How to host the world's easiest wine tasting

Few among us are expert wine tasters, but plenty among us are expert wine drinkers. To host a wine tasting party that is fuss-free, simply tell each of your guests to bring his or her favorite wine. For small gatherings, consider asking each guest to bring both a favorite red and a favorite white. For larger gatherings, consider asking people to bring two bottles of a single wine so that there is enough to go around. Ultimately, the point of this party is to have a good time with friends and try new wines, not to become Sommeliers.

“What is the definition of a good wine?
It should start and end with a smile.”
~William Sokolin

As hostess, you simply provide the party's food and enough glasses for each guest. You'll also want to provide a "dump bucket" so that guests can pour out any wines they don't like. Purists will tell you not to rinse the glasses with water in between tastings, but you may want to provide a pitcher of water for your guests. (If not, be sure to start with light wines and work your way up to darker wines so that you don't overwhelm the palate or your glasses!)

If possible, ask your friends to e-mail you before your party with the names of the wines they'll bringing. Then, simply copy and paste the names into one central document. If you're feeling fancy, split the document into two columns—one for whites and one for reds. By providing your guests with a list of the wines they're sampling, your friends will have a chance to take notes about why they liked or disliked certain wines. (Bonus: Even if your friends get tipsy and forget what they're drinking, they'll have the notes to refer back to the next time they're out wine shopping.)

Easy New Year's Eve party ideas

New Year's Eve is a great night for parties, but with the rush of Christmas, many folks forget about the New Year until the last minute!

If you're one of those folks, don't worry! There's still time to plan an informal gathering with friends. Here are some easy New Year's Eve party ideas that won't require much prep work.

• Host a board game night.
  With the TV on in the background (so you don't miss the dropping ball!), you and your guests can entertain yourselves with a variety of multi-player games. For game suggestions, check out two related articles: The best board games for a game-night party and The best card and tile games for a game night.
  
  
• Get a thumb workout with a video game party.
  Maybe you prefer a more 21st Century gaming get-together. Invite your friends over for a night of partying with the Playstation or working out with the Wii. Consider leaving out some handheld games as well, so that people can have some solo shots at games like 20Q, Hangman, and Simon.
  
  Another helpful hint? Ask friends to bring extra controllers with them so more people can play at once. And if you have access to more than one TV, you can even borrow another gaming console for twice the fun.
  
  
• Class up the joint with a cocktail party.
  Have your friends dress up in their finest and invite them over for cocktails. You can serve a signature cocktail or a variety of drinks and nosh on bite-sized treats. Party prep is easy with the 15-Minute Party Planner's guide to Buying booze: easy drink calculations.
  
  
• Extend Christmas with a "regifting" party.
  Maybe you got two copies of the same DVD this Christmas and your vegan friend received a sausage and cheese gift basket. Tell guests to re-wrap a present that was less than a perfect match; when they bring the gifts to the party, everyone can participate in a Yankee Swap. Who knows? You may receive a new treasure!
  
  
• Get funky with a crazy hat/ugly sweater/color-themed party.
  It's easy to host a bash with a wacky, but simple theme. Have your guests come wearing their favorite (or most outlandish) hats, ugly holiday sweaters, or all black (or other color of choice). Set up a corner with a fun backdrop, themed-props, and encourage people to document their goofy outfits on camera.
  

Free giveaway: Fantastic cocktail recipe book!

Because the 15-Minute Party Planner has been on a bit of a hiatus, it’s time to come back full-force with a giveaway! Since the 15-Minute Party Planner is all about the belief that party planning should be quick and easy, I've selected a great book, Fantastic Cocktails & Mixed Drinks, which shows the reader step-by-step directions to producing delightful cocktails. And, because the book is broken down by the type of spirits featured, it’s a great resource for any 15-minute party planner, who won’t be running to the store to stock up on crazy ingredients.

I’d like to reward my faithful following with this giveaway! I’d also like to boost readership and comeback full-force. So, if you’d like to win, here are the rules:

• The contest is open to everyone. You’ll get one entry just for leaving a comment on this blog with your favorite quick-and-easy party planning tip.
  
• You’ll get additional entries for each of the following (just note which ones apply in your comment on the post):
  +2 entries for becoming a fan (or having already been a fan) of The 15-Minute Party Planner on Facebook
  +2 entries for following ITandO on Twitter
  +5 for reposting this contest announcement on a social networking site (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) Just send me the link for your announcement! (And sorry, but only the first post on each site counts for the extra points.)
  
  
• Once all of the entries are in, I'll give each entry a number and then feed them into an online random-number-generator. The entrant whose number corresponds with the generated number will be the winner!
  
  
• Of course, in order to get you your prize in a timely fashion, I’ll need a way to contact you. Please provide your e-mail address, website/blog contact page, or some other way to contact you, provided you win.
  
  
• The contest ends Saturday, August 21st at 11:59 p.m. EST.
  

Good luck!

Stocking the perfect party bar

It's much easier to be a 15-minute party planner when you have the appropriate tools and supplies at the ready. This article on stocking a party-ready bar is the first of a three-part series on the supplies every prepared party planner should have on hand.

Alcohol
There are hundreds of beers, wines, and spirits out there, but what you stock for booze is a matter of personal preference. Keep just a few basics on hand so that you're always ready to party.

The 15-Minute Party Planner recommends:

• A few bottles of white wine
  Chardonnay is the most popular white and Gewürztraminer is an pleasingly aromatic white and something your guests may not have tried before.
• A few bottles of red wine
  Merlot and Cabernet are red wines that are likely to please any guest.
• Gin
  Combine gin with dry vermouth and you're on your way to a basic martini!
  
• Vodka
  Vodka mixes with practically everything. Try a flavored variety for a little pizazz.
  
• Tequila
  Nothing says summer like a margarita, and nothing says margarita like tequila.
• Beer
  This is a matter of personal preference, but keeping two different kinds of beer on hand will keep you party-ready (and you can always use a bottle or two to dress up recipes).

Mixers
Keep a few of these on hand to mix up cocktails in no time.

• A citrus soda (like Sprite)
• Cola
• Fruit juices (try orange or cranberry)
  
• Grenadine
• Seltzer/tonic

Garnish
It's easy to keep simple food and non-food items in your cupboards and refrigerator to garnish drinks. A little garnish turns a simple drink into a fancy cocktail. For food items try cherries, lemon slices, lime wedges, mint, olives, orange slices, etc. Non-food items you should stock include swizzle sticks, drink umbrellas, and sword picks.

Tools
You've got the liquids and garnish out of the way, but what about the tools? If you have an official bar area at home, feel free to go fancy. Otherwise, you can certainly keep the basics in a simple container.

• Book of cocktail recipes
  Mr. Boston's Official Bartender's Guide is a classic, and The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender, with 500 Recipes is another popular book. If you're getting ready for a party, flip through your guide in advance to choose a signature cocktail, then pick up any necessary supplies before the party.
• Bottle opener
• Corkscrew
• Jigger
  This tool is used for measuring liquor and is small enough to be stuffed in a drawer.
  
• Mixing glass
  Try one with measured lines and/or easy drink recipes, like this one.
• Shaker
  

Accessories
Having the appropriate glasses and bar paraphernalia will set you up to look classy. Try having a variety of the following items on hand:

• Coasters
  The 15-Minute Party Planner loves these, since they make a great conversation piece!
• Cocktail napkins
  Keep a few different kinds on hand from classy to quirky to themed.
  
• Highball glasses
  You'll use highball glasses for most cocktails.
• Martini glasses
  Martini glasses also make cute dessert dishes!
• Old-fashioned glasses
  These short, wide glasses are meant to hold any drinks ordered "on the rocks".
• Wine glasses
  There are differently-shaped glasses for different kinds of wine, but something like these are multi-purpose.
  

Buying booze: easy drink calculations

Figuring out how much food and drink to buy for a party is part art and part science. For the science bit, check out the industry standards below:

At a regular party (we're not talking frat parties and keggers, here), assume that your guests will have two drinks during your party's first hour and then a drink per person per hour.

If, for instance, you're expecting 20 guests at a four-hour party, you'll need about 100 servings of alcohol. Here's the breakdown:

• 20 guests x 2 drinks (for the first hour) = 40 drinks
• 20 guests x 1 drink (for each hour following the first) x 3 hours (party's remaining time)= 60 drinks
• Total drinks = 100
  

And what's even easier than doing the math yourself? Typing the number of guests you expect and the length of the party into a handy drink calculator like this one from Evite or That's The Spirit! This is the 15-Minute Party Planner, after all; we don't want anything to take longer than it has to.

Once you've got the booze figured out, you'll also want to ensure that you have enough food to keep people from getting too buzzed. Click the links to ensure responsible drinking and minimize drunken guests at your next party and for tips on stocking the perfect home bar.