Party Planning

 

•  Determine whether your event will be a sit-down affair, a casual cocktail party or a wine tasting event. The amount of food and time involved in a function will affect the amount of wine that you need.
 
• Plan for a half-bottle of wine per guest for sit-down dinner.  This doesn't include dessert wines or wine for a toast. This could mean allowing for a full bottle per guest, or more for a long party or heavier drinkers. Once you have your estimate, add a couple extra bottles to be sure you don't run out.
 
•  Estimate two glasses of wine during the first hour of a cocktail party and one glass each subsequent hour. You can reduce this amount if you are also serving beer and mixed drinks.
 
•  Follow a traditional wine-tasting format by estimating one bottle for every 10 guests, serving 1 ounce per guest of each wine. For a small group, pour larger servings or set aside the leftovers for guests who want seconds of their favorites.
 
• Cases of wine are an excellent idea for a party. If you only serve one kind of red and one kind of white, it will be easier to refill glasses as the party progresses.
 
• Don't forget to have soft drinks, coffee, water and fruit juices available for everyone, and especially all of the designated drivers.
• Make sure guests are safe to drive or have a designated driver.

Read more: How to Estimate the Proper Amount of Wine to Serve at a Party | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2186943_proper-amount-wine-serve-party.html#ixzz2EOLWQvkU