For new clients, I book wine tastings primarily on weekday afternoons and evenings, as well as some weekend afternoons. For previous clients, I also offer a limited number of weekend evenings. I find a lot of folks enjoy Saturday and Sunday afternoons (I host both 1pm and 4pm tastings on weekends). Thursday evenings also seem to be the "new" Friday for social gatherings! Weekdays are a great option for a smaller, more intimate gather. Please plan ahead, as dates can book up to three months in advance!  It's always better to contact me first to start the booking process before selecting a date with your friends. I also may be able to be a bit more flexible when scheduling virtual tastings.

With more than 100 wines at any given time to select from, I will do my best to select the wines that will most appeal to your guests' tastes. That said, many hosts don't know what their guests like, so it's not uncommon to bring a wide assortment of red and white wines, both dry, mild, and sweet. Of course, I have my favorite wines that I love to show off, but rest assured, your wines have been personally selected for your tasting --- no preset tasting packs from our company!  And remember, all of our exclusive wines come from boutique vineyards and are not available domestically in stores or restaurants!

It really depends on the engagement from the guests, but in general, my in-person tastings take between one and two hours and virtual tastings usually take about an hour.

I'll bring the wine and score cards, but I ask you to provide a glass for each guest, light appetizers, a dump bucket, and pens for each guest. If you have a decanter, I would like to use it as well.

One glass per guest is perfectly fine, but if you have enough glasses to provide a red and a white glass, that will work too!

I love to see the many creative and fun dishes that my clients serve at wine tastings, but let me give you some quick and easy tips. I recommend any or all of the following, but please don't feel like you have to go overboard.  Remember: this is a wine tasting, not a food tasting.

• Cheeses & Crackers - An assortment of both soft (Brie), hard (aged Cheddar), and even spicy (Pepper Jack) works well. As for crackers, please aim for simple crackers so as not to take away from the wine flavors (i.e. no garlic crackers, please).
• Meats - It's always good to have some protein, whether you go with the traditional salami or something like grilled chicken, pulled pork, or meatballs. I have a number of wines that pair great with barbecue foods and sauces, so feel free to be creative!
• Chocolates - Dark chocolate and red wine were meant for each other! Be careful though to avoid "creative" chocolates like mint or orange-flavored versions.
• Fruit & Vegetables - A nice assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables will pair nicely with a number of white wines. Let's avoid olives and pickle trays please!
• Things to Avoid: Generally, I recommend avoiding olives, garlic, and other very strong flavors. These can be difficult to pair and will often overpower the wines.

For in-person tastings, I can be flexible, but I tend to prefer doing it around a dining room table, from the kitchen island, or in the living room. I need a place to line up my wines and where everyone can see and hear me. Plus, I need to be able to get around to everyone to pour the wines. If the weather is cooperative, outside wine tastings on a deck are nice as well (though please give me a heads up so I can dress appropriately!). For virtual tastings, I encourage you to setup the computer/tablet in a spot where everyone can see the screen and hear me. I see a lot of folks connect their Zoom through a large television to have a better viewing experience for virtual tastings.

Virtual tastings have become a significant part of my business, and I know my clients have enjoyed them as they provide a way to gather virtually with friends and family across the country while socializing and sampling wines together! For a greatly reduced sampling cost, we will ship six bottles to each participant location about 1-2 weeks before the agreed upon tasting time. Often times, each location may have multiple attendees, as I encourage you to have friends and family join for the sampling. When the date of the tasting arrives, everyone will meet on Zoom as I explain the wines and we all sample together. I try to make these virtual tastings interactive, and I love to hear your thoughts as you sample the wines and pair with the foods you had prepared. I have hosted virtual tastings with just one participant location or up to 10+ locations! I also can work with businesses and charities to offer larger virtual tasting events.

All of our wines are exclusive wines from around the world, and they cannot be found in local stores or restaurants. If you find a wine you love at the wine tasting -- you are tasting the wines after all, I would be happy to take a preference for any of the wines, which will then be fulfilled by our retail staff at one of our licensed retail facilities throughout the country. The majority of our wines are between $25 and $35 a bottle, and all preferences taken at wine tastings should be by the case (12 of the same wine or 6 of two kinds). The nice thing about these wine tastings is that groups can work together to get to case quantities, and payment can be split. Wines are delivered within 1-2 weeks after the tasting to one address.

Nope, and I know my previous clients will agree! We're going to have a great time at the wine tasting, and to put it simply, I can't make you like a wine. That said, since these wines cannot be purchased anywhere else, it is very common for guests to place an order at the conclusion of the tasting.

While I'm happy to celebrate with you during the wine tasting, it is important that your guests understand this is a wine tasting and not a come-when-you-can, casual party. It is expected that guests will arrive on time and participate in the wine tasting. The more casual party can take place after our wine tasting has completed.

We proudly donate wine tasting certificates to a number of local charities and nonprofits, but the certificates are for in-home or virtual wine tastings and not simply for a set number of wines to be given to the winner. The only way we're able to support so many charities with our donations is that they provide a great opportunity for us to get in front of new clients, showcase our wines, and hopefully help folks stock up on some new wines they fall in love with! I'd be happy to extend an expiration date for any charity certificate so that we can work to find a date that will work for you and your friends.

Yes, and I will ask for identification of anyone in question. I ask that no one under 21 be present during the wine tasting, as this is an adult event. I recommend getting a sitter for the kids and enjoying a night out with the grown-ups!  We'll all have more fun!

A tip is always appreciated but never required.

As I said, my schedule books up months in advance. If for some reason you need to cancel the date you had selected, please notify me at least three weeks in advance. A last minute cancellation may result in your certificate no longer being honored and you may be subject to a cancellation fee. Even if you have had a few guests cancel on you, I encourage you to still host the wine tasting. We will have a great time even with a smaller group, and I can offer a larger tasting for you in the future!