Host a Wine-Tasting Party

Be the toast of your social circle by inviting people over to sniff, swish and spit. A wine-tasting party is a low-stress way to have a get-together in your home while giving your friends a chance to become wine connoisseurs. These tips will make heels click and glasses clink.

• Wine: Serve enough varieties to suit a full range of tastes. Have at least six bottles—three whites and three reds. Start with the lightest whites and gradually move up to the heaviest red. This will keep the flavors of a strong wine from overpowering a lighter wine.

• Cheese and chocolate: To bring out the flavor notes of the wines, pair each bottle with a cheese or chocolate.

• Bread: Put out chunks of French bread for guests to nibble on between bottles. This will cleanse their palates and prepare them for the next wine. Drinking water in between tastings helps too.

• Pens and index cards: Clearly label each bottle of wine, cheese and chocolate. Give guests pens and index cards so they can make notes about what they taste and pairings they like and dislike. Provide lists of terms and taste descriptions so guests can translate the sensations that tantalize their tongues. The point of the party is to become savvier wine saveurs, but if people get too tipsy, have designated drivers.
                             —Lynh Bui