• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • RECIPES
  • TRAVEL
  • SAN DIEGO
  • LIFESTYLE
  • ABOUT
    • SHOP

BriGeeski

menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • TRAVEL
  • SAN DIEGO
  • LIFESTYLE
  • ABOUT
    • SHOP
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • TRAVEL
    • SAN DIEGO
    • LIFESTYLE
    • ABOUT
      • SHOP
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home

    Modified: Jul 19, 2019 Published: May 29, 2014 · by BriGeeski 11 Comments

    How to Host a Summer Wine Tasting Party

    One of my absolute favorite things to do is host a party. Since summer is just about here I wanted to share how to host a summer wine tasting party. I got the chance to collaborate with Mirassou Winery and Melissa's Produce to bring this party to life. I picked up a few other items from Fresh & Easy for the finishing touches on the food. If you are looking to host a fun and casual wine tasting party, I've got everything you need right here!

    How to Host a Summer Wine Party

    How to Host a Summer Wine Tasting Party

    1. Pick a Theme : Stick with one to two themes or a color palate. It's easy to get carried away with different wine party themes. I tried to stick with rustic and bright. I used very simple items such as lunch bags and craft paper details with pops of color.
    2. Send Invites : There are so many fun customizable invites available now. I ended up making mine a Facebook event photo since it was a small party. You can always purchase invites really inexpensively like this one.
    3. Plan a Menu : I recommend planning an easy menu if you want to be able to enjoy the party yourself. I hate when I don't make enough time to get food prepped before a party and feel like I am cooking the whole time. The point of a party is to enjoy the company you're with.
    4. Choose the Wines : Select at least 4 wines for a wine tasting party. It's best to do two whites and two reds. You could always add in something sparkling or a rose for something a little different. Try to select wines that you feel will taste well with the food you serve.
    5. Get Decorations Ready Early : Make sure you have all your decorations planned a week before the event. Then one day before the event you can get all the decorations up and not have to worry about it the day of the event.
    6. Prep : Get all the food prepped one day prior or the morning of the event. The menu I selected was pretty easy. I assembled the jalapeño poppers the day before so I just needed to heat them up right before the party started. Little things like chopping veggies or washing fruit can be done early too.
    7. Set Up: The set up is always my favorite part. It's when all the planning comes together. Once the decorations are up, the food is hot and the wine is opened it's time to : Enjoy! 

    How to Host a Summer Wine Party

    I sent invites out to just a few close friends and family. I really wanted to create a fun and easy summer wine party for about 10 people. All of this could easily done for more people.

    wine invite

    Wine and Figs, Summer Wine Party Decor

    How to Host a Summer Wine Party

    Mirassou Winery

    All of the wines we tasted were from Mirassou Winery. We sampled the Moscato, the Chardonnay, the Sunset Red and the Pinot Noir. I provided tasting notes (shown below) for all of the guests to view while we tasted the wines.

    White Wine Pour, Summer Wine Tasting

    The Moscato was a great wine to start with. It was very sweet but also very smooth. A tasting was just the right amount to get started with the evening. We then moved on to the chardonnay which was a party favorite.

    Wine Glass Name Tag Print Wine Tasting Notes

    After the chardonnay we moved on to the Sunset Red. It has hints of cherry and vanilla. Also smooth and sweet but more of a full body wine than the moscato. The pinot noir was last and was oh so delicious! It's still hard for me to decide if I'm a sunset red or a pinot noir lady. I am definitely more of a red gal.

    Red Wine, Summer Wine Tasting

    We paired up our wines with some tasty nibbles of different cheese, fresh grapes, figs and meat.

    Nothing goes better with wine than cheese Mirassou Wine Tasting Party Wine & Cheese! Summer Wine Tasting Party

    Dinner Menu

    Meat and Cheese Board
    Spring Salad with dried cherries, blackberries, goat cheese and pecans
    Papaya Sausage Jalapeño Poppers (recipe below)
    Roasted Asparagus and shallot garlic potatoes
    Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Drums
    Tri Tip
    Chocolate Truffles and Dark Chocolate Squares

    Spring Salad with dried cherries and blackberries

    Roasted Potatoes from Melissa's Produce

    Fresh Produce for a Summer Wine Party from Melissa's Produce

    How to Host a Summer Wine Party

    Papaya Sausage Jalapeño Poppers Recipe

    I had planned on making traditional jalapeño poppers but somehow I spaced on picking up bacon so I substituted with sausage. I added a little dried papaya for sweetness. These papaya sausage jalapeño poppers were a bit of an accident but they turned out amazing and everyone asked for the recipe.

    Papaya Sausage Jalapeño Poppers

    Ingredients
    10 Jalapeños (Melissa's Produce) sliced in half and deseeded
    8 oz Cream Cheese softened
    ½ cup of Mozzarella Shredded Cheese
    1 Cooked Chicken Sausage Link
    2 Dried Papaya Sticks

    Chop sausage link and papaya sticks into ¼ inch squares. Mix with cheeses together in a medium bowl. Stuff into sliced jalapeños. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 F.

    DIY Background Decor

    How to Host a Summer Wine Party with tasting notes, wine recommendations and summer produce                                            Easy DIY Lemon Centerpieces

    Last minute I decided I needed some more color so I made these super easy DIY Lemon Centerpieces. My dad had brought over a bunch of lemons from the tree in his backyard recently. I sliced up the lemons, added them to ball jars and filled them with water. I tied a little twine to the top and placed them around the party.

    Summer Wine Party #BriGeeskiParty

    All of these amazing party photos were taken by Jessica Hammond, a family friend. It was so nice to have a friend there to take photos so I could really enjoy the party. She offered to snap a few family pics while we were all there and I was so happy she did. I hadn't realized it had been a little while since we had some good family photos taken.

    Family Fun at a Summer Wine Party

    Chalkboard Menu and Flower Favor

    A couple weeks before the party I told Mark that I wanted to make some sort of chalkboard menu. I headed to Target and found this cool 'menu' rub on decal. I found a piece of wood in our house left over from a recent home improvement project and painted it with black chalkboard paint. After I added the rub on 'menu' decal I hand wrote the menu with a chalkboard pen.

    Summer Wine Party, Chalkboard Menu

    Easy Flower Party Favors

    As a thank you for all the guests that came to the summer wine tasting party I made some easy DIY flower party favors. I found the containers in the dollar bin at target ($1 for 10 containers). I bought 2 flats of flowers from Home Depot for $3.99 each and made small thank you cards to tape to toothpicks for each favor. These little favors turned out so cute and are such an inexpensive way to say thank you. I loved the bright colors of the flowers.

    And last but not least... A Giant Thank You to our sponsors: Mirassou Winery and Melissa's Produce. I really had so much fun producing the first #BriGeeskiParty and I hope to have many more!

    Enjoy! Bri

    Photos by Jessica Hammond. I received wine and produce as media consideration. All opinions are my own. 

    More PARTIES

    • Halloween Treat Bar
      Spooky Halloween Treat Bar for the Kiddos
    • Trick or Treat Station Printables
      Trick-or-Treat Station Halloween Party Printables
    • Whale Themed First Birthday Party
    • Minions Movie Night Party

    Share or Save!

    2 shares
    • Facebook
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ann says

      May 29, 2014 at 3:23 pm

      This looks so pretty & fun! I love Mirassou; and those stuffed poppers sound really good--who would have thought of papaya (not me!)

      Reply
      • BriGeeski says

        May 31, 2014 at 2:08 pm

        Thank you Ann! I love Mirassou Wines. The papaya peppers turned out great!

        Reply
    2. Cheri Smeal says

      May 29, 2014 at 5:19 pm

      Love all the pictures! Great party!

      Reply
      • BriGeeski says

        May 31, 2014 at 2:08 pm

        Thank you!!

        Reply
    3. Danielle says

      May 30, 2014 at 10:43 am

      You had me at wine and then you added delicious foods! Love this spread and the great ideas.

      Reply
      • BriGeeski says

        May 31, 2014 at 2:08 pm

        Thank you Danielle! I love a good wine tasting party!

        Reply
    4. Carrie says

      May 31, 2014 at 12:41 pm

      Beautiful photographs!

      Reply
      • BriGeeski says

        May 31, 2014 at 2:07 pm

        Thank you!!

        Reply
    5. Maggie Unzueta @ Mama Maggie's Kitchen says

      June 01, 2014 at 8:21 am

      How fun! This wine lover loves this post. 🙂

      Reply
    6. Lynn @ Oh-So Yummy says

      May 05, 2016 at 5:26 pm

      Ooh a fun post! That chalkboard menu is *FAB*. I need to have a wine party! Your redesign looks great btw! 🙂

      Reply
      • BriGeeski says

        May 05, 2016 at 7:22 pm

        Thank you so much! I appreciate your feedback.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Bri!

    Welcome to BriGeeski.com, a food and lifestyle blog featuring everyday recipes, travel ideas, things to do in San Diego and life as a mompreneur. I'm Bri, a wife, artist, mom of 2 kiddos (ages 13 & 9) and a creative director. Get your dose of inspiration here and enjoy!
    Order Our Cookbook, Cooking With Kids!
    xo

    More about me →

    Popular Posts

    • bake this banana bread
      Bake This Banana Bread Recipe for Kids
    • Easy Swedish Meatballs and Rice Recipe
      Easy Swedish Meatballs and Rice
    • vodka paloma
      Peach Vodka Paloma Cocktails
    • Easy Cottage Cheese Eggs For Breakfast
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • TikTok
    • Pinterest
    • X
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About BriGeeski
    • Published Work
    • Paint Parties
    • Design Portfolio
    • Logo Designs

    Newsletter

    • Join Email

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Privacy Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 BriGeeski