Who doesn’t love a decadent dessert and a perfectly paired wine. A great idea for bringing together fellow lovers of sweets and wines is holding a wine and dessert gathering.
The key to a great event in this case is simplicity. Wine paired with a dessert can be rather bold, so it’s advised to keep options to a minimum 3-5 desserts and wines will be plenty. That way the guests can best enjoy the explosion of their tastebuds without being overwhelmed. It’s also nice if you can keep the guestlist on the smaller side 8-12 people is a good number to ensure an intimate atmosphere. In a smaller group setting you can better engage in conversation about the savory experience.
Depending on your outdoor living area it’s nice to have the desserts on display with a conversation card explaining the main ingredients. The same rule applies to the wine, what region, vinyard, year, and basic notes the wine should display. That gets the guests salivating for what is to come. It’s also nice to have a bottle of the paired wine by the deserts side. This provides the guests with a hands on label reading experience. Some nice linens would be appropriate, but if you are worried about accidental spills Patioworld has a wonderful Teak collection, with tables that would be wonderful for this intimate gathering, that are also easy to care for in the event of a wine mishap.
A special addition to the party would be to provide a tasting journal for each guest. As the tasting takes place guests can recall what wines and delicacies they enjoyed most and what flavors they noted. At the end of each tasting feel free to share what you have observed to spark conversation. The personal tasting journal is not only good for taking notes to share with other guests, but to jot down the wines you like for your next visit to the local wine shop.
We hope these small party tips help you sip and savor every moment of your outdoor wine and dessert gathering.