Need help with wine and cheese party

Jennifer_Dawn

I am throwing a wine and cheese tasting party in August and need some ideas for favors. I think a bottle of wine is too easy, so I am looking for something more unique. I also just need general ideas of how to put together a wine and cheese party since this is my first one. Any tips are greatly appreciated!

TarHeels&Rebels

This and this might help a little.

And I would pass on favors.  I'm a strong believer that favors only belong at birthday parties of small children.  If you must do a favor, do something edible like cookies, not a little trinket that'll get thrown away.

lsgarver

Get a big pack of wine charms, put them in a bowl near the glasses and tell people or add a note to the bowl that indicates guests can take them home.  I generally don't think favors are necessary or even used after the party but at least those are cheap and have some functionality after the fact.

The best advice I can give about a tasting party is to give it some structure at first so people know what they are doing and then go with the flow.  If people are having a good time just drinking and commenting on wine, don't interrupt with some organized thing with bags and numbers and comment cards.  A good way to do it is to set up tasting "stations" around the home with a small collection of wines and foods at each.  Group by region, type of wine, food pairing, whatever.  Keeps people mingling and tasting but in a relaxed way.

SBS0628

Personally, I think favors are a great idea. That being said, I agree and believe that favors shouldn't just be "stuff." They should be something useful and/or easily enjoyed. Consumables (like food or drinks) tend to work easiest in that regard, but items can be good as well.

For a wine and cheese party, I'd consider the following as cute/fun favors: wine bottle stoppers, wine glass charms, cheese knives/spreaders, chocolates, spiced or sweet nuts, wine flavored jams or jellies.

For pairings, there are a lot of great books available. I like the wine and cheese book from Crate & Barrel, personally. I would also recommend going beyond just cheese -- maybe do some light appetizers or snacks as well? Like marinated olives, bruschetta, or even crackers and snack mixes.

cclilac12

I also think the idea of favors are cute, as long as you keep it simple. I've heard of people actually decorating wine glasses - the guest uses it for the evening and goes home with it (if you have an Ikea or can find something inexpensive). I also like the idea of wine charms, or you can do a chocolate or cookie in a wine-related shape or flavor.

Here's the link for out wine and cheese party - it should give you an idea of the menu (mostly crackers & bread, some fruit, marinated artichokes, some salamis, and a bit of dessert), but we do things a little differently than most. We actually ask everyone to bring a favorite wine and/or cheese, and we provide the other nibbles. It tends to be much easier for us this way, as not a lot of our friends RSVP in a timely fashion (if at all), and some of us are still learning about the wines. We end up with a pretty nice mix of everything.

sarcole530

How about wine glass charms as party favors? I don't know how much those are or what your budget is, but those would fit the theme and are cute.