aromas, flowers, leaves, herbs, spices, and vegetables. Also examine the wine barrel aromas and secondary aromas.
Evaluate by taste. Consider the following: Is it complete, complex, harmonious, or balanced?

When in doubt about how to taste or score your wine, remember the five S’s of wine tasting:

See
Swirl
Sniff
Sip
Savor

Virtual Wine Tastings

If you or your guests prefer to taste wine via video chat or virtual webinar, here are some tips to think about:

Utilize virtual backgrounds to carry your theme through the screen.
Schedule the virtual event well in advance (at least two weeks) to give your guests plenty of time to plan ahead.
Have guests order the wines at least a week in advance and store them somewhere they won’t get too warm before the tasting.

Whether you’re hosting a wine tasting at home, at a venue, or virtually, the most important thing to do during a wine tasting is to enjoy! If you are hosting an event this October, tag @RidgeVineyards for a chance to be featured on our page. We can’t wait to see what you come up with.

RIDGE Winemaker Roundtable Tastings

Want more inspiration on how to create a tasting experience? Watch our Winemaker Roundtable videos, where our winemaking and vineyard teams open and taste recent releases.

Virtual Winemaker Roundtables and Tastings