10 tips for the Perfect holiday wine party

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of NABISCO. The opinions and text are all mine. #NabiscoHolidayParties

The holidays are the perfect time to host a party for just you and your closest girlfriends. There’s nothing better than a fun wine tasting party to kick off the holidays and exchange gifts with your besties! Here are 10 Tips For The Perfect Holiday Wine Party!

1. Pick a date, set a guest list, and mail invites 6 weeks in advance. This first tip is a 3-in-1! It’s important to set the date early since the holidays are a busy time. Nailing down the guest list will help you get those invitations out early, so you have the best turn out for your holiday wine night!

2. Set a budget and create a wine list. Setting a budget is important because you can easily get carried away once you’re in the store. The number of wines you want to purchase depends on how many guests and how many different wines you would like to sample. The general rule of thumb is 2 ounces of wine per person. So for 8 to 10 guests, 1 bottle (750 ml) of each selection would give you plenty of wine.

3. To cut hostess costs, ask your guests to bring 1 bottle of their favorite wine to share with the party.

4. Keep the menu light, simple and fun. Serve appetizers, a variety of cheeses, and holiday-themed desserts. See the recipe for Melting Snowman Cookie Balls below. They are the perfect themed dessert for any holiday party!

5. Get creative with your party favors. Since you’re hosting a holiday wine tasting, why not gift your guests with snowflake wine stoppers! You can also get a little crafty and make holiday burlap wine bags with monograms.

6. Make a fun playlist. Ask each of your girlfriends what their favorite song is and make a playlist! That way you know everyone will have a favorite song and it may just get everyone up and dancing!

7. Keep the decor simple. Since it will be the holidays and your home will most likely be decorated already, all you will need is a large table for wine tasting. Dress up the table with a nice tablecloth and add a pretty holiday floral centerpiece.

8. Setting the scene. Line up your wine bottles, so guests can get a preview of what they will be sampling. Pair your sweet wines together on one side and your dry wines on the other. Make sure you have wine glasses, water glasses, pitchers of water, and something to clean your palate. Keep your appetizers and desserts on a separate table, so there is room for everything and your wine tasting table is for just that – wine tasting!

9. Hire or find a wine expert. If you’re not a wine connoisseur, hiring or finding someone to host the tasting will take some stress off the hostess and create a fun learning experience for everyone.

10. Relax, have fun, and enjoy some wine with the girls!

Melting Snowman Cookie Balls

Prep Time: 30 min Total Time: 2 hr Makes: 48 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened
• 36 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)
• 3 pkg. (4 oz. each) white baking chocolate, melted
• 48 Mini OREO Bite Size Cookies
• 2 Tbsp. decorating icing

Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well blended.

2. Shape into 48 (1-inch) balls and place in single layer in shallow pan.

3. Freeze for 10 minutes.

4. Dip balls in chocolate and place in shallow waxed paper-lined pan, allowing excess chocolate to pool at bottom of each ball.

5. Decorate with remaining ingredients as shown in photo.

6. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Keep refrigerated until the party.

How to Dip:

To easily coat balls with the melted chocolate, add balls in batches to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll balls in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove balls with forks letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place balls in prepared pan and then let stand until firm.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 110 Calories, 6g Total fat, 3g Saturated fat, 5mg Cholesterol, 75mg Sodium, 13g Carbohydrate, 0g Dietary fiber, 9g Sugars, 1g Protein

For more delicious holiday recipe ideas, follow Nabisco on Pinterest.

What are your favorite holiday party planning tips?! Let us know in the comments below.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of NABISCO. The opinions and text are all mine. #NabiscoHolidayParties