Host a Perfect Wine Dinner
By Matt Sheker
Hosting a wine dinner is not for the faint of heart. You may love attending them, but being the host or hostess involves the pressure of meeting your guests’ expectations of good food, good wines, and good times. Advance planning will allow you to be an attentive host, and relax and enjoy yourself at the same time. Here are a few guidelines that will help make your party a hit.
First, a few weeks before your party, create a guest list of people who enjoy wine and gourmet cooking. Getting the invitations out early will ensure that fewer of your guests make other plans. It almost goes without saying that you should invite guests who will get along, This will make for not only an enjoyable evening, but also for lots of conversation about the wine, food, and preparation.
Second, determine the number of courses (arrival, appetizer, main entrée, and dessert) and what wines to serve with each. A bubbly wine like a prosecco or champagne would be perfect for your arrival appetizer, while a sauterne port would complement your dessert. If you serve a hearty main course like beef tenderloin, then decant a bottle of cabernet sauvignon or Bordeaux a couple of hours ahead of time. This will allow the wine to breathe and open up before serving so as not to overwhelm the main dish. Check with your local wine store to determine how long the wine you choose should decant.
Next, create a menu and fit your wines to it. Begin with a chardonnay or pinot grigio to go with your appetizers because, just like the wine, you want your food to go from lighter to heavier. You can then graduate to a merlot or pinot noir, again depending on your food pairing for your next course. During the dinner, serve smaller-than-normal portions; if the servings are too large, your guests will not have room for the scrumptious dessert you have prepared.
During dinner, announce to your guests what each course is, and name a few ingredients. Tell them a little about the wine you have chosen to accompany the course. You do not need to be specific; explain for example why you chose a white Bordeaux to go with the shrimp scampi. This will add to the elegance of your dinner party. Your guests will appreciate it, and it probably will spark more conversation.
For the pairing of the wines, make sure they are compatible with each course, keeping in mind different textures, flavors, aromas, colors, and food compatibility. Choose recipes and wine pairings that you have already tried and tested. You would hate to go through the efforts of preparing an incredible meal and have it ruined with a wine that does not complement the food. Keep the portions of wines within reason—you do not want your guests getting inebriated before the entrée arrives. A good rule of thumb is to serve a single four-ounce serving of wine with each course, which is enough to get the nuances and note the flavors that complement the food and not become intoxicated.
Last is the presentation. Consider a theme to match the ambience and environment when laying out and decorating the table’s surface. You’ll want your table to be beautiful and inviting.
On a final note, as the dinner winds down and the guests begin to leave, feel free to talk about the evening and ask what people liked or disliked. This will help when you are ready to organize that next wine dinner party.