Holiday hosting can be a bit – how do we say this lightly… stressful. You’re looking to appease a wide variety of tastes and preferences, plus you want your holiday experience to be both smooth and memorable.
Check your holiday hosting to-do list, then check it twice with this handy dandy holiday hosting checklist.
How to Prepare for Holiday Hosting
1. Take the Bright Cellars quiz to get wine recommendations in time for the holidays.
Shopping for holiday wine at the grocery store or even your local liquor store can be nothing short of nightmarish. Imagine - you’re standing in the aisles wondering to yourself “would Uncle Tom prefer a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Pinot Noir?” "Is Aunt Judy a red drinker or white drinker?"
Let Bright Cellars take the guesswork out of your holiday hosting with a customized wine experience. You can always order more of the wine you like, and our personal Wine Concierges can work with you to create the ultimate holiday assortment. Reds, whites, and the like, for Uncle Tom, Aunt Judy, and whoever else is attending your festivities.
Just take our quick 7-question quiz, and get customized wine recommendations delivered to your door!
2. Decide on the menu so you can pair your wines accordingly.
Establishing the menu early on can also inform which wines you’re more inclined to serve. There are certain wines that bode well for winter, and there are certain wines that are Thanksgiving musts (Pinot Noir, we’re looking at you!)
Will you cook with wine? Which wines pair best with Thanksgiving sides? Whether your family celebrates Hannkuah or Christmas, think of Glass Half Full as your go-to resource for all things pairing.
3. Consider if you’d like to serve a festive wine cocktail.
A glass of wine usually hits the spot, but there’s something festive and fun about whipping up a seasonal wine cocktail to impress your guests and keep the good vibes flowing. Mulled wine is a classic around this type of year, as the weather turns cold and fireplaces are sparked. Explore other cocktail ideas like apple cider mimosas, and our new seasonal obsession - red wine hot chocolate.
4. Invest in proper glassware.
We recommend universal wine glasses, simply because your guests are free to switch from white to red without the dishes piling up for later. If you’re curious about which wine glass you should be using, check out this informative post. Yes, the right wine glass can actually elevate your tasting experience!
The Day Before
1. Chill your wine overnight.
If you’re planning on serving white wine, remember to chill accordingly. If you do forget to toss your wine in the fridge, here are some foolproof hacks to chill your wine fast.
2. Brush up on your wine facts.
It’s likely one of your friends or relatives will inquire about the wine you're serving. Glass Half Full to the rescue! Check out the wine cards that come with your Bright Cellars box. In fact, we recommend keeping them out for your friends and family to peruse so everyone learns as they sip!
Oh, and don’t worry about mispronouncing names of wines or not knowing everything about the varietal.
Here are a few blog posts to get you started:
- Wine Name Pronunciation: How to Say Wine Words
- Red Wine for Beginners
- 27 Wine Trivia Questions
- 9 Things to Know About Cabernet Sauvignon
- Sparkling Wine 101
3. Ensure any glassware, decanters, or aerators are clean and ready for showtime. Don’t forget the corkscrew!
There’s truly nothing worse than a bottle of wine with no way to open it. (If you do forget your corkscrew, here are a few ways to jimmy it open without causing a scene at family Christmas.) Better to avoid this scenario and ensure all your wine accessories are sparkly clean and ready for action!
The Day Of
1. Serve every glass with a smile
Yep, that's all the advice we have for you. After all, you’re all here to enjoy the wine and the company. Remember to drink in the moment, and if you take any photos with Bright Cellars wine, be sure to tag us on social media!
The Beauty of Bright Cellars
Let Bright Cellars take the hustle and bustle out of the holidays. Skip the panic trip to the grocery store and let Bright Cellars set you up with the perfect holiday box.
If you haven’t taken the quiz yet, do that first.
If you’d like to order more wine for the holidays (which we highly suggest!), you can do that by emailing concierge@brightcellars.com. Our Wine Concierges will work with you to order more of your top rated wines or put together the perfect box to appeal to everyone’s tastes (even Uncle Tom and Aunt Judy.)
In Vino Finito
Will you be using this list as you prepare for the holidays? Let us know in the comments!
