Savvy Llama's road trip made its second stop in Washington DC, for an evening we called Blossom Into the Wine Hostess with the Mostess. We used our Hostess with the Mostess Pinot Noir Party Kit to help guests host their very first tasting at home, and what made it a night worth repeating wasn't the wine itself. It was two simple moves that turned strangers into a room full of friends. ✨
First, Share With Guests That There's No Right or Wrong Answer in Wine Tasting
Everyone has their own unique experience with a wine. Wine is like art. Some people love a bottle, others don't, and any response is the right response. The second guests got that, the whole room relaxed, and relaxed guests are the ones who stick around, laugh louder, and ask when the next one is.
Second, Motivate Guests to Vocalize Their Wine Tasting Note Choices
Our Tasting Notes are broken into a few short sections, each with a handful of multiple choice questions built around real sensory characteristics. Woody or tree fruit. Guests pick whichever word matches what's actually happening in their glass.
Once they've made their picks, we go around the room and have everyone share the word they chose out loud.
That's the moment it clicks. Saying "woody" or "tree fruit" in front of the group gets guests genuinely comfortable using grown-up wine words, what we call finding your wine voice. And a guest who's found her wine voice at your table is a guest who can walk into a restaurant or wine shop later and tell a sommelier exactly what she's looking for, or not looking for.
One pairing tip guests loved.
Heat loves sweet, but don't ask for a "fruity" wine if you mean a "sweet" wine. If you want a sweet wine, ask for sweet. Ask for fruity, and you might land somewhere bone dry (dry: the opposite of sweet) with delicious fruity aromas.
Talk Wine Like You Mean It
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Salud! 🍷