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6C THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
CollegeRECESS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2005
Swanky parties not so tough
LUKE MORRIIS
editor@kanean.com
KANEAN CORRESPONDENT
This weekend is another opportunity to party and if the large crowds, congested hallways and keg parties don't seem appealing it may be time for a different approach to drinking a wine party.
Typically, wine parties are associated with those who are monetarily stable, unlike most college students. Wine parties can fit perfectly into a college budget, though. The tricks are teamwork, shopping around and resourcefulness.
Dan Blomgren, owner of the two Cork & Barrel stores in Lawrence, said wines started at about $6, and quite a few decent wines were available for a little more than that.
Photo illustration by Mark Vierthaler
"If you're willing to spend about $10 per bottle, your options are endless." Blomgren said.
He also said that sharing the cost between all partners kept everyone's wallet happy.
"Typically, to help spread the cost out, everybody brings a bottle of wine," he said.
Each bottle of wine will fill about six glasses, Blomgren said. He also estimated that each person at the party drinks about three glasses of wine, about a half of a bottle per person.
President of the KU Culinary Club, Donald Gay, Omaha, Neb. senior said, "For all of those students that head straight to the keg on the weekends, a wine party is a nice change of pace. You're in a relaxed setting with friends instead of random people waiting in line with you at the keg."
Wine is not the only refreshment for guests to consume at a party. Both Gay and Blomgren agree that food is necessary.
"The food is not only meant for snacks, it's also a palette cleanser between wines," Gay said. "Sometimes, the flavors of the wines are enhanced, brought out and accented when certain foods are paired with them."
Gay recommended snacks such as cheese, chocolate, strawberries and olives. He said that it was important to avoid dry foods such as crackers.
Aside from the wine and food, utensils are very important when
organizing a wine party.
"The shapes of some wine glasses are specifically designed to enhance the wine they are meant for," Gay said. "Shape can affect how strong an aroma the wine gives, as well as how you actually sip the wine."
Dining trays, napkins, and plates are handy items as well.
Most wine party utensils can be found at kitchen stores, and wine glasses can be found at party stores.
With everything ready to serve, all that's missing is a place to have the party. Not just any abode will do. Everyone needs his or her personal space bubble.
Invite close friends over with instructions to bring their favorite wine, but check their snobby attitudes at the door.
"If you have 10 guests, then you need enough room for 10 people to feel comfortable," Blomgren said.
It's about creating an atmosphere that allows you to really savor the wine," Gay said. "Keep things informal. No fancy dress or sophisticated attitudes are needed, unless you want to do that for fun."
"It's not supposed to be about acting sophisticated or acting fancy;
While setup may not be a challenge, hosting such an event can have other stressful situations. Blomgren said that sometimes hosts think they need to know all about the wines at the party. He said he thought this was a misconception.
"If I'm going to host a beer party, I don't need to know where the hops came from," he said.
For information on drinks, Blomgren said Web sites like erobertparker.com provided profiles for most wines.
Gay had one extra piece of advice for would-be wine connoisseurs: "Don't forget a cork-screw. It happens a lot, and it's not good."
— Edited by Kellis Robinett
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