Parties are always better when there’s a theme, and during the summertime, a wine tasting party is ideal. Who doesn’t love tasting an assortment of vintage varietals while chatting with friends and nibbling on hors’ d’oeuvres? One problem I always seem to run into however is that people get their wine glasses confused with one another.
Last summer I found a simple solution to this problem: wine glass charms. Now when guests arrive I allow them to choose a distinct wine glass charm that will allow them to easily identify their glass throughout the evening. I bought a cache of them for this exact purpose, so when the guests go home, I let them keep the charm as a party favor.
When planning a romantic dalliance with your significant other, it’s important to get all of the details just right. If you’re going for an intimate dinner at home, for example, you’ll want to make sure that the atmosphere is free of interruptions and everyday distractions. Let grandma handle the kids for a night. Break out your finest bottle of red wine along with your finest glass wine sets and indulge in each other’s company over a home-cooked meal.
You can enhance the effect by putting on a little romantic piano music. This will add a new dynamic to your special night in - lending your home or apartment the ambience of an elegant restaurant. Few things enhance or strengthen a relationship like a bit of quality time together in close quarters. By incorporating the above elements, you can practically guarantee your liaison will go off without a hitch.
When entertaining at home, it is important to have a checklist of what to do. This way everything will be in order. Here’s a sample checklist to keep you organized before a party:
1. Prepare the menu. Carefully select each dish you plan to cook and have plans for appetizers. Know before hand if any of your guests follows a specific diet.
2. Purchase the necessary grocery items 2 to 3 days before. Make another list for everything you’ll need. For fish, meat, and poultry, it is best to buy them on the day of the party. If this is not possible, then purchase them the day before.
3. Prepare some dishes earlier. If it is possible to make the broth needed for a dish earlier or cook the pasta ahead, then do so. This will save you a lot of time.
4. Arrange the table. Choose a lovely linen tablecloth, prepare a beautiful centerpiece and select high-end stemware.
Mulled wine, variations of which are popular around the world, is wine, usually red, combined with spices and typically served warm. Historically, wine often went bad. By adding spices and honey, it could be made drinkable again. Nowadays, it is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. Typically served in a glass barware mug.
It is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves, citrus, cardamom, ginger, bitter orange, and suger.
To prepare mulled wine, spices and/or spice extract are mixed into the wine, which is then heated to (140°-158° Fahrenheit). The temperature should not be allowed to rise above (173.12° Fahrenheit) in order to avoid evaporation of the alcohol. When preparing home-made mulled wine using spices, the hot mixture is allowed to infuse for at least an hour, often longer, and then reheated before serving.