Recently, a friend asked me to write about starting a wine tasting club, mentioning that this type of club was a hot, new trend! She was absolutely correct! As I began to research the topic, I found that wine clubs are popping up all over! There are a variety of ways to set up your wine tasting club, so I’ve done a little bit of combining and editing to give you my best suggestions for creating a fun and successful group!
Gathering Members
- Plan to recruit between six and ten members. Ten is a practical number to stop at because the average bottle of wine contains about ten “tasting” sized servings.
- Look for members who share a similar level of wine know-how! Mixing experts and novices will not create an atmosphere conducive to conversation or learning!
- Since wine clubs appeal equally to men and women, considering forming a club of five couples!
Do Some Legwork
If forming a wine club is going to be your idea, try to do a little bit of research before scheduling your first meeting. Here are some resources for your homework!
- The Wine Spectator or Wine Enthusiast Magazine- consider a subscription to one of these magazines
- The Wine Club: A Month-by-Month Guide to Learning about Wine with Friends. This book is available from Amazon for $12.21 and has received excellent reviews for its fun and sassy approach.
- The Wine Aroma Wheel! This is an incredibly useful tool for learning about wine and will enhance your ability to describe the complex flavors of wine. For only $5.00, this is a must have! (bookstore.ucdavis.edu.)
- A Wine Tasting Kit - a complete wine tasting kit is available from Swill Party. This kit supplies everything you need to host a wine tasting party for eight (except the wine and the glasses!) and will get your first wine club meeting off the ground! (swillparty.com; $29.99)
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