Host A Wine Tasting Party
- The Vertical Wine Tasting
- The Horizontal Wine Tasting
- Old World vs. New World Wine Tasting
- Wine and Cheese Tastings
- The Wine and Chocolate Tasting
The Vertical Wine Tasting
A vertical tasting is conducted by tasting one wine varietal from the same producer from several vintages.
For example, you may set up a tasting to feature Clos Du Val’s Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from 2003, 2004 and 2005. Tasting the same varietal of wines from the same maker and the same vineyard and leaving the production year as the “single” variable allows the party to see how dramatic or subtle a wine changes from year to year.
You will get a better feel for a particular winery’s varietal style and compostition with this type of tasting. You can also see how unique weather patterns may affect the grapes from one year to the next.
Sometimes it is also helpful to have the wine’s literature available after the tasting to look into the winemaker’s notes – did they have a tough time with weather, insects, or did they change to new barrels during a certain vintage? A lot of factors play into a wine’s vintage heritage and these can be interesting points of observation and conversation.
The Horizontal Wine Tasting
The horizontal tasting is conducted by focusing on a wine varietal from a single year, but from multiple producers. Basically you grab a 2005 Cab from 4-6 unique wineries and give them a go side by side.
For example, you may want to pick a Cabernet Sauvignon as your varietal and compare Napa Valley Cabs from 2005. So you might try the 2005 Clos Du Val Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 75 Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2005 Carpe Diem Cabernet Sauvignon and so on.
Some of the variables to consider here are whether or not you would like all of the wines to be from the same region. You can shake it up and feature a Cab from Washington, Chile, California and Australia from 2005 or consider limiting it to all Napa Valley Cabs from 2005. It’s your choice.
Old World vs. New World Wine Tasting
This is a fun one! Here you compare a grape varietal grown in the “Old World” (i.e. Europe – France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal) with the same varietal grown in the “New World” (i.e. North America, South America, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia).
For example, you may feature a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a Bordeaux from France. Maybe pair a classic “Old World” Northern Rhone Valley Syrah with a zesty Australian Shiraz. Or consider an Oregon Pinot Noir partnered with a Red Burgundy. Perhaps try a California Chardonnay with a White Burgundy from France. Finally you may give a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc a spin, side by side with a California Sauvignon Blanc.
In very general, you will likely notice that Old World wines tend to be more subtle in flavor and more reserved in profile than the bolder, expressive counterparts found in the New World wines. Old World wines pride themselves on the grapes' soil location and New World wines may mix grapes from a few locations to build the best bottle of wine.
Wine and Cheese Tastings
Wine and cheese go hand in hand – and for good reason, too! When experimenting with various wine and cheese combinations through a planned tasting, one can start to detect the palate influence of a precise cheese on a particular wine.
For example, an old trick to help a “lower end” Cabernet Sauvignon straighten up and act like a “sophisticated Cab” is to serve it with a crumble of blue cheese. The blue cheese coats the mouth and lays a foundation that softens a young, often astringent Cab.
To test this effect, sip the Cab (prior to tasting the blue cheese), take a nibble of the blue cheese and sip the Cab again – wahlah…you’ve got yourself a “new” Cab! If you could use a few suggestions for what other wine and cheese pairings to try, then check out the Wine and Cheese Pairing guide here.
For this style of tasting you will want your guest to sample a wine from the flight and then introduce the appropriate cheese pairing and have them reassess the wine’s qualities in light of the subtle flavor changes.
Here’s a sample wine and cheese pairing:
Gewurztraminer & Swiss
Riesling & Gouda
Chardonnay & Baked Brie
The Wine and Chocolate Tasting
Some say it can’t be done, pairing wine with chocolate, but if you have the right wine to complement the right chocolate it can be a match made in heaven! Whether you are pairing a delicate white chocolate or a lively dark chocolate with wine, there are a few pairing tips to keep in mind.
Rule #1, the wine should be at least as sweet, if not a touch sweeter, than the chocolate you are serving it with. Otherwise, the taste may quickly veer towards sour.
Rule #2, when pairing wines with chocolate, your best bet is to match lighter, more elegant flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines; likewise, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be. For example, a bittersweet chocolate tends to pair well with an intense, in-your-face California Zinfandel.
Tips for Successfully Pairings Wines with Chocolate
Rule #1, the wine should be at least as sweet, if not a touch sweeter, than the chocolate you are serving it with. Otherwise, the taste may quickly veer towards sour.
When pairing wines with chocolate, your best bet is to match lighter, more elegant flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines; likewise, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be. For example, a bittersweet chocolate tends to pair well with an intense, in-your-face California Zinfandel.
Similar to “formal” wine tasting, if you will be experimenting with several varities of chocolates, work from light to dark. Start with a more subtle white chocolate and end on a dark or bittersweet chocolate.
White Chocolate Wine Suggestions
White chocolate tends to be more mellow and buttery in flavor, making it an ideal candidate for a Sherry , for a Moscato d'Asti , from Italy’s Piedmont region offers subtle, sweet bubbles, or an Orange Muscat . The Sherry and Moscato d’Asti will pick up the creaminess of the chocolates and the Orange Muscat will pick up any fruit tones on the scene.
Milk Chocolate Wine Suggestions
Pinot Noir or a lighter-bodied Merlot will complement a bar of milk chocolate, a creamy chocolate mousse or chocolate accented cheesecake. Rieslings, Muscats or dessert wines tend to hold up well to mild milk chocolates.
Dark Chocolate Wine Suggestions
Dark or bittersweet chocolates need a wine that offers a roasted, slightly bitter flavor itself, with perhaps a hint of its own chocolate notes. Cabs and Zinfandels have a history of perfecting the dark chocolate match, resulting in an unparalleled tasting combination. A Cabernet Sauvignon or a Zinfandel will more than fill your chocolate pairing expectations.
