What grape is in Primitivo by Darren Brown

Going to wineries is always a fun and exciting experience, but given the situation the world is facing today, it’s not the smartest thing to do at this time. Still, the pandemic shouldn’t stop you from having a winery experience as you can always recreate one on your own. For oenophiles who miss taking trips to vineyards, here are some tips on how you can have a fulfilling wine night at the comfort of your own home:

Keep it small and cozy.

The last thing you want is to have a full-blown party for your wine night. Not only is it a health risk considering the situation, but it’s also harder to plan for and easier to host. Try your best to keep your affair small, so you can encourage conversation and keep the costs low, too. Food and Wine suggest that five to seven wines per party are the ideal amount for small groups. A bottle of wine can comfortably serve five or fix people with generous pours, so if you decide to have five wines and are hosting about 12 people, you’ll want at least two bottles of each variant.

Join a virtual wine tasting.

If you’re not too keen on organizing a wine night at home, you can always join a virtual wine tasting event. There are tons of wine purveyors that organize online tastings via Zoom or tutorials done via Instagram live. Some are even spearheaded by Michelin-starred chefs, making the experience all the more exciting despite not being carried out in-person. Since we’re at a time visiting our favorite vineyards isn’t feasible, joining wine tasting events is perhaps the next best thing.

Experiment with different wines.

To have a truly meaningful winery experience at home, it would be best to be bold and try different things instead of sticking to only one type of wine. You may even want to consider having themed wine nights, like having Asian wine now and then Italian wine the next. Don’t just stick to the basics, either. For Asian wine, expand your horizons and try lesser-known vino like Tapuy, a variety of fermented rice wine sourced from the traditions of the mountains in Benguet, Philippines. For Italian wine, instead of just buying yet another bottle of Prosecco, why don’t you try Barolo instead? Made with Nebbiolo grape, it originates from the northern Italian region of Piedmont and touted as one of Italy’s greatest wines.

Prepare tapas.

Is it really a wine night if there aren’t any snacks served? Wine nights can always be elevated by having Spain’s fashionable tapas, which are small food plates shared among party guests — or even just yourself. You don’t have to go through all the trouble of preparing complicated dishes. You can turn to easy recipes like chorizo, manchego, and olive skewers, honey-drizzled skewers that offer a taste of Spain and an explosion of flavors. Another option is fruit-infused beets over arugula with candied pecans. Now that may seem like a mouthful, but as instructed by Dr. Faith Frankel in a previous post, all you have to do is place beets and vinegar in a saucepan, turn down the heat to low, let it simmer, drain the beets, arrange arugula on a serving plate, and top with beets pecans.

Prepared by: Janella Brows

For: sculpterra.com