From Pinot Grigio to Pinot Noir, wine is the perfect party beverage, and wine tasting makes a great excuse for a get-together. Get inspired to host your own wine tasting party with our ideas and tips.

Invitation Ideas
Using burgundy-coloured cardstock, create a card, then fasten a pewter wine charm to the front (using a glue gun or ribbon looped through the front of the card). Explain to your guests the details of the event, including start time (everyone should arrive within a half-hour window), end time (a typical wine tasting will take three hours depending on number of wines), and include options for drivers who may want to drink (offer subway, bus stop, taxi number or an overnight option). Any number of people can participate in a wine tasting evening, but 12 guests or fewer  will make it interesting, yet intimate. Be aware of any non-drinkers and include info on the invite to make them feel at ease ("We'll also be tasting all-natural fruit juices, cheese and chocolate"). Don't forget to follow through with your promise.

Decorations
Let a vineyard be your inspiration for the decor. Use wine decanters as vases, and arrange bouquets in each, or use vintage wine bottles for single stems. If you can fit all the guests around a dining room table, create a place setting for each guest, including a water glass and several wine glasses. One glass per type of wine per person is ideal. If you don't have access to that many glasses, give at least one glass for red and one glass for white. Then, provide each person with their own "spittoon" – you can use a martini shaker or any non-glass beverage container. This gives the option of discarding the wine between types if necessary. Provide plates, cutlery (if serving food) and several water jugs that can be used to rinse out the glasses (use a champagne bucket for the excess water).

Playlist Ideas
If you've chosen wines from one country, choose music from that region. Some ideas to get you started:

France: Edith Piaf, Serge Gainsbourg
Italy: Andrea Bocelli, Tony Bennett
Australia: Kylie Minogue, INXS

Add a few of these thematic tracks to your playlist:

“Red, red wine” - UB40
"Lilac Wine" - Jeff Buckley
"Summer Wine" - Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
"Summer Wine" - The Corrs
"Dandelion Wine" - Ron Sexsmith
"Strawberry Wine" - Ryan Adams
"The First Taste” - Fiona Apple
"Lilac Wine" - Nina Simone
"Taste the Summer" - Duran Duran
"Taste It" - INXS
"The Taste" - Five For Fighting
"Every Sip" - LL Cool J

Cocktail and Menu Ideas
First, the wine. Five wines is a suitable number for an evening of tasting and if you have 12 people, you’ll only need one bottle of each. Next decide on a theme, such as region (California, France, Niagara) or a type of wine (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, ice wine) that you want to taste with your guests. If you choose type, you can then get even more specific. All five bottles of Chardonnay could come from one region, five different countries, or be based on price (under $20).
If you’re serving different types of wine from one region, be sure to serve the lightest wine first, then graduate to the most full-bodied. For example, the order should loosely follow this list: Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, Chianti, Valpolicella, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz.
Keep the menu simple so it doesn’t detract from the wine tasting, but be sure to offer light hors d’oeuvres, such as mild cheese, light crackers and French baguette, which will neutralize the palate between wines.

Don’t forget about non-drinkers. Between wine courses, consider serving one type of artisanal cheese, which everyone can enjoy.

Finish the tasting with a dessert or ice wine, and a dessert native to the wine region you’re tasting (try apple tarte tatin for France, panna cotta for Italy or pavlova for Australia).

Party Activities
With a wine tasting, you've got your party activities defined for you. Be sure to give each guest their own wine journal (you can buy them, or let them create their own by supplying a blank notebook).
As you pour each wine, let your guests know the wine producer, region, type of grape, type of wine and the year. Or, to keep things interesting, cover the labels (or use pretty opaque wine bags) so your guests won’t know the type of wine they’re trying.
Pour one to two ounces of wine per person, then lead your guests through the tasting, considering the following:

Appearance: colour, clarity (clear or opaque)
Aroma: simple, complex, berries, woodsy
Body: light, medium, full, acidity, sweetness, bouquet (complex, subtle, powerful)
Taste: buttery, fruity, spicy, oaky, earthy
Finish: texture (smooth or harsh), finish (lingering or disappearing)

Allow guests to discuss, and write notes in their wine journal before moving on to the next wine.

Tip: Whether you're doing a blind tasting or not, reserve one wine as a "blind test" and have guests guess the country, type of wine, producing vineyard and year. Award a prize to each correct answer.

Favour Ideas
Send each guest home with their wine journal as a practical memory of the evening they can reuse each time they try new wines, or purchase extra bottles of each type of wine and give each guest their favourite wine of the evening to take home with them.