© Miléna Latil
Do you friends love wine? Have you invited a group of connoisseurs over for an evening of wine tasting? Do you want to offer your oenophile guests a fun and delicious experience? Read this guide to find out how to prepare and organise a wine tasting evening. L’Atelier du Vin, wine accessory manufacturers since 1926, has designed all the tools you need to enjoy and enhance your tasting sessions.
Choose a Theme for Your Wine Tasting Evening
Wine tasting evenings can take on several forms. An introduction to oenology, a wine quiz, a specific theme for connoisseurs… It all depends on what you want and your guests’ wine knowledge. So, what’s the right theme for your tasting session? Here are a few examples to inspire you.
An Introduction to Wine Tasting
This simple and efficient theme is perfect for curious neophytes interested in learning about wine tasting. Enjoy good company and fine wine while practicing the right gestures and discovering how to use your senses to analyse wine based on its appearance, scent and taste.
© Miléna Latil
Recognising Grape Varieties and Wine Aromas
Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Chardonnay, Riesling… Each grape variety has its own personality. Depending on your tastes, as well as those of your guests, you could organise a wine tasting evening around a specific grape variety or aromatic family. Open several bottles of red, white and rosé to see how the same variety can taste different depending on the terroir, or to better understand its olfactory and gustatory profile (strength of tannins, fruity taste, floral notes, mineral freshness, acidity, roundness, persistence, etc.).
Exploring a Regional Vineyard
Burgundy grands crus classés, rare Bordeaux wines, Rhône Valley AOCs, Champagne vintages, promising Languedoc Roussillon wineries… Taste wines from different regions and finetune your knowledge. Add a gourmet touch to discover the right pairings between wine and food and enhance the taste of your dishes.
Blind Wine Tasting
A blind wine tasting party is always full of surprises! Hide each bottle with a sleeve and see if your guests can recognise its vineyard, year and grape variety. Remove the sleeve to reveal the label and check your tasting sheets to find out which of your guests is a true connoisseur and who still has lots to learn! Perfect for budding wine merchants and competitive oenophiles.
Wine and Champagne Quiz Nights!
Wine quiz evenings are easy to organise with our now famous Wine Quiz and Champagne Quiz, which combine fun and play with the pleasure of enjoying fine wine with friends. Which of these 3 wineries produces Burgundy wine? Which is the most visited wine route in France? When did the first forms of viticulture appear? Take a sip or refill your glass after every correct answer!
An Oenology Session Hosted by a Professional
Why not host an oenology class at home? Delight your connoisseur friends by inviting a professional sommelier, wine merchant or oenologist to guide your tasting session and reveal all the best-kept secrets in wine tasting, with a glass in hand.
© Miléna Latil
Select Your Wine and Accompaniments
Choosing the right red, white or rosé wine is key to a great tasting session. Now that you’ve set a theme for your party, you need to select your wine. Each bottle should be carefully chosen for your event. Feel free to ask your local wine merchant for advice if you’re not an expert. He or she will help you pick out the best bottles of still and sparkling wine for all your tasting sessions. Then think about what food to serve to enhance the taste of your wine. Charcuterie, cheese, dishes that match your wine list… Create your own tailor-made menu!
Prepare Your Wine Tools and Tasting Accessories
To celebrate the French art of living wine, you need the right tools. Accessories play an essential role in a wine tasting session, whether to serve the wine or add a sacred touch to each stage of the oenological ritual. You’ll find everything you need at L’Atelier du Vin.
- A reliable and elegant corkscrew to smoothly extract each cork from its bottle.
- Top of the range wine glasses to decorate your table and sip wine from. Our L’Exploreur Œnologie glasses, with unique aroma lines, are perfect for wine tasting sessions.
- Colourful Chic Glass Rainbow glass markers so that each guest can identify their own glass at a glance during the evening.
- A bottle sleeve for each bottle with a colour code, adapted to different shapes. Perfect for hiding labels at blind tasting parties!
- A wine quiz or champagne quiz to test your knowledge and bring your wine tasting sessions to life. Guaranteed fun and laughter!
- A Gard’Vin vacuum pump and On/Off preservation stoppers to enjoy any leftover wine after your tasting evening for days to come.
- A map of French vineyards rolled out on the table or displayed on the wall to add a nice decorative touch and help you visually locate each winery, terroir or AOC.
Set up a Wine Tasting Space
Choose the right location in your apartment or house for a wine tasting evening. This could be a wine cellar with space for guests or part of your living or dining room, especially when kitted out with Architecture Intérieure du Vin’s furniture solutions. Simply decorate your space, set the table, prepare your bottles and tools, and wait for your guests to arrive…
