Recently a friend of mine had a food and wine party that was not only fun and exciting, but was a great exercise in wine and food pairing. She had everyone bring a dish and a wine that they thought would compliment each other. The food and wine were delicious. And the variety of selections made the party even more enjoyable. If your looking for a fun way to get friends together, a food and wine party is a sure ticket to gastronomique ecstasy. Here are some easy steps to follow when setting up a food and wine party.

Step 1 - Have enough white wine glasses and red wine glasses for all guests.

Step 2 - Be sure to have a couple water pitchers for rinsing and drinking. And a dump bucket for anyone who does not want to drink all the wines, or may not like a wine.

Step 3 - Have each guest bring an entrée or appetizer and a wine.

Step 4 - Start with the food and wine that are lightest in body and style and continue to work your way up to the most robust and full-bodied food and wine. End with your deserts and desert wines.

Step 5 - Quick sip on proper order of wines.(1-champagne or sparkling, 2-light bodied whites, 3-medium bodied whites, 4- full- bodied whites, 5- light bodied reds, 6- medium bodied reds, 7- full bodied reds, 8- desert wines). Remember you can find your body style on the wine label. The percent of alcohol by volume is an easy descriptor. Light bodied = 7% - 10.5%, Medium bodied = 10.5% - 12.5% and Full bodied = 12.5% and above.

Step 6 - Have each guest give a brief introduction on there food and wine they brought and why they think it’s a wonderful pairing.

Step 7 - Remember to have fun and enjoy yourself, because there is nothing better than friends, food and wine!