A concise guide to pairing wine for a private dinner at home

Six principles our head sommelier follows when assembling a six-course wine pairing for guests dining at home. None of them hinge on budget.

Begin with the room, not the menu

The setting sets the pace. A glass-walled terrace on a summer evening demands different wines than a candlelit dining room in February. Decide which atmosphere you are hosting before you draft a list.

Two whites are generally sufficient

One bright, one full-bodied. A Chablis and a barrel-aged Chardonnay; a Riesling and a White Burgundy; a Verdicchio and a richer Italian. The two-white approach carries a dinner from amuse-bouche to fish course without ever feeling repetitive.

Purchase one bottle more than you expect

Servings invariably run longer than the arithmetic suggests. We bring one spare bottle of every wine to a private dinner, every time, without exception, and the guest never sees it unless we need it.

Decant the reds you are uncertain about

A tight young red opens up with thirty minutes of air. A fragile older red falters after twenty. When in doubt, decant the young one and leave the old one untouched.

Pour less than you think

A 100 ml pour is generous for a paired dinner. Pour smaller, refill more often, and your guests will remember the wines they actually tasted.

Finish sweeter than you began

Even if your dessert is bitter chocolate or a cheese board, the final glass should steer the evening toward sweetness. A late-harvest Riesling, a Sauternes, a Tokaji — the specific bottle matters less than the direction.

Prepared by the editorial team at Getawayalpineview. Last updated 2026-07-13.