If you’re looking for the best unique date night idea you need to try wine tasting at home! Between work, kids, and other responsibilities, sometimes you just can’t get away! That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have a date night. It just means you have to get creative.
My husband and I love going wine tasting! We frequent local wine festivals, our local winery, and the occasional wine tasting at the Kroger bar before grocery shopping. Recently, we wanted to try a fun date night activity inside, and immediately we thought “let’s do a wine tasting!” Whether you and your partner are wine lovers or new to the world of wine, wine tasting at home can be the perfect way to bond, learn something new, and create some memories together. Plus, with my free printable wine tasting sheet, you can turn your date into a fun and interactive experience that makes you feel like you’re at a vineyard!
Now, I’m no sommelier or wine educator, but I do enjoy a nice glass of wine especially when I can share it with the good company of my partner. Here is everything you need to have a perfect wine tasting date night to make sure you have the perfect wine tasting evening.
This post is all about how to host a wine tasting at home!
Step 1: Choose Your Wine Selection
The first step to a successful at-home wine tasting date night is to select your bottles of wine! If you’re not sure how to select the best wines for your tasting sessions, I’m here to provide a few answers to that simple question.
Choose A Theme:
To guide you on how to select delicious wines for your in-home tasting, pick a specific theme! This will help to narrow down the selection so it’s not so overwhelming. Here are a few theme ideas:
- Wines from a specific wine region (French wines, Italian wines, wines from Napa Valley, etc.)
- Specific type of wine (Moscato wine from different brands, vineyards, etc.)
- Mix up the grape variety by choose different types of wine like traditional in-person tastings (a mix of reds, whites, roses, sweet, dry, semi-sweet, etc.)
I would suggest choosing between 3-6 wines! Here are some ideas of wine combinations:
- 3 red wines
- 3 white wines
- 3 sweet wines
- 1 red, 1 white, 1 sparkling
- 1 sweet, 1 dry red, 1 dry white
- 1 champagne, 1 rose, 1 prosecco
- 1 red from California, 1 red from Argentina, 1 red from Italy
My favorite red wines at Target under $15:
- Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
- Robert Mondavi Barrel-Aged Cabertnet Sauvignon
- DaVinci Chianti Red Wine
My favorite sparkling wines at Target under $30:
- Chardon Brut Rose Sparkling Wine
- Ruffino Prosecco White Sparkling Wine
- Black Girl Magic Sparkling Brut
Pick Wines You’ve Never Tried:
Whether it’s a new sauvignon blanc and pinot noir or a fun wine you saw in your local wine store, pick something new to you! This makes wine tasting so much more fun because these new wines can completely surprise you! You may find a new favorite and you also may find some common themes or tasting notes that you enjoy. Use the wine tasting sheet to keep track of specific wines!
Step 2: Gather Your Supplies
Here is exactly what you’ll need for the perfect wine tasting experience for your date night.
Wine Glasses
I highly recommend these stemmed wine glasses. These wine glasses are resistant to common breakage! If you’re anything like me, you need these glasses in your cabinet. They’re perfect for wine tasting because they maintain the temperature of the wine. Experts say stemmed wine glasses provide a better aromatic experience.
Wine Opener
My favorite wine openers are the fancy electric ones. You can get these for relatively cheap online, or you can purchase one of the high end super fancy wine openers! If you want to keep it traditional like other private wine tasting events, you can use a classic corkscrew. Whichever you choose, the most important thing is don’t forget the wine opener! You can’t have a successful wine tasting at home date night without it!
Wine Tasting Sheet
This is where my free printable comes in! Grab your wine tasting sheets to make notes about each when you try. There is space to write the different regions of each wine as well as rate how the wine tastes based on aroma and taste. This is such a fun activity to take your at home wine tasting to the next level!
Water and Palate Cleansers
Make sure you keep some water handy while you taste wines. One thing that I’ve learned is that you should rinse out your class before you switch from white wine to red wine. In addition, you may want some crackers or bread to cleanse your palate between wines!
Step 3: Set the Scene
Don’t forget this is an at home date night idea! You’ll want to make sure you create the right atmosphere for your experience. Whether you’re going for a casual date or a more romantic vibe, you’ll want to make sure you set the scene. Here are some tips that may help!
- Dim lighting
- Fairy lights
- Light candles
- Play music
- Add flowers
- Lay out a table cloth
- Print out your wine tasting sheet with your wine selections and wine list
Step 4: Prepare the Snacks
Wine tasting and snacking go hand and hand! If you’d like, add a charcuterie board to go with your bottle of wine! Here are some common wine tasting snacks:
- Popcorn
- Dark Chocolate
- Pistachios
- Cheese
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Olives
- Charcuterie board
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Grapes
- Olives
Here’s my favorite way to present cheeses for our wine tasting at home date nights! I love this cheese plate because it is portable, comes with the cutest tools to cut the cheese, and is just big enough for two!
Step 5: Time for the Private Tasting
Here’s a guide on how to approach each wine and a great way to make sure you’re having as much fun as possible while enjoying your partner and the unique wines you’re tasting:
Look: Start by observing the wine in the glass. Notice the color, clarity, and intensity. Is it light and pale, or deep and rich? This step gives you clues about the age and grape variety of the wine.
Swirl: Gently swirl the wine in the glass. This helps release the aromas, enhancing your tasting experience.
Smell: Take a deep inhale of the wine’s aroma. What scents come through? Floral, fruity, spicy, or earthy notes? This is one of the most fun parts of wine tasting and can lead to great conversations about what each person picks up.
Sip: Take a small sip and let the wine coat your tongue. Focus on the taste—is it sweet, acidic, bold, or light? Try to detect the different flavor notes. Use the wine tasting sheet to record your impressions.
Discuss: Use your free wine tasting printable and share your thoughts! Compare what you’re tasting with what your partner is picking up. This is where it gets really fun and interactive.
Step 6: Optional* Play Wine Tasting Games
If you’re looking for ways to make this date night idea even more fun, try some of these wine tasting party ideas:
Blind Tasting: pour each other a glass of wine without showing the label on the wine bottles and see if your partner can guess which time of wine it is or the tasting notes.
Wine Bingo: This resource has 40 wine party games that are an absolute blast! it includes great ideas for games that will add to your date night.
Guess the Price: after tasting each wine, ask each other how much you think each bottle costs. This will mean that each of you will have to buy different bottles without the other seeing the price. You can pair this with the blind tasting for even more fun!
I’ve made a free printable of an easy-to-use wine tasting sheet to track your wines! Download and Print out your tasting sheet.
Hosting a wine tasting at home is an opportunity to create a unique and intimate experience with your partner. Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, having a special date night, looking for a Valentine’s Day date idea, or just want to unwind in your dining room after a long week, this is a perfect way to connect, and have fun!
This printable is amazing! We love a good taste test!
Yay! Happy to hear it. Cheers!
Thanks for the info. I love wine and once this quarantine is over I think I will do a wine tasting with my girls.
You’re welcome! So happy you found this inspiring. Cheers!