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Hosting a dinner party can be both exciting and stressful. There are always many moving parts to consider: the table decor, seating arrangements (is it formal or casual?), the meal planning, shopping, and dinner and dessert preparation. It’s easy to get so caught up in all the prep that one of the most important parts of the evening gets overlooked: the wine.
I’ve been in the position where I’ve forgotten to buy wine more than once and sent my husband scurrying out of the house in a panic, just a few minutes before guests were to arrive. After a few of these incidents, I realized I would need to have a few good options on hand going forward that wouldn’t be too expensive and would allow us to focus on our guests calmly when they arrived.
I started doing a little research so I could be better equipped to know which wines to keep in the cabinet and avoid another frantic, last-minute dash to the store.
Table of Contents
Wines to Keep on Hand
A Welcoming Start: Sherry and Chablis
You can never go wrong with a sherry or Chablis, and these are easy wines to start pouring for your guests as they arrive. Whether you’re having an intimate gathering or a large crowd, either can be served alongside an appetizer or as a stand-alone option.
Depending on the style, Sherry can range from very dry to sweet, while Chablis is generally a dry white wine. Keeping one, or both, of these in your regular wine cabinet will serve you well when guests arrive.
Versatile Reds: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon pair well with a variety of meals, and having both on hand gives your guests a choice based on their preferences. Merlot is typically touted as being a smoother wine overall, while a Cabernet can be described as more powerful or assertive.
Generally, Merlot pairs well with chicken, pork and tomato-based pasta dishes. Cabernet Sauvignon often pairs well with heartier dishes such as steak, braised ribs or lamb. That being said, wines are meant to be enjoyed by the drinker, so if you and your guests are enjoying your Merlot with lamb, and leaving the Cabernet for another time, then that’s okay, too.
Even if you weren’t planning a dinner party, sometimes one gets planned for you. A last-minute invitation or unexpected guest can mean your attention is already focused on getting dinner prepared, leaving little time to think about the right wine pairing. Having a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon ready to go gives you a couple of dependable options without yet another trip to the store.
Is More Expensive Better?
There always seems to be a lot of pressure in those wine aisles, with prices ranging across the spectrum. None of the wines mentioned needs to break the bank. There are plenty of excellent wines that you can keep on hand for under $20 a bottle, and having these already purchased ahead of time makes surprise dinners, and those that you actually plan, go more smoothly.
Through the years, my husband and I have been the recipients of gifts of wine that came with hefty price tags, only to taste them with high expectations and end up disappointed. My husband, having a more sophisticated palate than mine, was delighted to try some of these acclaimed wines, only to be just as happy to have the opened bottle from the night before. I was once given a thank-you gift of a bottle of wine that retailed for $250. That was completely out of our price range for wine, so we saved the bottle for a special occasion.
In the end, the label, which featured a girl on the bottle, ended up being our favorite part of the wine. It was a big letdown. Experiences like that have reminded us that a high price tag does not always mean a more enjoyable wine. Sometimes we end up reaching for a bottle from our wine cabinet instead—one we’ve already tried and know we enjoy.
There are times when we have been invited to a dinner party and felt the pressure of bringing a quality wine. We can be disillusioned that we need to spend more to impress the host or that we need to show up with a wine that they have served us before. My husband and I have learned that higher price does not always equate with better taste, quality or enjoyment. Now, we can choose from our wine cabinet or select a quality wine from our wine subscription.
Handing our host a $17.99 Lone Cardinal Merlot that we purchased in advance keeps us within a budget that works for us. We don’t spend time searching the aisles or worrying about how much to spend. We’ve found that selecting wines in advance and enjoying them with family and friends makes hosting and entertaining feel much easier.
How Many Bottles of Wine to Buy?
For a small, intimate dinner party for four, two bottles can be a good starting point, with an extra bottle available if needed. For a larger gathering of eight, you can use the same approach and adjust based on your guests, the length of the gathering and what other beverages you’ll be serving. A lighter white can be a nice option with appetizers or while you’re cooking and visiting with guests.
Remember to bring out a Merlot to serve alongside that juicy pork loin, a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon if you are serving a thick, marbled steak, and offer a dry white for fish and tender pan-seared scallops. If you did not purchase a dry white wine for this dinner party, this is where you’re in luck by keeping wines on hand regularly, and you could uncork that Chablis.
Having great wines on hand saves you from rushing out to the store at the last minute. I have found that having wine already in the wine cabinet has caused a lot less stress and frustration in my house the day of the dinner party or celebration. This has also saved us when the evening lasted longer than we were expecting, and we needed to reach for another bottle.
How to Make Things Easier
Since I’m the sole cook in my house, I end up dedicating so much time to the meal that I have often forgotten about pairing the right wine. I use Wine Insiders to learn more about different wines and add a few to my next order as I plan ahead for my parties. There are lots of wines to choose from, representing different countries and regions, and the selection makes it easier for me to keep a few wines on hand for guests.
Living in California, we often find ourselves sipping wines from local regions, or a guest shows up with a bottle from one of the famous wineries in Napa. But it’s been fun knowing I can add a bottle to my subscription from South Africa or Chile, too. When a guest asks about the wine, wants to see the label or asks where it’s from, the conversation often turns to travel, and the night fills with laughter and memories—all thanks to that $17.99 “adventurous” Le Rocs Bordeaux.
Final Thoughts
One of the things I love about hosting is how wine gets people talking. Yes, some of that is due to the actual alcohol content, but a lot has to do with the taste, the label, the price, and where it’s from. Since we enjoy hosting and have a moderate budget, it’s been great to be able to stock up on wines that are reasonably priced.
Aside from hosting dinners, for the past decade I have hosted a dessert party for the holidays, usually entertaining 12–18 guests. For this type of gathering, I like to have a variety of wines available, including lighter whites, reds and something special for dessert. Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel have all made appearances, along with something festive such as a Ruby Port. Bringing out festive stemware and Port glasses adds to the excitement of the evening, too.
Having wines delivered ahead of time also allows me to focus on the dozens of desserts I’ll have ready for my guests. Planning ahead means I can have the wines I want on hand well before the holidays arrive, leaving me one less thing to think about when the party gets closer.
This year, I’m already envisioning uncorking that Ruby Port and hearing my sister-in-law share her summer journey along the Camino that began in Porto, Portugal. And this is how wine helps make beautiful memories.
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