Chicago Wine Tasting
Chicago, the Windy City and home of the Cubs, provides an excellent setting for a wine tasting party. Whether you are throwing your party in a modern loft style condominium for socialite friends or in your quiet suburban home for neighbors, friends, and family, you are sure to impress.
Throwing an upscale wine tasting party may seem like a trying endeavor; however, it can be a rather simple process if done correctly. In order to ensure the best turn out for your wine tasting party, send your invitations out two to three weeks prior to the event. This will allow your guests ample time to mark their calendars. In the busy city environment that personifies Chicago life, this step is of the utmost importance. It won’t be much of a party if your career-minded friends do not have time to clear their schedules for the night.
Elegance is actually a simplistic ideal to perfect. White linens on all display and tasting surfaces provide a restaurant atmosphere in your own home. Candles in wine colors (deep burgundy, purples, and champagne pink/off white) will also set the scene for your elegant Chicago wine tasting party. You can use tea-lights set in wine glasses throughout your displays for a creative touch. Artwork that depicts the region of your wine selection is also a good choice for this atmosphere. Pictures of Napa Valley or the French countryside back lit by the flickering candlelight emanating from the wine bottle reflections will set the tone for a class-filled and elegant evening sure to wow your urban guest list. For a party such as this, food other than hors d’oeuvres will not be necessary. Be sure to provide cheese to pair with the wines and bread and water between each tasting for your guests to cleanse their palates.
If you desire a more low-key atmosphere that will create a homier setting for your Chicago wine tasting party you can change the color of the table linens to a deeper wine color. A touch as simple as this will put your guests far more as ease as they will not worry about staining your elegant table linens with droplets of wine. Candles and artwork are still excellent touches in this setting; however, nothing says homey quite like a home cooked meal. For your homier Chicago wine tasting party, you may want to consider pairing your wine with appropriate dishes rather than just hors d’oeuvres. Cheese pairings are still important in this setting in order to provide the optimum tasting experience. Consider setting up small plates of cheese next to the appropriate bottles of wine. Give each guest a dish and allow them to try the different pairings at their leisure.
Whichever avenue you decided to explore with your Chicago wine tasting party, you are sure to impress even the most business minded city dwellers. Invite your friends and family to relax, taste the wine, and take a break from the hustle and bustle of busy Chicago life.