Organising a tasting
Enter the number of guests and choose your wines: here are the serving order, the temperature for each wine and the bottles you will need.
The serving order
Start with the lightest, freshest wines and finish with the most powerful: sparkling, whites, rosés, then reds. Between two reds, the suppler comes before the more structured. That way, no wine overwhelms the one that follows.
What to prepare
One glass per person is enough, rinsed with water between wines; a jug of water, bread or plain biscuits, a spittoon. One tasting sheet per person helps everyone note their impressions and compare.
Wines that speak to each other
A tasting is more revealing when the wines have something in common: several cuvées from the same estate, the same grape in different styles, or a pure Négrette against a blend. You then grasp what each choice changes in the glass.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions
How many wines for a tasting at home?
Four to six wines. Beyond that, the palate tires and the last wines are less well perceived.
How much to serve per person?
A 5 cl measure per wine is enough to taste. A 75 cl bottle thus serves about fifteen people.
In what order should wines be served?
Sparkling, whites, rosés, then reds, from the lightest to the most powerful. Sweet wines, if any, come at the end.
Should you eat during a tasting?
A little plain bread between wines is enough to refresh the palate. Dishes come afterwards, to test the pairings.
