how to host your own at-home wine tasting
A French wine bar night filled with butter, laughter, and a little tooooo much wine
Hello, my lovelies! I hope you are all doing fabulous! This past weekend, I hosted my monthly event for my series Always Better With Company, and I think this may have just been my favorite one yet. The theme was Santé & Sip: An At-Home French Wine Bar and Tasting. Inspired by my most recent trip to Paris, of course!
The idea was simple (but semi-sophisticated). My nine closest friends and I (a total of ten of us) each brought a bottle of wine to sip, savor, and critique throughout the evening. I even brought out authentic French butter (straight from Paris itself) for everyone to try during the tasting.
Now I know what you’re thinking; ten bottles may sound excessive, and honestly, it was, but it also just made perfect sense. Everyone got to contribute, taste, and laugh their way through the night. It truly felt like the night of nights.
why it works
What made this night special wasn’t just the wine; it was how interactive it felt. I’ve realized that the best gatherings I’ve hosted thus far are the ones where everyone gets to participate. A wine tasting gave us the perfect balance between chatting, laughing, and having a shared activity that tied the evening together.
the timeline
cocktail hour
Set an arrival time that allows about 30 minutes to an hour for late guests. During this window, it’s cocktail hour! Have a light drink like champagne or a non-alcoholic spritz (you’ll have plenty of wine later). I also used this time to take photos, enjoy a sip, and let everyone snack on the charcuterie board.
introduce the tasting
Once everyone has arrived, give a short introduction. I printed out a wine tasting cheat sheet (you can download my template from the link!) and taught everyone the basics of how to taste and rate wine like a pro. It made the night feel organized and a little extra fancy.
begin the tasting
This part took muchhhh longer than expected, but honestly, no one was complaining (well, maybe my neighbors…). With ten bottles, I planned roughly five minutes per wine. The wine score sheets took about two to five minutes for everyone to fill out before we discussed each wine and moved on to the next. In all honesty, the tasting took me about 2 1/2 hours to get through. Since some glasses were bigger than others, or some of us just couldn’t finish one wine after another that quickly, it took some extra time and patience. Fair enough. So, try your best to allow yourself and your guests time to savor and enjoy each one.
between the wines
This was one of my favorite parts: the little intermissions. In between tastings, I brought out:
Three types of French butter for everyone to sample. One raspberry. One smoked salt. And one bourbon vanilla, for the dessert.
Some extra cheese and bread that was still out from the board since everyone needed a little bigger bite (so we wouldn’t get tooo tipsy).
Homemade ice cream to finish the night and cleanse our palates. I made olive oil & lavender flavored ice cream. (Also, I actually made it in my blender and it shockingly turned out quite amazing. So let me know if you’d like this recipe!)
How long you spend on each of these parts will depend on how many guests (and bottles) you have, but pacing the night makes it feel more intentional and social instead of rushed.
the winner
the winner, cece!! she brought an orange wine!
Once the last drops were poured, it was time to crown a winner. I had everyone secretly vote for their favorite wine, quickly tallied up the results, and brought out a small prize for the winning bottle. We ate our ice cream, laughed over our notes and the wine casualties that occurred, and called it the perfect ending to the silliest, most wonderful night.
the extra details that matter
These are the tiny touches that made the evening feel even more special, that I would suggest adding if you’d like!
Bowls of bread scattered throughout the table, paired with olive oil and flaky salt for snacking. This helps everyone to soak up the alcohol a bit!
Small salt bowls for people to add to their butter and bread, or ice cream. To help bring out the flavors a bit more, if needed.
Cute decor moments around the house that give you that wine bar vibe. For example: DIY signs, very melted down candlestick holders, simple but elegant florals, vinyl records out and about, and candles scattered throughout the rooms to give some mood lighting.
Printed wine score cards at each place setting. I made my own cards, which I think turned out quite cute! See below for more info!
Light background music. I chose one that was natural wine bar vibes with a vinyl DJ since that’s what I was going for. If you are going for that vibe too, here is the playlist; it was absolutely perfect!
Wine bar bites throughout the night. I served charcuterie, French baguettes, French butter, olives, chocolate-covered almonds, and homemade olive oil and lavender ice cream.
things to remember
The number of bottles you have = the number of tastings (the more the merrier, but pace yourself).
Expect a few wine spills; it’s part of the experience, trust me. Be prepared with napkins nearby & your laundry machine ready to go.
Always have bread or snacks nearby to make sure your friends are fed so they don’t go home too dizzy & confused!
Include a palate cleanser (even something simple like lemon water). This will help your guests hydrate & move onto the next wine with a fresh palate.
Pour light at first — you can always drink the leftovers later. I didn’t think about the fact that if we split all ten bottles evenly, we would’ve each had a bottle of wine to ourselves in the end….oops! Good thing I had a lighter hand the longer we went on… So, remember to save the corks just in case!
recreate your own Santé & Sip night
Download my wine tasting score and cheat sheet template to make your own version easy and fun!
Want something even more personalized? Hire me to help you host your next gathering or grab my Gathering Guide for detailed timelines, menu ideas, and printable templates.