Whether hanging with friends on the patio or sitting down for a delicious meal in the dining room, serving wine with your meal can truly enhance the experience. Here is our quick tip sheet showcasing the two faces of entertaining with wine from our friends at Jacob’s Creek and Wyndham Estate.
MUSIC
Casual
It’s all about the BBQ and patio, so plug in the boom box and turn up the Aussie rock-n-roll! AC/DC, INXS, Men Without Hats, Midnight Oil! Check out the History of OZ Rock Through the Eyes of AC/DC’s Angus Young at http://www.angelfire.com/al/ACDCpage/25years.html.
Formal
Conversation across the diner table calls for something more ambient, something more conducive to absorbing the subtly of communication through candid dialogue and body language. Visit The Australian Jazz Archive at http://www.screensound.gov.au/webjazz.nsf/Intro+Documents/Introduction.
SETTING THE WINE TABLE & CHILLING WINE
Casual
When entertaining outdoors, create a centralized wine bar in a shaded area. Open a selection of wines and gently replace their corks into the neck. Replacing the corks will guard against spills, while allowing you to re-cork any leftover wine at the end of the evening. Have an ice chest loaded with ice to keep you white wines chilled. If it’s a warm day, keep your red wines on top of the ice to keep them cool -– red wines should not be warm. One of our favorite casual tips for chilling wines comes from our friend the Surreal Gourmet, Bob Blumer. Reuse BIG stewed tomato cans as a chilling and/or dump bucket on the patio!
Formal
Pre-chill whites in the refrigerator. Open a mix of wines like above. If you order more than one of each wine, keep the extras in reserve and open appropriately. Place three wine glasses in front of each place setting to allow for comparative tasting. Randomly place the bottles around the table so guests can choose, sip and pass as desired. For chilling, use a Champagne bucket with a linen napkin wrapped around the neck of the bottle to absorb condensation and prevent dripping on your guests. We also recommend Champagne buckets on the table as dump buckets, so your guests can taste and dump any wines as they move through the line up.
GLASSWARE
Casual
Keep it simple. In fact, for outdoor entertaining, we suggest you follow the Italian lead: go for the Chianti glass, rocks glass or tumbler. Eliminating stemware creates a comfortable atmosphere and reduces fear of breakage.
Formal
Hey, I have 10 Friends coming over...That's 30 Glasses! No, we don't necessarily suggest you go out and buy a case of wineglasses. Simply ask guests to bring 3 wine glasses of their own. It's even better if the glasses they bring have a story attached to them. Once everyone's had a few sips and bites, encourage guests to start sharing stories by offering a toast and a story of your own.
ENTERTAINING WITH GAMES
Casual
You’re outdoors, which means you probably have a little room to play. And sure, it’s always fun to throw things. We suggest the Impossible Ring Toss game. Think carnival game: use empty wine bottles and plastic bracelets from a Dollar store. The plastic and glass make for a lively game. We especially like using one big bottle, like a double magnum for the target. Gather some door prizes, and then step back and toss.
Formal
Let’s talk parlor-type games. There are multiple board games on the market with wine themes. Here’s a web page with lots of links to wine games for post-dessert entertainment: http://spotlightongames.com/list/wine.html
TIPS ON SERVING THE FOOD & ASSIGNING RECIPES
Casual
Don’t even bother thinking “food and wine” pairing on the patio. Encourage your guests to eat and drink what they like. For the GEMINI Series, Jacob’s Creek has offered up four casual appetizer recipes (see below) to get you started!
Formal
Wyndham Estate shares four delicious appetizer recipes (see below). Note that if a particular dish has been created as someone's favorite pairing, that's great. However, make sure to taste several wines with all the dishes, or course by course. It's all about personal preferences and exploration!
