OK, now you are really into wine and the idea of organizing a party just to taste some wines doesn't sound silly at all. What next? Believe it or not, there are actually many different forms of wine tasting parties, ranging from the simple to the advance. Before we go into the various forms of wine tasting parties, there are some general hints that you may want to note. I have included some tips for the causal wine party and the serious one.

General Tips on hosting Causal Wine Parties

Causal wine parties are those that you organise with friends just for fun. More informal, less restrictive on the wines and generally for wine novices, the main objective are fun and education. 

1. Try not to have more than 10 persons so that everyone can get to taste each bottle.
2. Have the right glasses and have enough of them. The ideal is one glass per person per bottle but if not, have at least two glasses per person.
3. There is actually no standard limit to the number of wines that should be tasted but personally I think there is diminishing returns after 6 bottles. It usually becomes a wild drinking binge whenever there is too much alcohol.
4. Have enough plain water ready because drinking too much wine can be dehydrating. I find using carbonated water (eg. Perrier) very helpful to rinse the glass and remove the taste from the mouth as well. Some professionals advocate using cheap wine to rinse the glass if it is to be used for another tasting.
5. Have an empty pail ready for people to spit excess wine from their mouth. This is especially important if you want to do just wine tasting and not enjoy the wine.
6. Get some cheese, crackers or bread ready to accompany the wines. Some cheese may actually enhance the taste of the wines (or rather, the wine enhance the taste of the cheese)!
7. Try to do the wine tasting in an air-con room (especially in warm countries like Singapore). Otherwise, it may get quite uncomfortable and becomes less enjoyable.
8. The right mood often creates a much more enjoyable and fun tasting session. Have the right lights and soft background music (Jazz!) to have the greatest impact. Of course, the real wine pros would probably scorn at this!
9. Get some paper and pen ready for people to scribble down their tasting notes. There are actually some standard format available.
10. Finally, have fun. Don't make it into a snob event - in which case it will be the last wine event you'll ever have.

General Tips on hosting Serious Wine Parties

Ok, the following tips apply to those professional tasting session where usually a few wine professionals or experts are involved.  The wines are generally the better ones, pre-selected, and the main objective is to assess and evaluate each individual wine.

1. The number of persons does not matter - what matters most is that there is enough wine. A typically 750ml bottle of wine can serve up to 14 tasting portions.  To be sure of the quantity to pour per glass, get the designated server for the evening to practice with a bottle filled with plain water.
2. Have the right glasses is very crucial. Get proper glasses that are meant for wine tasting. In general, the glasses need to be identical, made with crystal glass, have thin rim, of ample size (6-10 oz) and have an opening that should comfortably allow your nose to enter the glass.
3. Ensure that the room has proper lighting, especially using clear incandescent bulbs. Fluoresent lights should be avoided as it distort your colour judgement.
4. Provide a white background to assess the colour of the wine. A white table cloth usually suffice.
5. Music, be it jazz or elevator music, is strictly no-no. While it definitely lightens up the mood, it also lightens up your concentration. Very much like a pro-golf game, you need to create an atmosphere for intense concentration.
6. Ask your guests to refrain from putting on heavy duty perfume or deodorants. Some perfume scents can typically overwhelm and influence your sense of smell. This also include smoking guests. Request that they refrain from smoking before or during the tasting.
7. Set a rule that no one should comment about the wine in question until everyone has reached their personal conclusion on the wine (and possibly has written it down). Any pre-mature comments may possibly influence people's objectivity in their assessment.
8. Food - of any sort, should be avoided as it may either enhance or spoil the taste of the wine. In particular, cheese goes very well with wine and while it would be a great idea to have it during a casual wine tasting, it may create a false impression of the wine.
9. Some wines, especially the older ones, need to be decanted first to remove the sediments. Otherwise, the last few glasses to be poured will have the sediments, which may affect the taste. Some wines should also be decanted for breathing. While this is a debatable practice, personal experience does indicate that the more complex wines tend to improve after some hours of breathing.
10. Finally, everyone need to agree to disagree. Wine evaluation can be a rather subjective matter and often pertains to personal taste. Hence, make it a point that everyone is entitled to their own views and no one is either right or wrong.

Types of Wine Parties

A. Cross Varietal Tasting
Level Simple - For Beginners
How This format compares different wine grapes. If possible, try to get wines from the same producers or regions or range and from the same vintage. For reds wines, use Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Melot, Zinfandel and Gamay. For whites, get Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion, Riesling and Gewurztraminer. Learn to identify the unique look and taste of each grape.
B. Cross Country Tasting
Level Moderate - For Intermediate Drinkers
How This format compares the same wine grapes from different countries, especially between the "Old World" (France, Spain) and the "New World" (US, Australia) wines. Try to get the wines from the same range. Price may not be a good indicator as wines from one region may differ from another even though quality is the same. Learn to appreciate the style of wine-making, especially the oakiness, texture and fruit of the wine.
C. The Price Level Tasting
Level Moderate - For Intermediate Drinkers
How This format compares the same wines grapes but different quality. One method is to compares wines from a lower appellation (eg. Bordeaux) to one whose appellation is a specific district (eg. Pauillac). You can also compare wines from the same producer between the non-reserved and the private reserved selections. Price, in this case, is often a good judge. You will learn to appreciate the different flavour and body of the wines.
D. Vertical Vintage Tasting
Level Advance - For Advance Drinkers
How This format compares wines from the same producer but from different vintages. To appreciate this, it is often better to get the wines from producers who don't mix grapes from other region to enhance the wine. The mid to high-end wines are often a safe bet. Learn to appreciate the effect of weather on wines. Usually, wine from good years tend to be more fruity, better finish and aroma.
E. The Blind Tasting
Level Advance - For Advance Drinkers
How For this, anything goes. Basically, the wine labels are removed and tasters have to guess the grape, region and even vintage of the wine. Definitely not for the faint hearted! To make it simpler, just guess the grape or region of the wines. For such tastings, usually the very good wines are brought out.

There are actually many different variations of the above five types and it is entirely up to you to make it more interesting and fun for everybody. So, enjoy yourself and do let me know if you know of any other types.