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How to Choose Wine for a Dinner Party: A Simple Guide
How to choose wine for a dinner party: match the wine to the main dish, add a white for the start and something sweet for after, and how much to buy.
How do you choose wine for a dinner party?
Start with the main dish.
Choose the wine for the main dish first, because most of the evening is spent on it. A Pinot Noir suits most mains, and a Sauvignon Blanc suits seafood and salads.
Then add one bottle for the start and one small sweet bottle for after.
Which wine goes with each course?
 Two Rivers Convergence SauvB |  Mud House Cnt Otg P/Noir 750ml |  Valdespino El Candado 375ml | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course | Starters | The main | Dessert |
| Good with | Seafood, salads, goat cheese | Salmon, chicken, lamb, mushrooms | Desserts and blue cheese |
| Serve | Well chilled | Slightly cool | Cool, in small glasses |
| Per glass | $4.20 | $4.40 | $11.60 |
| Price | $20.99 | $21.99 | $28.99 |
Two Rivers Sauv Blanc
Crisp and fresh, it wakes up the table.
Passionfruit and citrus with a crisp, clean finish. Pour it as people arrive.
- Grape
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Good with
- Seafood and salads
- Per glass
- About $4.20
Mud House Pinot Noir
Light enough for fish, with enough body for lamb.
Red berry fruit and a little spice, with fine tannins and a smooth finish. It suits most mains.
- Grape
- Pinot Noir
- Good with
- Almost any main
- Per glass
- About $4.40
Valdespino PX
A small bottle goes a long way.
Raisin, fig and caramel, rich and sweet. A 375ml bottle is two and a half full glasses, or a small pour each for a table of six.
- Style
- Sweet sherry (Pedro Ximénez)
- Good with
- Desserts and blue cheese
- Per glass
- About $11.60
How much wine do you need?
Half a bottle per guest, plus one spare.
A bottle pours five glasses. Some guests will drink less or nothing, so half a bottle each is a ceiling, not a target.
For six that is three bottles, plus a small sweet bottle for after. Serve food with every pour and keep water on the table.
The Classic gift box
Taking wine to a dinner party?
Choose a wine and we box it with treats, wrapped and delivered NZ wide.
- Includes
- Chocolate, savoury nibble, something sweet
- You choose
- The bottle
Quick answers
Which wines for a dinner party?
A white for the start, a red that suits most food and something sweet for after.
How much wine per guest?
Plan on up to half a bottle each over a long dinner, and less if guests are driving. Serve water and food alongside.
What red goes with most food?
Pinot Noir. It is light enough for fish and full enough for lamb.
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