Wine pairing in brief: hosting a private dinner at home

Six principles our head sommelier follows when shaping a six-course wine pairing for guests at their own table. Price never enters the list.

Begin with the room, not the menu

The setting sets the pace. A glass-walled terrace on a summer night will not suit the same bottles as a candlelit dining room in February. Settle which of those 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. That two-white approach carries a dinner from amuse-bouche through the fish course without ever feeling dull.

Buy one bottle more than you think

Servings always stretch a touch beyond the arithmetic. We carry one spare bottle of every wine to a private dinner, every time, without fail, and the guest never notices it unless we open it.

Decant the reds you are unsure about

A hesitant young red opens up after thirty minutes of air. A fragile older red can fall apart in twenty. Unsure? Decant the young bottle and leave the old one untouched.

Pour smaller than you think

A 100 ml pour is ample for a paired dinner. Serve less, refill more often, and your guests will recall the wines they truly tasted.

Finish sweeter than you began

Even when dessert is bitter chocolate or a cheese board, the final glass should lean the evening toward sweet. A late-harvest Riesling, a Sauternes, a Tokaji — the pick matters less than the arc.

Prepared by the editorial team at Sunsetregency. Last updated 2026-07-27.