Write an article based on this "Put everything out on the table. Master wine tasting techniques. Start tasting the wine. Give people time to take notes. Don't get wine-wasted. Consider adding a game toward the end. Serve food afterwards."
Put your wines out on the table so the guests can see what they're going to taste and get even more excited for the night. If the table's not big enough, arrange the wines on a visible counter. Arrange the glasses, water, napkins, crackers, bread, and paper cups or spittoons for your guests. Don't put out any flowers or scented candles. This strong aroma can make it more difficult to recognize the flavors of the wine. Opt for a bowl of grapes instead. It doesn't take much to taste wine and look like an expert. Just tell your guests what they're going to drink, have them hold the glass and swirl it around for a few seconds to let the wine "breathe," and then make them smell the wine to get a better sense of the flavor. After that, your guests should take a small sip of the wine, swirl it around their mouths for several seconds, and then either swallow it or spit it out. The order does matter when it comes to tasting wines. You should start from the lightest wine to the darkest, so work your way from a light white to a dark, flavorful red wine. If you have dessert wine on the menu, you should taste it last, even if it's a lighter color than some of the red wines. Wines that are similar, like the same varietal of wine for 2011 and 2012, should be tasted one after the other. Let people write down their impressions and give them time to think about it. People may be a little shy about their impressions because they don't feel like experts, so make sure to make them feel comfortable. Giving everyone a minute to think will also keep people from getting affected by the opinions of others. Here are some things to look for as you take notes: Aromas and flavors. Any flavor or aroma that comes to mind should be written down, whether it's blackberry, honey, lemon, chocolate, pear, earth, or pomegranate. Texture and weight. See if the wine is light and crisp, full-bodied, rough, or smooth. Balance. Does the wine have a smooth mixture of flavors, or does one flavor, such as oak or tannins, dominate the beverage? The finish. See if the wine lingers on your palate or if it disappears the second you swallow it. A good wine should linger. If you want to host a classy wine tasting party, then you'll need to provide your guests with an air of calm, competence, and comfort. If you're tripping all over yourself or not making any sense, then the guests won't take the party seriously and may stop paying attention to you. Instead, spit out more wine than you drink and wait until after the wine tasting is over to really go for the wine, if that's your game plan. If you want to kick your wine tasting party up a notch, play a fun game where you put the wine bottles in brown paper bags and pour the wine for your guests without telling them which wine it is. The winner could get a prize, or just the satisfaction of knowing that he is an expert wine taster. If you want to keep your guests at your place and to make sure they don't get completely drunk, then it's important to serve them some food. You can serve more dessert-style foods if it's the right time.(If the guests are really hungry during the tasting, of course, then it's best to give them something to keep them happy and not too drunk than to wait.) Here is some food that goes well with fine wine: Prosciutto wrapped around melon Cheese A light pear salad Chocolate Fruit compote Flan