Everybody knows that WineShop at Home tastings are a total blast (um, sipping wine with your friends? What could be more fun than that!?). But sometimes we want to spice things up a little bit and add a theme to the event – because, well, why not?
Here are my top 5 favorite wine tasting themes of all time! If you’ve fallen into a wine tasting rut (haha, like that exists), or your host needs a little help being creative, try suggesting some of these time-tested themes to keep things interesting…
Theme #1: The Pop-Up Wine Tasting
I love pop-up wine tastings because they’re super low key! Imagine this: it’s Friday morning, you have nothing to do tonight, and you want to get a few friends together last minute. Hello, wine tasting!
Pop-up tastings are the best when they’re last minute and super laid back. Have 4-6 friends over, don’t even bother to clean your house (well, maybe vacuum a path to the bathroom), and whip out four of your favorite WineShop at Home bottles to share.
You could have people in and out the door in under and hour if you wanted! But I’d be willing to bet that when you get these spontaneous people together, they’ll want to keep cheersing you (is that a word? Now it is!) glass after glass! Your 4 bottle Red/White Wine Club is perfect for this!
Theme #2: The Short Notice Wine Tasting
Going with the last minute idea, I love the “short notice wine tasting.” This is when a host books you within a week of the event – and often, these are the most fun because the people who show up just want to have a good time!
No super formal planning, no super fancy appetizers, just some friends who are interested in wine and a cozy night in with good conversation. My recommendation is that if you get an opportunity to lead a short notice wine tasting, you take it!
Theme #3: The Holiday Party Wine Tasting
And I’m not just talking about Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years! Holiday themed wine tastings are so much fun – think Valentine’s Day (champagne and rose’, anyone?), Fourth of July (hello, sangria and wine pops!), and ohhhhhh Halloween (what pairs best with a mini-Snickers bar?).
Holiday wine tastings bring the fun of the holidays back to adults. Christmas cookies aren’t just for Santa and the kiddoes anymore – turns out, they pair great with our red table wine!
Theme #4: The “Bring Something” Wine Tasting
Tastings can be a lot of fun when you ask your guests to bring something with them, whether it’s their favorite wine glass, their favorite type of Girl Scout cookie, or a dish for the potluck. People love getting to participate in this way and feel like they’re part of the fun.
Theme #5: The Shower Tasting
This is one of the most fun themes for wine tastings! If someone you love is having a bridal shower, a baby shower, or an engagement party, pairing it with a wine tasting can be a blast. Sorry mama-2-be if you can’t partake but WE will have a GLASS (or two) for you!
If it’s a bridal shower, a great way to spin it can be, “stock the new couple’s wine cellar!” and everyone gets to pick out a bottle of wine or two for the new couple. If it’s a baby shower, of course, the wine is reserved for after the baby is born, but we all love buying wine for the lucky mama anyway! Because we KNOW she will need it (and dad too, I am one EVIL wife when I’m post- baby sleep deprived). Check out two of my favorite wine loving, frazzled moms for inspiration at #imomsohard
Of course, there are a million and one other ideas for wine tasting themes: office party, girlfriends only, post-breakup wine tasting, family reunion tasting (these are the best), graduation tastings, just got promoted tastings, and many others.
What do you have coming up in your life that you want to celebrate? Or even better, what are your favorite wine tasting themes? Leave a note in the comments area below to share your thoughts!