Planning a Party with Wine.

Entertaining can be a stressful event, but one way to ensure a good for everyone including yourself is to plan ahead. By taking care of as many details in advance, you will have time to enjoy your company and take care of the few unexpected things that arise. One area that is especially easy to plan in advance is buying and serving wine.

What to buy.

What types and varieties of wine you purchase and offer will depend on what type of event you are hosting. If you are having a stand-up party with mostly appetizers and finger foods then you will want to offer both red and white wines. For white wine consider having two options, first a good Chardonnay with ample oak tones that stand up to the many different foods that will be offered. A second good white wine choice is a lighter and drier Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. For red wines, avoid anything too big and bold. Instead a lighter Zinfandel, Merlot, or Pinot Noir are all great choices.

If you are serving a formal sit down dinner, you may wish consider having both a red and white wines on hand. But you should also consider the food you are serving and match your wine selections accordingly. If you are serving a multi-course dinner event, don't be afraid to offer different wines with each course. Encourage guests to pour just a half glass of each wine if you will be serving different wines in order to avoid over indulgence.

Many times if your focus is solely on which white and red wines to purchase and another great option is overlooked, Champagne. Sparkling wines accompany many dishes well, and are especially good to sip alone over good conversation. Be sure to keep it well chilled, and don't open too many bottles in advance or else they will go flat before getting to the glass.

How much to buy.

If you will be serving primarily wine, or you know your guests will be drinking mostly wine by choice, you will want to plan on one bottle for every 3 or 4 guests. If there will be beer and spirits, reduce your wine cache to about one bottle for every 4 or 5 guests. For dinner parties, you will want to make sure every guest can have a glass of each wine served with each course. A bottle pours about 5 glasses of wine, so plan on a bottle for 5 guests. An extra bottle of the main course and desert wine is always a good idea.

How to serve.

First, get the wine to the correct temperature well in advance of the party. Set out all of the glasses where guests can easily access them, in close proximity to the wine. Don't open it all right away, and don't set the chilled white and sparkling wine out at once. Just before guests are to arrive, open enough wine to fill glasses of the initial arrivals. After everyone has poured their first glass, you can then open more to replenish based on the rate it is being consumed. Keep sparkling wine chilled in an ice water bath, but white and reds will be fine sitting out at room temperature for 30-45 minutes.

Michael Briggs is a wine enthusiast and a frequent contributor to Winery-Mall where you can learn all about wine