What to Buy for a Wine Quiz

A wine quiz needs more than a selection of bottles. You will also need enough glasses for tasting and water, practical serving equipment, snacks, and printed materials for every team. Plan quantities around your guest count, then add a small buffer for breakages, spills and extra tasters. This checklist helps you spot the items that are often bought too late, especially chilled wine, corkscrews, pens, answer forms and prizes.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Furniture

Tablesqty 6
Chairsqty 40
Tableclothsqty 6

Tableware

Wine glassesqty 50
Water glassesqty 50
Platesqty 50
Cutlery setsqty 50
Coffee cupsqty 40
Spit cupsqty 40
Serving bowlsqty 8
Serving plattersqty 8

Kitchen

Corkscrewsqty 4
Wine coolersqty 8
Serving bowlsqty 8
Cutting boardsqty 3
Cheese knivesqty 4
Serving utensilsqty 8

Equipment

Coolersqty 4
Kettlesqty 2
Coffee machinesqty 2
Stopwatchesqty 2
Calculatorsqty 3

Quiz materials

Quiz bookletsqty 12
Answer formsqty 120
Score sheetsqty 12
Ballpoint pensqty 50
Clipboardsqty 12
Team labelsqty 12
Name badgesqty 50

Decorations

Menusqty 12
Table numbersqty 12
Prizesqty 3

Cleaning

Waste binsqty 4
Washing-up bowlsqty 2
Spongesqty 6
Reusable dish towelsqty 12

Catering

Groceries
- Sauvignon blanc - 4 bottles
- Chardonnay - 3 bottles
- Riesling - 3 bottles
- Rosé wine - 2 bottles
- Pinot noir - 3 bottles
- Cabernet sauvignon - 3 bottles
- Sparkling wine - 2 bottles
- Sweet dessert wine - 1 bottle
- Still mineral water - 12 bottles
- Sparkling mineral water - 12 bottles
- Cola - 4 bottles
- Cola Zero - 4 bottles
- Ginger beer - 3 bottles
- Apple juice - 3 liters
- Coffee - 2 packs
- Black tea - 1 box
- Herbal tea - 1 box
- Semi-skimmed milk - 4 liter
- Oat milk - 2 liter
- Sugar - 1 pack
- Lemons - 8 pieces
- Baguettes - 8 pieces
- Water crackers - 6 packs
- Wholegrain crackers - 4 packs
- Gouda cheese - 2 kilogram
- Brie - 1 kilogram
- Blue cheese - 750 gram
- Goat cheese - 750 grams
- Grapes - 3 kilograms
- Apples - 20 pieces
- Figs - 1 kilogram
- Olives - 3 jars
- Unsalted almonds - 1 kilogram
- Walnuts - 750 grams
- Paprika chips - 4 bags
- Plain chips - 4 bags
- Hummus - 6 tubs
- Vegetable sticks - 3 kilogram
- Ketchup - 1 bottle
- Mayonnaise - 1 jar
- Ice cubes - 12 bags
- Napkins - 150 pieces
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Garbage bags - 30 pieces
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- All-purpose cleaner - 2 bottles
- Glass cleaner - 1 bottle

Tips

Plan one wine glass and one water glass per guest, plus at least 10% extra. If guests will taste several wines, label the glasses or provide a clear system so teams do not mix them up.
Buy or arrange at least one corkscrew for every 10 guests, with two spare corkscrews available. Opening several bottles between rounds is slow when there is only one opener.
Allow two to three small snack portions per person and prepare serving bowls and platters before the quiz starts. Choose snacks that can be eaten without interrupting writing or tasting.
Print one quiz booklet and one answer form per team, then add two spare copies of each. Prepare one score sheet for every round and provide at least one pen per person, not just per team.
Chill white and sparkling wines for at least 4 hours before guests arrive, and place reds somewhere cool 1 to 2 hours beforehand. Keep coolers or wine coolers ready so opened bottles remain at the right temperature.

Frequently asked questions

How many wine glasses do I need for a wine quiz?: Plan one wine glass and one water glass per guest, plus 10% extra for breakages and replacements. For 20 guests, that means at least 22 wine glasses and 22 water glasses.
How much wine should I buy for a wine quiz?: For tasting pours, allow about 75 to 100 ml per wine per person, depending on the number of wines and rounds. Add at least 10% extra so the host can replace a faulty bottle or accommodate additional tasters.
What food should I buy for a wine quiz?: Allow two to three small snack portions per person, such as cheese, crackers or other easy-to-serve items. Buy enough food for the full session, but avoid strongly flavoured ingredients that can overpower the wines.
When should I prepare the wine quiz materials?: Print quiz booklets, answer forms and score sheets at least 1 day before the event. Buy prizes and check pens, clipboards, team labels and name badges 2 to 3 days beforehand so missing supplies can still be replaced.

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