As the holidays commence and we begin to gather with our nearest and dearest, we’ve put together our top recommendations on how to curate a stand-out event! There are many factors to consider when hosting a party including how many guests you’ll have, what the style of your event is, and what food you plan to serve, so here is our cheat-sheet to make it easy and amazing!

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How much wine do you need?

While not an exact science, there are guidelines for how many bottles of wine you should have on hand for a party, depending on whether you’ll be serving a meal or not – for a casual get together without a meal we suggest planning on 2.5 glasses of wine per guest, when serving a meal plan on 4 glasses per person. For easy guidance, here is our bottle planning matrix:

*You know your guests best so adjust based on your specific group; we always suggest having a few extra bottles on hand, just in case!

Raise the bar with a wine Happy Hour

We love wine happy hour because it’s the easiest way to entertain without having to create an entire meal with wine pairings, it’s simple, easy, and anyone can do it!

• Since Wine Happy Hour needs to be only an hour or two, it’s easy to host on a weeknight after work or quickly throw together for a weekend gathering.
• Wine happy hour is all about sharing your favorite wines and having options everyone will like.
• We suggest our Proprietary Red Blend for a crowd-winning wine that pleases every palate!
• Depending on how many guests you have, plan to have two to six different wines to share and serve easy to eat appetizers, simple snacks, and small bites.

Try a little bit of everything with a Wine Tasting Party

A wine tasting party is a fun way to share your favorite wines and find new hidden gems along the way!

• We suggest coming up with a theme – like a vertical of the same wine from multiple vintages or the same grape varietal from different wine regions.
• Either you can provide all the bottles or assign guests to bring their pick.
• If you want to up the competition factor, taste the wines blind (hidden in a bag so no one sees the label when pouring) and see if anyone can guess the correct wines!
• Plan to have at least four to five wines to taste and keep each pour small – about 2 ounces per glass. 375mL half bottles are another great option for a smaller group.

Host a sit-down dinner

A sit-down dinner with friends is a great way to share your favorite wines and showcase your favorite pairings!

• If you’re serving multiple courses, we recommend a different wine for each course, but if it’s a more casual evening, have three to four different wines to serve and share.
• Sparkling, bright whites like the Estate Sauvignon Blanc, or Sparkling Blanc de Blancs are perfect to serve as guests arrive and first start to mingle, then you can move into the richer whites and reds with food.
• Another option is to serve a magnum of wine – equivalent to two regular sized bottles – to really wow your guests.
• After dinner, account for guests hanging around the table for a while longer, this is the perfect opportunity to serve a fun and unexpected wine, like the Proprietary Super Tuscan.
• Have fun with what you’re serving and pairing, there isn’t just one “right” way to host, when you serve wines and food you love, you can’t go wrong!

Dine al fresco on a wine country style picnic

Even during the winter months, a sunny day begs us to it up outside, and we’re happy to oblige! Whether in a local park or your own backyard, you can take a mini vacation without having to go far.

• The keys to success are preparing much of your food beforehand and ensuring you have the tools you’ll need to enjoy your picnic.
• Make sure you have your favorite wine – Rosé and Sauvignon Blanc are perfect for al fresco dining – a wine opener, stemless wine glasses, a small cutting board, cheese knives, and a blanket to spread out on.
• Pack up your favorite easy to serve foods like cheese, charcuterie, nuts & dried fruit, crackers, vegetables, and dip, or even gourmet sandwiches for a shareable spread.
• Cut your vegetables, cheeses, and meats ahead of time so you only have to unpack and enjoy!

Bring everyone together for family dinner

Family dinner is all about spending time and enjoying life together with good food & wine.

• Depending on how large your group is, a large format wine like a 1.5L bottle of Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a fun way to create a communal feel with a little extra flair.
• Keep it simple and serve your favorite wine alongside well-loved dishes, you can’t go wrong when you share with friends and family!

In the end, it’s all about spending time with those you love and creating new memories to fondly recall for the years to come, so cheers from our family to yours!