By Adriana Krstic
Do you like dining out in a beautifully designed restaurant with a well-priced menu, stellar wine list, and flawless service?
Who doesn’t?
The inconvenience of shopping, cooking, and cleaning up is avoided as you catch up with friends or colleagues, discuss a business opportunity, eat, drink, and go home.
It’s fun, but is it really special?
You can do the same things with a meal at home — and while it will take more effort, it often ends up being a much more distinctive experience. True, it takes planning and work to execute a dinner (or lunch) party for eight or more, but it certainly can be more memorable while fostering connections no restaurant outing can deliver.
It can help build lasting relationships or close a deal in an unforgettable, warm setting. Many important business decisions are made over lunch and dinner — yet no MBA courses are taught on the subject.
As a certified sommelier and consultant who has developed an expertise in wine pairing, I have seen the power of the home dinner party to inspire and create lasting memories. Here are some tips for hosting an event that will rival that of the best restaurant:
- Open with a bang: Set the tone by serving something special at the beginning. Pop that bottle of bubbly you have been saving, or create a signature cocktail, giving it a catchy name. It will be a great conversation starter. But limit the cocktail hour — you want people to converse and enjoy the dinner, not get too full at the beginning.
- Create “stations”: Set up a few finger food platters in different parts of the room to encourage guests to move around and meet new people.
- Music, lighting, candles, and flowers make a difference: It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but presentation is key, and you want your guests to feel and look good. So, pull out your best china and elegantly serve fried chicken wings with a splash of decadent champagne.
- Serve wine in pairs: Once you sit down for dinner, serve wines in pairs. For example, serve the same grape from the United States and France and discuss the difference. This will add an educational dimension to the meal and encourage people to talk to each other.
- Go for size: For larger parties, consider impressive looking magnum-sized bottles (10 glasses versus the standard five). They generally age more gracefully, because they are exposed to a less oxygen, resulting in a more complex flavor profile. Plus, they look impressive!
- Employ salad management: If your menu includes a salad, avoid balsamic vinegar, which is too strong and overpowers a lot of delicate flavors. Instead, consider crisp greens with a light, lemon-based dressing. Take a cue from the French and Italians, and serve your salad after the main course; it will help with digestion and cleanse the palate.
- Consider a cheese course: Instead of serving cheese during the cocktail hour, offer a course with two or three bites of unusual cheeses from around the world. Pair it with an interesting wine or — better yet — Sherry or Madeira. These are some of the most underrated wines in the world.
- Pair simpler dishes with more complex wines, and vice versa: The spotlight should be on one or the other. I like serving pasta and meatballs with a killer Brunello or a grass-fed burger with a fantastic Zinfandel.
- Time your wines: Start with the best wines when the palates are not dulled by satisfied appetites. Finish with an interesting digestif or a dessert wine, like Amaro, Chartreuse, Port, or Sauternes. The dessert wine should always be as sweet or sweeter than the treat.
- Keep dessert light: By the time the dinner is over, nobody wants a big piece of cake. Make it fruity, light, and easy. Maybe a palate-cleansing sorbet or a piece of delicious chocolate?
- Give your guests a parting gift: A printed menu listing all the wines and their vintages (and maybe even a recipe from the evening) makes a lovely gift. A small bag of homemade cookies is a sweet reminder of an enjoyable evening.
People might forget what they ate, they might even forget that fabulous bottle you opened just for them, but they will never forget your effort and how special you made them feel at your table.
Santè!
Adriana Krstic is a certified sommelier, Court of Master Sommeliers consultant, writer, and travel and event planner.
