Wine and Dine: 5 Tips for Hosting a Summer Dinner Party
Wine & Dine
A summer dinner party is always a fabulous idea. It's also the perfect way to make the most of the fleeting weeks of summer! It’s often one of the few times you can connect with both friends and family whilst enjoying delectable food and, of course, the finest wines.
However, with so much preparation to do as a host, the pressure can get a little too much. In this blog, we’ll share our top 5 dinner party tips, including how to pair your charcuterie and wine, to help you create the party of the season.
Keep reading to discover more!
5 Tips for Hosting a Summer Dinner Party
Choose the Best Wines for Summer
As wine lovers, we believe the most important dinner party tip is to choose the best summer wines. Here are two of our favourites, available now on the Azureau website:
For those guests who relish the tantalizing flavours of an Italian red wine, Duca di Saragnano’s Primitivo Alchymia will go down a treat. Seductively dark in colour, this velvety, full-bodied tipple is made with ripe red fruits, including cherry and black cherry.
If you’re planning on serving charcuterie and wine at your summer party, don’t forget to include some juicy red meats. The rich flavours of ripe red fruits in the Primitivo Alchymia pair beautifully with all kinds of salami, sausage and prosciutto.
Planning a more traditional summer dinner party? Take it back to the 14th century with Duca di Saragnano’s Chianti Governo. This wonderfully complex red wine is produced using the “Governo” method. This means the wine is made with sun-dried Sangiovese grapes, bringing a certain depth and softness which only enhance the delectable flavours of black cherry, olive, earth and pink peppercorn. Just one sip will transport your dinner party guests to the narrow cobbled streets of Florence.
Select a Delicious Menu
We couldn’t list our top dinner party tips without talking about food. Although, selecting the perfect menu can be tricky, especially if your guests have a range of dietary requirements.
As wine experts, our go-to summer dinner party menu always includes an expansive charcuterie and wine selection. Typically, any wine will pair beautifully with your fruit, meats and cheeses, making your job a little simpler. However, if you need a little more guidance, start with where your meat or cheese was made, then select a wine from the same origin.
Nail the Decor
Charcuterie and wine aside, your guests want to feel relaxed at your summer dinner party. Therefore, your interior or exterior decor plays an important role. First, think about whether you’d prefer to be inside or outside. Blankets, cushions and plush, laid-back seating creates a casual, relaxed vibe perfect for a garden setting. Whereas a formal dinner table complete with glistening cutlery and stemware lends itself to a slightly more sophisticated gathering.
Set the Mood
It’s no secret we’re all partial to an Instagram-worthy dinner location. So, our fourth dinner party tip is to set the mood before your guests arrive. If you’re hosting your party in the evening, adding subtle touches to your decor such as pillar candles or dainty fairy lights is a great place to start. But equally, playing a little background music switches up the ambience whether day or night.
Plan Your Entertainment
Card games, karaoke or a murder mystery provide great entertainment to put a smile on your guest’s faces whilst enjoying a little charcuterie and wine. Though if that’s not quite your style, perhaps a sophisticated wine-tasting session is a little more up your street. Either way, entertainment is a must to lift the mood and keep the wine flowing.
Did you find these summer dinner party tips helpful? Make sure to save this blog post for future reference and visit the Azureau website to see our full range of wines!