Whether Valentines Day means a romantic celebration, a chance to get together with friends, or an excuse to indulge in some seasonal treats, it’s a great time to throw a party and enjoy some wonderful wines. Valentines events can range from romantic to silly. Here are some great ideas for decorating, invitations, menus, and wine pairings no matter what your style.
Decorating
Setting the right mood for a party is all about decorations. Choosing a style, anything from sophisticated to playful, will help to determine the right decoration choices. For a lighter, more casual mood, choose a lot of pastel colors. Make garlands from children’s valentines cards, use heart shaped string lights, and make handmade conversation hearts with construction paper and custom sayings. Keep the food atmosphere equally light with dishes served buffet style in bright, heart shaped dishes.
For a more refined style, light the room with candles. Fill glass vases with red and pink glass beads, and decorate furniture with tasteful printed fabric in shades of red or subtle heart prints. Make place cards with handwritten names on high quality paper. For buffet style food service, choose gold or silver serving dishes. For a sit down meal, set the table with metallic candlestick holders, red or pink candles, and red chargers to highlight the dinner plates.
Regardless of your design style, it’s a great touch to send gusts home with a small favor. For more casual parties, send each guest home with a box of conversation hearts. Individual chocolate boxes make a great favor for more formal events.
Invitations
No matter what the party theme, it is important for guests to receive invitations as far in advance as possible. Depending on how web savvy guests are, invitations by email or through a site like eVite can be a quick, easy way to send our great looking invitations without spending any money. Making this an easy, hassle free step means more energy to put toward the complicated process of choosing your menu.
Menu
The food served at any party will determine what wines to serve. For buffet style parties, choose foods that are easy to pickup and eat while mingling. For an easy option with an unexpectedly sophisticated flavor, try these French Twist Pockets, which pair well with Sangria. Other great buffet choices include prosciutto wrapped melon slices, marinated olives, vegetable and cheese trays, and bruschetta.
For a seated meal, the options are endless. A savory salad topped with chicken, fig and gorgonzola pizza, roasted pork tenderloin, or Moroccan tilapia. Serve sides like roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes or polenta. No matter what menu you choose, give a nod to the holiday by finishing off with chocolate.
Serve a platter of individual chocolates, make impressive single serving chocolate orange soufflés, or serve a store bought chocolate cheesecake. The chocolate course is the best time to really show off how well wine and chocolate can pair.
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