What to Buy for a Wine Tasting

A wine tasting needs more than a selection of bottles. Plan for one tasting glass per guest for each pour, plus water glasses, tasting cards, snacks and enough serving equipment to keep the stations moving. Buy or borrow the practical items people often overlook: spare corkscrews, wine stoppers, coolers, decanters and waste bins. Your quantities depend on the guest list, the number of wines and whether glasses are washed and reused during the tasting.

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What to bring

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

Furniture

Tablesqty 6
Chairsqty 32
Tall cocktail tablesqty 2
Tableclothsqty 6

Tableware

Wine glassesqty 120
Water glassesqty 40
Platesqty 40
Cutlery setsqty 40
Napkin holdersqty 6

Kitchen

Corkscrewsqty 6
Wine stoppersqty 12
Decantersqty 4
Wine coolersqty 6
Serving traysqty 6
Cutting boardsqty 3
Cheese knivesqty 3
Small bowlsqty 12

Equipment

Coolersqty 4
Kettlesqty 2
Hot platesqty 2
Small refrigerator

Decorations

Wine listsqty 36
Name badgesqty 36
Table décorqty 6

Lighting

String lightsqty 3
LED candlesqty 24

Cleaning

Waste binsqty 3
Cleaning glovesqty 4
Waste sorting binsqty 3

Catering

Groceries
- Dry white wine - 3 bottles
- Fresh white wine - 3 bottles
- Rosé wine - 3 bottles
- Light red wine - 3 bottles
- Full-bodied red wine - 3 bottles
- Dessert wine - 3 bottles
- Alcohol-free sparkling wine - 4 bottles
- Spa Blauw - 24 bottles
- Spa Rood - 12 bottles
- Cola - 4 bottles
- Cola Zero - 4 bottles
- Orange juice - 4 liters
- Apple juice - 3 liters
- Coffee - 2 packs
- Tea - 2 boxes
- Milk - 4 liters
- Oat milk - 2 liter
- Sugar - 1 kilo
- Lemons - 12 pieces
- Ice cubes - 12 kilo
- Baguettes - 8 pieces
- Toast rounds - 8 packs
- Unsalted butter - 500 grams
- Brie - 1.5 kilos
- Aged cheese - 1.5 kilos
- Blue cheese - 750 gram
- Grapes - 3 kilos
- Pears - 2 kilos
- Walnuts - 750 grams
- Almonds - 750 grams
- Olives - 1.5 kilo
- Sun-dried tomatoes - 4 jars
- Hummus - 1.5 kilos
- Cucumbers - 6 pieces
- Cherry tomatoes - 2 kilos
- Paprika chips - 4 bags
- Plain chips - 4 bags
- Mini quiches - 60 pieces
- Vegetable bitterballen - 60 pieces
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Mayonnaise - 2 jars
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Olive oil - 1 bottle
- Balsamic vinegar - 1 bottle
- Salt - 1 pack
- Black pepper - 1 grinder
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- All-purpose cleaner - 2 bottles
- Glass cleaner - 1 bottle
- Sponges - 6 pieces
- Microfiber cloths - 12 pieces
- Trash bags - 30 pieces

Tips

Allow one wine glass per guest per tasting station, or provide one glass per person if you are serving the wines in a fixed order. Add at least 10% extra glasses for breakage, spills and late arrivals.
Plan about 750 ml of water per guest, served in water glasses and topped up throughout the tasting. Keep water available at every wine station rather than making guests cross the room.
For snacks, allow roughly 100–150 g of cheese and other savoury food per person for a tasting lasting two to three hours. Include small bowls, plates, cutting boards and cheese knives so food can be served without interrupting the pours.
Bring one corkscrew for every 10 guests, with at least two spare corkscrews on site. Wine stoppers are useful when bottles are opened early or when a bottle will be served again later.
Prepare at least one waste bin and one recycling or bottle-sorting bin for each main serving area. Add cleaning gloves, cloths and a cooler or small refrigerator before the wine delivery arrives, not after setup starts.

Frequently asked questions

How many wine glasses do I need for a wine tasting?: For a simple tasting, provide one wine glass per guest and add 10% extra. For separate tasting stations, count one glass per guest at each station unless you will wash and reuse them between flights.
How much wine should I buy for a wine tasting?: A 750 ml bottle gives about 12 tasting pours of 60 ml. Multiply the number of guests by the number of wines, then divide by 12 and round up to the next full bottle; buy extra only if you also plan full glasses or a second pour.
How much food do I need for a wine tasting?: Allow 100–150 g of snacks per person for a two- to three-hour tasting, including cheese, crackers and other savoury items. Increase this to about 200 g per person if the tasting replaces a meal.
When should I chill the wine and prepare the equipment?: Chill white, rosé and sparkling wines for at least 4 hours before guests arrive; sparkling wine should be well chilled before opening. Set out glasses, water, snacks and tasting cards 30–60 minutes before the first pour.

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