As a parent of two young children, gone are the days (or should I say nights) out on the town until two in the morning, dancing and drinking with friends. These have been replaced with family movie nights, playing card games and earlier bedtimes, as we all know kids don’t grasp sleeping in the morning after mom and dad have had a night out.
I recently celebrated turning another year older and decided a night out wasn’t really on my wish list. However, marking the occasion with a couple mom friends was. So I put together what I called “Mom’s Night In” and hosted a blind wine tasting.
If you haven’t done a blind wine tasting before, let me tell you, you are missing out. They are very easy to execute and extremely fun to partake in. In the past, I have done them for my dad’s 60th birthday and my best friend’s bachelorette party. I usually choose a region known for it’s wine and get 4 – 6 bottles that vary in price point (usually from around $10 to $35). Pair the wine up with an assortment of meat, cheeses and fruit and you are set up for a pretty fabulous evening.
In prepping for this little tasting party, I decided to try out Everything Wine, as I had heard great things about them from a friend. They are one of BC’s wine leaders, with four stores, including a new beautiful location in Vancouver at the River District. Their spaces are welcoming, well organized and staffed with wine experts that can help you find exactly that you are looking for.
More importantly, if you can’t make it to the store, Everything Wine offers online ordering. Yes, you heard me right…you can order wine on their website and it can be delivered straight to your door! As a busy mom of two, anything that can make my life more efficient is right up my alley. Especially if it involves wine.
I tried out their online ordering system and I was highly impressed by it’s ease of use. The Everything Wine website was straightforward and easy to navigate. While I love to drink wine, it is usually gifted to me or I go with my usual favorites. What I liked about the site was the search function. I could enter a price point, region and wine type and it would generate a list of wines I could choose from to add to my cart. It also offered up suggestions about other brands I may like based on my choices.
For my Mom’s Night In, I placed an order for 4 bottles of red wine from around British Columbia. I tried to keep the flavoring similar, selecting a couple Cabernets and a couple blends, yet ensured they were different price points. It is always fun to see which wine guests rate highest without knowing the price or brand. Once the wine arrived (again right to my front door within a day of ordering), I gave each bottle a number and covered them with labels I created from brown craft paper (you can print your own labels using my printable below). 
I did a simple table setup with a bit of greenery and seasonal décor. Once my friends were settled, they were each given a tasting card I created (see the free printable below), where throughout the night they could take notes and rate the wines they were enjoying. Of course, if they thought the wines were top notch, they could fill in 5 out of the 5 bottles on their card. If they felt otherwise, they could rate them lower.
It was a wonderful evening full of delicious wine and food paired with great conversations. Between the four of us, it was hard to determine what we felt was the best wine of the night. Nonetheless, as mothers, we sure did enjoy some of the names. Because after a long day, who doesn’t want to indulge and just say “Screw It”.
So with the holidays coming up, I urge you to do you own wine tasting and more importantly, check out Everything Wine for all your needs. Just think how easy hosting guests come Thanksgiving and Christmas becomes when you can select your wine online and have it delivered! Cheers to simplicity!
You can enter to win a $50 gift card for Everything Wine and get a head start on your holiday entertaining list. Simply check out the ways to enter below. Several easy ways to enter!
FREE PRINTABLES
A huge thanks to my friend Melissa, of Petite Littles, who assisted with styling and photography.
*Please note this post was in partnership with Everything Wine
