Which wines to choose for a party? You want to organize a nice moment with your friends, acquaintances, or relatives and you are looking for one or more wines that can go well with your event? Here are some ideas based on styles but also on colors, because yes, all colors can be festive!
Party with wines of all colors!
Rosé wines
Rosé wines are popular amongst the festive wines. They are an interesting in-between to reconcile red and white wine lovers. They are also the perfect summer companions as they are refreshing. Some rosé wines have fine aromas like the rosé wines of Provence. Others are more full-bodied, such as the Clairet de Bordeaux. There are also sweet ones like the Cabernet d’Anjou. Anyway, prefer freshness and fruitiness. Beware of styles that are a little too marked, which can quickly turn out to be disgusting.
Why not treat yourself to a festive journey with a Rosé from Corsica?
Dry white wines
The choice of summer, warm temperatures, seashores, offering many possibilities with fish and shellfish. Favor wines that are easy to drink but with a slightly catchy aroma. They will arouse the taste buds and encourage conversation!
White wines from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, or a Bourgogne Village can do the job very well.
Red wines
You should rather choose accessible red wines, i.e. fruity, with a low level of barrel ageing. These wines are lively and can be enjoyed on many occasions, even during hot summer temperatures. Also favour recent vintages for a nice freshness of the fruits. Overall, choosing a wine that is between two and four years old is often the best option.
Languedoc red wines offer very good value for money with sun-kissed fruit.
Party with different styles of wines!
Sweet liquorous white wines
They suffer from a bad reputation, yet considerable efforts have been made on sweet wines, both in terms of quality and accessibility. Forget the traditional Foie-gras/Sauternes pairing! Sweet wines are nowadays elaborated to be more digestible, with a refreshing aftertaste to counterbalance the sugar. Many people say they are disgusted based only on memories. This opinion often changes after tasting these wines. They can’t believe it! If your reference is the right one, you will not only win the bet for your festive evening, but also win the bet for originality: these wines go wonderfully well with many dishes such as sushi, asparagus, oysters, chicken…
Sparkling wines
Of course they are the darlings of the festive moments! What better way to start a party than with jumping corks and dancing bubbles in your glasses? It’s great and there are many styles! Of course there is the Champagne but you will also find many other sparkling wines in different regions of France. The Crémant de Bourgogne, the Crémant d’Alsace, or the Vouvray… they represent economical alternatives to Champagne (with some references of very competitive wines qualitatively speaking) but also in the world! Today, they can be found just about everywhere, but it is Italy that has the greatest visibility with Prosecco in particular. These wines are festive, fruity, at attractive prices, but beware! There are significant differences in quality and some wines quickly become disgusting. The DOCG mention on these bottles will ensure a certain quality.
How can you be sure your party wine is the right one?
Never let anything ruin the party! Be inventive and make room for your creativity. Don’t be afraid to break the codes, it’s your party, so treat yourself!
Taste the wine!
This is the basis and especially in case you have to buy many bottles: the best is to taste it! You can buy a bottle, but there are many events where you can taste it: wine fairs, open days at the producer’s (the perfect opportunity to get to know each other and to enjoy short tours), etc.
Turn it over!
If your wine is too heavy, too hot, or just for fun, why not try making a wine cocktail? Putting ice cubes in your wine may embarrass the purist, but if that’s what it takes to make a more digestible wine for your party. Why not give it a try and unleash your creativity? This is the current bias of the sweet wines of Sauternes.
Aerate the wine
Some wines require aeration to express themselves at their best. This is a vast subject that can quickly become complex because it depends on the wine, its year, its conservation, etc… However, there are alternatives:
- Decanting the wine: this means putting the wine in a carafe so that it can open more quickly and release its aromas.
- Innovate: There are now solutions to obtain the best results without being a head sommelier. This is the case of the Smart Aveine Aerator which will help you to serve your wine in optimal tasting conditions. The Smart Aveine Aerator will calculate for you the exact amount of oxygen your wine needs to reveal itself at its best. You can take it with you wherever you go! Guaranteed effect for your party!
Which wines for a successful party?
To conclude, give priority to the “drinkability” of your wine. It should neither be too heavy nor disgusting. On the contrary, it should be attractive, refreshing and pleasant to drink. One glass should call for another (this being said in a search for quality, because wine is an alcoholic beverage that should be consumed in moderation for your health), whatever its color.
And use tricks such as a wine decanter or Aveine to enjoy a wine that is ready to drink. Free yourself from codes. Indulge yourself!
