Any party instantly becomes special when you add a personal touch to it. So rather than taking your friends out for a couple of drinks, why not have the party at home? And if you know exactly what to do, you will be able to host a professionally organised party at home; and that surely will be an achievement.

A wine party, broadly speaking, can be categorised into two types – a formal wine party or an informal one. If you are hosting a formal party, the theme and the mood of the party have to be more austere than a casual party. Here, you have to ask your guests to come dressed in formal clothes. Then, you have to organise a sit-down dinner at a properly laid out table. For a casual gathering of friends, however, you can keep the mood lighter.

If you plan to have a formal party, make sure you send out formal invitation cards. This is extremely important as your guests would be expecting them. Mention the time, the venue, the dress-code and an RSPV number. For an informal event, you can simply send out a common email or even a message via your favourite social networking tool.

Whether you are a newbie or you are experienced at hosting wine parties, there are some basics you should be clear about. First and foremost, and most importantly, you must get the right kind of wines for the party. You may choose to get all the wine yourself or you may ask your guests to bring a few bottles. At the party, you should always start off with sparkling or a crisp, white wine, followed by some rosé and then move on to the reds. The party must end with a serving of some dessert wines. This is a crucial order to remember!

Like I just said, any party becomes special if you add some bits of your own personal touch to it. So make your party cute by keeping some name tags with all the names of your guests ready. Whoever brings a bottle of wine can then be given the tag to place over the bottle. This will make the person feel special and will also act as a fantastic ice-breaker. A guest who likes the wine will look out for the person who got the wine and strike up a conversation. Give it a try and you will know what I mean!

If you are guilty of this, say ‘aye’, but a lot of people solely focus on the food at a party, no matter what the occasion is! However, when you host a wine party, you must remember that the party is all about wine and food is just a back seat passenger here. So rather than focusing on the wine that can pair with the food you are preparing, think about the food that can go with your fabulous wine collection. Tell your guests specifically that you are calling them over to taste wine, not stuff them with your grandmother’s specially created dishes! It would therefore also be a good idea to host the wine party in the evening, say between 5pm and 7pm so your guests will know it isn’t a dinner party.

However, if you are serving some food, make the selection carefully. Serve some cheese and crackers with your white and rosé wines, some savoury finger food with your reds and some decadent chocolates with the dessert wine.

Wine parties are not like ordinary parties where people stand in their own clusters and chat. A wine party usually engages all the guests in a common conversation that in most cases revolves around wine. A sit down party, whether formal or informal, is always good at a wine tasting. If you are hosting a formal party, make sure you have a crisp table cloth, place mats, shining cutlery and different glasses for the different kinds of wine you plan to serve. For a casual gathering, you can keep the mood more informal and ask your friends to gather around your table with their wine glasses in hand. Flowers must be added to every wine table, whether it is formal or informal as the blooms add to the ambience and make it more elegant. Be creative with your own ideas and give the table your unique signatory style.

Do remember that the party involves our good friend, alcohol and a kind of alcohol that leaves stains! So keep enough tissues, baking soda (which helps removes wine stains), etc around. Also, try to get carpets and table cloths in darker shades so that you have less cleaning up to do later on. A few glasses may break, but don’t worry…the rich accolades that you will receive for hosting a fabulous party will more than compensate for them!