Tasting Party: Wine, Cheese and Chocolate

Want to host an intimate get-together? Don't let tight quarters, small budgets or your less than fine china dishware hold you back! Instead, consider hosting a tasting party. This quick, casual-chic and affordable alternative to the elaborate sit-down dinner, is becoming increasingly popular among single adults.

Given the do-it-yourself trend, a bevy of service providers and products have emerged which help facilitate and manage events of this nature. From wine and cheese to chocolate, here are some resources to help you get started:

Wine Tasting: For at-home comfort, The Traveling Vineyard will bring wine tastings to your living room. Founded in 2002, the company has a fleet of connoisseurs who can appear on-site complete with bottles of wine and a professional lesson in tasting. If what you are seeking is a less sophisticated approach, there are a host of tasting kits available online such as The Swill Wine Tasting and Club Starter Kit that will get you through the night. We also found a wine tasting game from BlindWine but we warn you that the kit comes with invitations for 6 couples only!

Cheese Tasting: If you are looking to throw an impromptu party, a cheese-tasting evening is the perfect affair. All you need is a selection of artisan cheeses (no more than 4 cheeses should be served at one sitting), bread or crackers, and wine. You may also want to include fresh or dried fruits, toasted or spiced nuts, and other accompaniments. When choosing your assortment, it is best to have a variety in texture, taste and appearance. Just ask for some recommendations at your local cheese shop or have a pre-made assortment delivered to your home in advance from one of the online gourmet stores like Artisanal Cheese or iGourmet. Keep in mind that cheese should be served at room temperature and sampled from mildest to strongest.

Chocolate Tasting: Who doesn't love chocolate? And now that we know it comes with health benefits, it's time to celebrate. Just last Christmas, Heidi a self-proclaimed chocoholic from Boston, embraced her passion for sweets rather than book reading and initiated a chocolate lovers club. Now a group of eight friends gather once a month for a sampling of confections from the most luxurious truffles and hand painted ganaches to candy bars from mass merchandisers such as Nestle, Cadbury and Hershe. For a more educational approach, you can always enlist the services of a professional choclatiers – many of them have started to make house-calls. In addition to tasting, you and your friends can expect to learn about the history of chocolate, the chocolate manufacturing process, what to look for in good quality chocolate, and even the health benefits of chocolate.