3 hours 15 to 20     label £45
At Home Wine Tasting Date Night Idea
One of my 23 for 2023 goals this year was to go on monthly dates with my husband. In January we went on zero dates…not off to a good start!! We quickly realized that since our kids are young and we don’t have a consistent babysitter that we better make at least some of them at home date nights. We decided to each plan one at home date each month (so two a month!) and if we got the opportunity to actually leave the house- great! But if not, at least we were still having some quality time together.
We also decided that an “at home date” needed to consist of something more than just watching a movie/show together. We wanted something that felt less typical and more intentional.
After making those distinctions, I’m happy to report that we successfully had two (fun!) at home dates in February. And one down in March. On a roll!
I wanted to share the at home wine tasting date that I planned (we actually did this in both February and March!) because we both enjoyed it so much. I spent a fair amount of time looking for ideas to execute this but wasn’t able to find much- so here is what we did in case you want to try it too!
Disclaimer: Drink responsibly and do this on a night when you are staying home and do not need to drive.
At Home Wine Tasting Date Night Supplies:
Wine: Since there were only the two of us, I didn’t want to purchase and open several full size bottles of wine. I ended up finding small 187 ml bottles to purchase here. I was going to buy one of their wine flights, but I happened to see that they had their advent calendar on sale. It was a little more spendy initially, BUT we could do FOUR (or more!) wine tastings with it, averaging out to ~$25 a date night. But like I mentioned, if you don’t want to spend that much, you could buy one of their more inexpensive wine flights! I’ve also seen split bottles of wine at World Market, Target and Total Wine & More. (Not at all sponsored or even affiliate links-just sharing what we used!
Labels: The first time I just DIYed this by cutting paper into thirds lengthwise and taping it on the bottle. It worked totally fine, but this time I decided to make printable labels so that I could easily print them out whenever we wanted to have an at home wine tasting date! (Printables are linked at the bottom of the post!)
Rating cards: Again, I DIYed this the first time, but you can download the free printable version so you don’t have to handwrite the same thing a dozen times like I did
List of wines: I jotted down the six wines that we tried so that we had some idea of what to choose from. The second time we did this, we also read a little more about each wine and jotted down the notes. This helped give us some guidance of what to look for.
How to Have an At Home Wine Tasting Date Night:
Before the date, print out the labels and tape them to the bottles so the original label is not visible (make sure you write a list of the types of wine to guess from before covering them up!). I used colorful paper so you couldn’t see through it. Then, print out a set of rating cards for each person participating & cut along the lines.
Open a bottle, split it between you and your partner and fill out the rating card after you are done with each one!
We either played a board game or did an at home paint night activity while we sipped. A charcuterie board or some good snacks are also a good additon.
After all the wines were tasted, we ripped off the labels and compared notes. The first time we did this, we got zero right (definitely not wine connoisseurs lol). The next time we each got a few right! But correct, or not, it was still fun to guess!
(You obviously don’t have to guess- but it made it a little more fun, in our opinions!)
I think that is it- let me know if I missed something!
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At Home Paint Night Date
January 27, 2019
Paint and Sip Class
10k followers
ClassBento donates with every booking to
3 hours 15 to 20     label £45
What you’ll do
Always wanted to learn to paint? Want a place to meet new people in a friendly and relaxing environment? Try our paint and sip class in Bournemouth! Whether you’re a complete novice or looking to brush up on your artistic skills, you’ll experience the twin joys of painting and wine tasting, and let the stresses of the busy working week melt away.
Each session is different, being based around a curated selection from your friendly and knowledgeable teacher. After being guided through the process with handy tips and tricks, you’ll come away from your class with a brand new skill, plus your own interpretation of one of these iconic pieces to proudly display in your home.
What to expect at this paint and sip class in Bournemouth
You’ll be greeted at the venue by your friendly teacher and a glass of wine. After getting to know your fellow students, your teacher will introduce you to the artwork that serves as the inspiration for that day’s class, along with some basic techniques from brush selection to paint mixing. Then it’ll be time to pick up your brush and let the creative juices flow! You’ll be painting at your own pace, guided by your teacher with helpful hints to encourage your inner artist to emerge.
Wine is provided (of course!), but if you or anyone in your party doesn’t drink, no problem: we also provide delicious non-alcoholic alternatives. Painting and wine go hand in hand, allowing you to do something creative while relaxing and forgetting about your responsibilities for a mindful moment among friends.
The class is designed for beginners, but painters of all skill levels are welcome. Whether you’re looking for a group activity to do with friends, a creative team-building exercise for your workplace or for a guided lesson to brush up on your painting skills, our paint and sip class in Bournemouth is the perfect way to spend an evening.
Want more drinking and drawing? Check out our selection of paint and sip classes in Bournemouth for more arty inspiration.
Knowledge required
Perfect for beginners.
 
What you’ll get
All materials and your masterpiece to take home.
 
Suitable for
This class is great for a birthday or hen do.
Candy & Wine Pairings PLUS Spooktacular Tasting Ideas
Host your ghosts without fussing in the kitchen. Halloween Tastings are all about fun, so we’ve got some ideas that are short on prep time and long on fun. Think candy pairings, pumpkin painting and the spooky drama a little dry ice can bring! A spell-binding time will be had by all. Who says kids get to have all the fun on Halloween? Tasting #1: Spooky Sweets Fear not, ghouls and boys! Candy is dandy, yet with wine it’s divine. Let our handy candy & wine pairing chart be your guide, then map out your own candy tasting strategy and have a blast making it happen. 
Inspired by caramel apples, these juicy sweet and salty bites will have everybody coming back for more. Salted Caramel Dipped Grapes
Servings: 24 PAIRS WITH: Halcyon 2016 Pinot Noir INGREDIENTS: 1 pound Cotton Candy® grapes (40-50 grapes) washed and dried
1 package (11 ounces) caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
McCormick® Sea Salt Grinder (set to coarse setting)
Cotton Candy grapes are extra delicious; other fresh seedless green grapes also work well. DIRECTIONS: 1. Spear each grape with a toothpick. Set aside. 2. Microwave caramels and cream in small microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after every 30 seconds. 3. Dip each grape into melted caramel, allowing excess caramel to drip off. Place grapes on wax paper-lined tray. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt grinder. Refrigerate until caramel is set.
*Recipe and Photo Courtesy of McCormick & Company, Inc. Tasting #2: Pumpkin Painting Each guest gets 3 mini pumpkins and simple supplies (think paint, glitter and permanent markers). Everybody sips and paints to their hearts’ content. Vote on the favorite and the winner gets to take home a pumpkin treat. 
An easy treat for your Pumpkin Painting Tasting. Smoked paprika makes these crunchy sweet seeds extra tasty. Sweet and Smoky Pumpkin Seeds
Servings: 10 PAIRS WITH: Gemme Cellars 2016 Gewürztraminer INGREDIENTS: 2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet™ Organic Paprika, Smoked
1 egg white DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Spread pumpkin seeds in single layer on greased foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until pumpkin seeds are dry. 2. Mix sugar and smoked paprika in small bowl. Set aside. Beat egg white in large bowl until foamy. Add dried pumpkin seeds; toss to coat. Gradually add sugar mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Spread seeds in single layer on same baking sheet. 3. Bake 1 hour, stirring seeds after 30 minutes. Cool slightly then break apart. Cool completely. Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks. *Recipe and Photo Courtesy of McCormick & Company, Inc. Tasting #3: Haunted Vineyard Love it scary? Create a dark, cobweb-draped “vineyard” cellar. Candles in wine bottles, “grapevines” on the walls, goblins and bones and whatever you dare. For extra drama, serve dry ice in the wine. Read on for dry ice how-to’s. 
Sit for a spell and sip a glass of wicked brew. Adding Dry Ice to Wine You can easily add dry ice to an individual glass of wine or cocktail. It’s inexpensive, fairly easy to find and also safe when you know a few important things. So for everyone’s safety, before you venture into the world of dry ice, please read up on it in this helpful article from Tablespoon.com Hallo-Wine Song Sampler 
No bones about it, whatever you do for Hallo-wine, you’re going to need tunes. So get ghoulish with our spookified song sampler. For more creative ideas on decor, recipes and inspiration to celebrate Halloween, check out our “Harvest” board on Pinterest and be sure to follow us!
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