The Best Wines To Bring To A Dinner Party

Hi!

Hope you had a happy, healthy, and fun Thanksgiving! With the holidays in full swing and in-person gatherings at an all-time high, I am excited to partner with Cakebread Cellars to share some of the best wines to bring to a dinner party as well as some best practices/etiquette tips. 

If you’re looking for wines to bring for Thanksgiving or Christmas, check out this post! 

Shop my Estelle Colored Glassware seen in this post here.

Best Red Wines To Bring To A Dinner Party

I may be biased, but Pinot Noir is one of the best red wines! Pinot Noir is a light to medium-bodied red wine known for its notes of red fruits (like cherry, raspberry, and strawberries). sweet spices (like cinnamon), vanilla, and sometimes even mushrooms or forest floor. A good Pinot will be fruity and complex with smooth tannins and balanced acidity. It can pair well with pizza, cheeses, salmon, and truffle pasta. Pinot Noir is typically a crowd-pleaser on its own, but if you want to really wow your friends, bring this Anderson Valley Two Creeks Pinot Noir.

If you’re going to a dinner party where lots of meat dishes like steak, pork loin, or burgers are being served, you can’t go wrong with Merlot! Merlot is a medium to full-bodied red wine with medium tannins, and notes of red fruit (like red cherry and plum), black fruit (like blackberry and black cherry), chocolate, and vanilla, and medium acidity. I recently tried this Napa Valley Merlot and was so blown away by how rich, fruit-forward, and complex it was. It would be such a hit at any dinner party! 

Best White Wines to Bring To A Dinner Party

Did you know that Chardonnay is the most widely consumed white wine in the US? It’s one of the most versatile wine varieties out there and pairs well with so many different foods! The key is to pick a high-quality chardonnay that’s not too buttery, oaky, or overpowering. You’ll want to find a wine that’s bright, balanced, fruity, and creamy, preferably from a cooler climate region!

I love Cakebread’s Signature Napa Valley Chardonnay with notes of fresh citrus, green apple, vanilla, orange blossom, and white peach with floral notes, and a smooth, crisp, mineral and fruity palate. It has the perfect amount of acidity and will pair with everything from a spring salad to roast chicken and mac and cheese. 

PS- I know there are a lot of chardonnay haters out there, but I promise you this one will convert them!

How many bottles of wine should you bring to a dinner party?

As a rule of thumb, I never show up to anyone’s party or house empty-handed. Wine is pretty much always a good idea if you know the host drinks alcohol! For dinner parties, it’s always a good idea to bring two bottles of wine- one to have at the dinner and one for the host to enjoy later.

This will also allow you to bring two different wines (ex: one white, one red) if you’re not sure about their preferences!

Do you have a favorite wine you always bring to dinner parties? Let me know in the comments!

This post was brought to you by Cakebread Cellars. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cheers,