How to do your own wine tasting at home!
If circumstances mean that trip to some worthy wine region is off the cards this year, don’t panic! You can just as easily bring the wine tasting to your front room.
It’s a fun way to create a theme around your evening (and let’s face it, we’re collectively spending more time at home these days with a lockdown and all.) It also gives you an excuse to try some new bottles and find a fresh favourite.
Here’s everything you need to know about creating your wine tasting at home.
What are the five S's of wine tasting?
Have you ever heard of the five S’s? If you’re a wine tasting connoisseur, then this will be a big yes. If not, don’t be put off by what sounds rather technical. If nothing else, the whole tasting at home experience means the pressure is off somewhat, which can be especially handy if you have no idea what a “nose” is. And we’re not talking about the one on your face.
Put quite simply, those five S’s are as follows:
- See
- Swirl
- Sniff
- Sip
- Savour
It quite literally takes you through the journey of raising the glass to your lips, right through to savouring the flavour. Yes, you can drink it after too. Don’t you worry about the spittoon. Unless you want to that is. It’s a comfy home wine tasting!
What you need for a wine tasting
It depends on your angle. You might want to theme your evening or create a romantic wine tasting at home for two. Perhaps make it an exclusive private wine tasting event for a couple of friends.
Aside from the investment in your wines, it’s an evening that won’t break the bank either. Just grab the following to get started:
- A selection of wines, for ease you can even get a pre-boxed selection
- Pen and paper (only if you want to take this seriously)
- Water for swilling between wines
Easy! It just shows that you can do a wine tasting at home with minimal effort!
What kind of food do you serve at a wine tasting?
The sky's the limit here! Be bold and try a few different small plates. Just remember, it’s more of a snacking situation, not a full meal. Take a look at some suggestions to get your inspiration going, but some of our favourites include:
- Fruit and cheese plates
- Pizza
- Prawns
- Dark chocolate
- Popcorn
You may have noticed that nothing on this list should take you an age in the kitchen either, making this quick and easy on the preparation stakes. You might even be able to find some little pre-packaged selections in your supermarket if you want to take the pressure off.
Whatever you serve, the idea is to bring a range of flavours out with different pairings of food and wines, so go as big as you feel like to make this extra special.
