15% Off ALL CASES!
December 5th - December 9th, 2012
Now that Thanksgiving has come
and gone, the holiday party season is in full swing. You've probably
received multiple clever invitations and sent at least one of your own,
but the question remains: what wines should I serve and what exactly
makes a wine a good "party" wine.
We've put together some simple guidelines for you to follow in the
hopes of making your life easier this holiday season. Remember, these
aren't rules (we are not big on rules), merely some suggestions. Rules
are for wine snobs, and let's face it, you didn't invite them to your
party anyway.
#1. Party wines need the ability to pair with many different foods.
It's a pretty safe bet that you're serving a wide variety of foods and
need a wine that goes with everything from cheese to those mini cocktail
wieners. You'll probably never hear Bob Parker say, "This cab is a
hedonist's delight, filled with black fruits and perfect for cocktail
wieners." I really wish he would though. With this in mind, you might
want to find a Red and White that are overall crowd pleasers and don't
paint yourself into a corner with an obscure wine that tastes like
"Chestnuts and shoe leather" or anything like that.
#2 Budget, Budget, Budget
If your friends are anything like mine, then they tend to sport-drink
at Holiday parties. Basically they only notice the wine if it's REALLY
bad. Other than that, they just happy to be socializing with friends and
even though the wine may be delicious, it's not likely to be the first
thing on their minds. Given this, there's really no need to break the
bank when buying a case or more of party wine (
hence our 15% discount).
I
know, you never expect your average retailer to tell you "spend less
money," but we didn't set out to be an average retailer. We figure that
Charlotte has plenty of those.
#3 Easy Access?
If there's ever a time in life where a screw cap comes in handy, it's
when Cheryl from the office just polished off her third bottle of Chard
and you're in charge of opening the wines. Just a thought...
#4 Experiment
Don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Try an Albarino
instead of Pinot Grigio, or a Grenache instead of Cabernet. It's your
party and a perfect time to introduce your friends to some wines that
they may or may not ever had before. You'll probably be surprised by
their responses. Besides, what better impression to leave on your guests
than "Amy and Bob really know their wines" You can just smile, nod, and
never tell them that it was $7.00.
#5 The only rule is that there are no rules
Well, actually, there is one rule. Don't drink and drive. Other than
that, have fun, be goofy, and enjoy the time with your friends and
family. If the wine is preventing your friends from having fun, then you
should consider revising your invitation list.
Cheers!
