How to Prep for Your Upcoming Wine Tasting!


I’m excited for your upcoming wine tasting!

Thanks again for hosting a Wine Tasting. I am excited to see you and meet your friends.  I know everyone will have a blast.  I’ve put together this info for you as a reference.  It’s a lot of information, but will serve as a good tool as you prepare for your tasting!  

Next Steps….

Your invitation has been created for you to invite all your friends to the tasting.  You’ll want to get it sent out ASAP so guests can mark their calendars right away! If you need help with this, please let me know, I am happy to assist you. In my experience, the best-attended events often occur when the host sends out an invitation then follows up with a personal phone call/text message as a reminder. 

Typically, about 1/2 of your invitees will attend.  So, in order to keep the group lively, feel free to invite many (20-25 is a great number to invite).  The sampler will comfortably serve up to 14, but a group of 10 is ideal.

You’ll want to check in with each guest who cannot attend and invite them to host a tasting of their own or place an order to help maximize your rewards!


On the night of the tasting, I will arrive 30 minutes before your guests to set up and make sure we have everything we need. You can expect the tasting portion of the evening to last approximately 60 minutes, but the party doesn’t have to end when I’m done! Here is a suggested shopping list that will make your tasting simple and easy:  

  • Cheeses – Havarti, Gouda, Cheddar
  • Dark Chocolates
  • Strawberries or Kettle Chips (if strawberries are not in season)
  • Small Paper Plates & Napkins 

All the cheeses and chocolates I suggested are readily available at your local grocer. Each guest will receive a small bite of each, so there is no need to buy large quantities. 1-2 ounces per person is typically enough.  If time allows, please have all of the cheeses cut up and left in zip lock baggies. When I arrive I will take care of helping you plate the cheeses on each guest’s plate so they will have everything they need to begin the tasting.

  1. The winery will be shipping the wine for the tasting directly to you. You should receive it a few days prior to your tasting.  If you do not receive it one week prior to your tasting, please contact me IMMEDIATELY!
  2. When you receive the box, open it, check all the wines, and post a picture to Facebook!  You will also receive a white envelope in your package.  Please just set that aside for me.
  3. The day of your tasting, chill all the wines (yes, even the reds) for at least 3 hours prior to your tasting.  Please remove the red wines from the refrigerator one hour before the start time to bring them to the proper temperature for serving.  I will take care of opening all the wines.
  4. Please make sure you have a wine glass for each guest.  If you do not, please let me know so I can bring some with me.  However, I will need to take them with me after the tasting, so please be prepared with a backup for each guest to continue to enjoy the wine with you after I leave.
  5. No other drinks should be served before or during the tasting, other than water. 
  6. It is very important that you tell your guests to be on time and to leave the kids at home with a babysitter. This is a guided tasting for adults only, and not a drop in party.  All guests must be 21 or older.
  7. Our wine tasting presentations are exclusive. We ask that our wine tastings are not paired with another direct selling company or presentation. Your guests expect a wine tasting, and we want to be respectful of that.
  8. Every guest may have ONLY 1 oz. from each bottle during the tasting.  When the orders have been collected and the tasting has ended, the wine is yours to keep and share with your guests if you choose.
  9. Your wine tasting will close no later than 7 days after the original date. All outside orders and bookings from guests who could not attend will need to be processed by then.  My goal is to find a great home for 2-3 cases of our boutique wines.  We accept all major credit and debit cards. Your Independent Wine Consultant cannot accept cash.

At WineShop At Home, we like to celebrate and reward our hosts!  I hope you’ve already begun putting together your wish list and thinking about the rewards you’d like to take advantage of at your upcoming wine tasting.  They really are the best savings in the industry, and we pride ourselves on showing our hosts that YOU ARE THE TOPS!

In addition to the fabulous deal you get on the tasting sampler and the additional “thank you” bottle of wine, here are some of the discounts you’ll receive the night of your tasting:

  1. You can choose up to 2 items at 50% off:  choose from our Artisan Wine Club Membership (first shipment only), a set of our Italian Crystal Stemware, one of our exclusive decanters, or our monthly discounted item.
  2. You can earn up to $100 off your order at the tasting – more guest sales = more savings!
  3. With each guest who books their own tasting (up to 3 bookings), you’ll earn ANOTHER item at 50% off!

Click HERE to see the details about our current perks!


By the way, one of the ways I build my business is also by building a team of people who enjoy doing what I do. Most do this part time, some for the extra income, $500-$1000 a month, some for the tax benefits, for travel, some just to learn more about, and drink more wine and be social.  If you know someone who might be a good fit, please invite them to see what the tastings are all about.  It might even be something you’ve considered yourself.  Your friends will love this experience as much as you, and they’ll want to book their own wine tastings!  I’d love to talk about the possibility of helping you launch a new wine business from your very own tasting if you’d like to pursue this idea with no obligation.

Click here if you’re ready to learn more!


In order to maintain the discounted Host Sampler price, a host/hostess is asked to hold the wine tasting on the date in which the sampler was selected for. Additional fees may be applied for cancellations and rush orders within two weeks of the wine tasting date or after the tasting sampler has shipped out. 

Once a sampler has been shipped it either must be poured at the scheduled guided wine tasting or: 

•  Shipped back to the winery at the host/hostess shipping expense plus a $20.00 restocking fee. 

•  The host may choose to keep the wine and pay the full retail price of the wines in that sampler plus tax and shipping. The sampler generally retails for approximately $120.00-$150.00 depending on the wines. 


We understand sometimes things happen that are outside of your control.  There is no charge for rescheduling the tasting within 2 weeks of the original date OR if there are any date changes made prior to the shipment of the host sampler which is approximately two weeks before the wine tasting date.