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

Six principles our head sommelier follows when arranging a six-course wine pairing for guests in their own home. None of them concern price.

Start with the room, not the menu

The room sets the pace. A glass-walled terrace on a summer evening will not carry the same wines as a candlelit dining room in February. Decide which setting you are hosting before you draft a list.

Two whites are usually enough

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

Buy one bottle more than you think

Servings always stretch a little further than the arithmetic suggests. We bring one extra 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 unsure about

A hesitant young red opens with thirty minutes of air. A delicate older red fades with twenty. When uncertain, decant the young one and leave the old one untouched.

Pour smaller than you think

A 100 ml pour is generous for a paired dinner. Pour less, top up more often, and your guests will recall the wines they actually tasted.

End sweeter than you started

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

Prepared by the editorial team at Tropicaloceanregency. Last updated 2026-07-20.