I just did a segment on a local ABC channel View from the Bay with home décor diva Lisa Quinn. We covered some of the basics of home entertaining on a reasonable budget. In having to pack all my ideas into that five-minute "TV moment" I realized there a couple of simple rules to putting together an affordable and fun party. So here goes:
1) Pour bubbles: guests love them and the noise of corks popping is so festive and welcoming. And you don't have to blow out for Champagne, California sparkling houses like Domaine Chandon and Carneros make great wines, as does the Gruet family in New Mexico. Spanish Cavas and Italian Proseccos are also great deals.
2) Buy wines you know everyone will like: crowd pleasers like Pinot Noir are always a good bet. The Fiver Rivers from Paso is a good and affordable version so it the B.R. Cohn silver label Cab. They also pair with a wide variety of foods.
3) Invest in some good stemware: spend $25 a glass on some good glasses. Riedel's Vinum Syrah is a great all-perfect glass for red and white wines. Please pour the Champagne in flutes, either classic or coupes. Both can be bought very inexpensively at antique shops. If you are having an outdoor party those plastic flutes are a hoot. I have used them at pool parties and for a mini golf gathering played on Astroturf on a rooftop.
4) Serve you wine at the right temperature: don't over chill your whites and serve your reds hot. Pull whites from the fridge 15 minutes before you serve them. Chill your reds down for the same amount of time before opening them.
5) Buy a decanter: my trainer just brought a great one for $15. They cost nothing and improve the taste of most red wines enormously. Give even young wines a swirl for 15 minutes or so. Some even have a built-in compartment for ice to keep whites cold and reds cool in the summer heat.
Enjoy the festivities,
Liza the Wine Chick
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