Everybody likes to throw a great party, and what helps to make a good event a great one is a theme that ties everything together. Although ideas as simple as a costume party or a color party can certainly do the trick, it becomes even more of a special occasion if you choose something a little more thought out and, well... mature. Instead of just telling everyone to come over some evening for generic drinks and the same tired appetizers, organize a thematic wine tasting to help make everyone excited about attending.

Choosing the wines to base your theme around can present you with a number of great options. You can choose to do a regional theme, for instance, by choosing California wines that all come from Santa Barbara wineries, or a selection of varietals from another specific state. You might even be lucky enough to have a region in your own home state that people might not be aware of and you can feature those wines. Another suggestion would be to pick everything from the same vintage year. Of course, the best themes for parties tie in not only with what you will be serving, but the time of year as well. A great idea would be to choose several different wines that are traditionally produced for autumnal drinking.

Creating something like this might take a little more knowledge than you have, but luckily, there are several different ways that you can be helped with this. Plan a trip to your local wine store when you have a few minutes to speak with the owner or whoever does their wine buying for them. They will be able to offer you several good suggestions to help make your offerings complete. Another good idea would be to join a wine club. Most of these clubs work like a basic subscription service where you sign up for a monthly delivery. Depending on which club you join, you may be treated to the offerings of a single vineyard, a specific region, or a particular style. However, if you reach out to them and explain what you are looking to do for your event, they will be most likely be able to tailor the selections to fit your needs, as well as let you know what other wines are out there that will complement the ones they select for you.

The best thing about throwing a thematic wine festival as a party is that it gives you the opportunity to present different appetizer options, as well. Many wines are designed to pair with the specific foods of the same region they originated from, so this will be the perfect opportunity to leave the crudité and chips and dip behind and offer your guests a unique culinary treat. By making these plans, you will surely be the party everyone talks about all season long.