Hello December, time to turn up the dial on all things merry and bright. I’m excited to share with you some fun ideas for two things I LOVE- holiday parties and wine! I’ve got a little inspiration for a festive tablescape, delicious holiday appetizers and a few bottles that are perfect for toasting.
Tis the season for entertaining, and what better way to celebrate than with good food, friends and great wine to put everyone in the spirit. This holiday party is simple and easy to pull together, so you can spend more time mingling and less time in the kitchen. Let’s start with the decor….
Holiday Party Ideas
Holiday decorations for a cocktail party don’t have to be elaborate to make a great impression on your party guests. You want it to look easy and effortless,right? For this party I decided to stick with a neutral tablescape and bring in some gold and green to make it more festive. I found those small trees at Target, along with the Merry & Bright sign. I love the wood elements, gives it a little bit of a rustic look. I used my two-tier wooden buffet which made for a great centerpiece. You could also easily use a couple of small wooden crates stacked together. Gold ornaments add shimmer and shine to the table, and the wine glasses and wine bottles out fill in the empty spaces.
Whether you’re hosting a wine and cheese party or a full dinner affair, choosing what wine to serve is important. Because nothing will ruin a party faster than pouring a bad wine that makes your guests grimace. But you can’t go wrong with a bottle of Beaujolais. It’s a bottle to be celebrated, full of rich flavor and character.
The Beaujolais region has celebrated, for years, a vin de l’anee to celebrate the end of the harvest but was only made for local consumption until about 1951 when the French government formally set the third Thursday of November as the release date for what would become known as Beaujolais Nouveau. The first bottles of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau entered the U.S. in November of 1983 and became the biggest wine event of the year for wine lovers across the country.
Beaujolais Nouveau can be thought of as the first taste of a new vintage, the first wine of the harvest and an indicator for the quality of that year’s vintage. The wine is always released on the third Thursday of November, making it an annual tradition that also ushers in the start of the holiday season. Beaujolais Nouveau is bottled only 6-8 weeks after harvest and produced using a technique called carbonic maceration to produce a light-bodied vibrant and fruity wine with little to no tannin and high acidity. I love that it has a fresh, fruity taste that’s perfect for celebrating with friends and family, especially during the holidays.
Gifts for Wine Lovers
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2016 pairs well with just about anything, from a nice broiled fish dinner to a order-in pizza and movie kinda night. The wine’s bright red fruit, fine and subtle tannins, lower alcohol, and high acidity make it a great wine for Pinot Noir drinkers who are looking to try something new. Beaujolais-Villages is best served with a light chill and makes a great entry-level wine for those who are new to Beaujolais.
The wine is chilled and ready, time to whip up a few party appetizers for my holiday party guests to nosh on. Keeping it easy to make and easy to clean with just a couple of party bites since this is a casual, mix and mingle kind of party. Here’s the menu:
- Roast Beef Crostini with Horseradish Sauce (see how to make below)
- Grapes with Babybel Cheese and Walnuts
- Peanut Butter and Caramel Brownies
Holiday Appetizer – Roast Beef Crostini with Horseradish Sauce
- 8 slices of roast beef
- 1 bag of crostini toast points (or one baguette sliced and toasted)
- horseradish mayo (in condiments aisle or make your own by mixing horseradish with mayo to your taste )
Slice roast beef into small two inch pieces. Top crostini with horseradish sauce and roast beef, serve. Makes 24 to 30 pieces
I would share the recipe for these delicious brownies, but guess what? I didn’t make them. They are my store bought party hack, just sliced em into squares and served. See, keep it simple and you’ll save yourself time and sanity, especially during the holiday season.
Holiday Desserts
Are you hosting any holiday parties this year? I’d love to hear your recipes and tips
Check out the related posts below for more holiday party planning ideas.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Very nice set up for a holiday party. I like the wooden sign!
Everything looks so beautiful and yummy! Thanks for the recipes and the decorating ideas. I agree-a good wine is the perfect hostess gift!
We have a few holiday parties to attend this month. This would make a great take along hostess gift!
I love giving wine as a gift. It’s my go-to for adults. You can’t go wrong with wine and homemade treats.
This looks amazing! I am throwing a party in a few weeks and I am saving these tips-love that the brownies are store bought, never would’ve guessed but it’s so much easier on you!
Loved your photos! I enjoy sitting down with a great glass of wine from time to time. I’ve never heard of this brand before. I do like trying new wines though!
There is a similar celebration in a small town in northern Illinois. To get tickets is a hard thing to do and the town parties for a week over their new wines!
Sounds lovely and a great way to honor the vineyard workers that harvest this wine for our enjoyment. 81′ isn’t that long ago so kudos to the French gov’t for letting us Americans in on the pleasure.
There are some fantastic ideas here. I like the sound of the peanut butter brownies and the photography is incredible!
What great ideas! I love that Faux Fur mini stockings! That’s such a fun gift!! definitely on my list. I’ll make sure to re-tweet, thanks for sharing!
I’m hosting a couple of parties next week and probably my most valuable tip is…pick one or two recipes that you love making or have sentimental value and make those…and then buy the rest! I used to spend WAY too much time trying to cook/bake everything and then I wouldn’t even enjoy the party because I was tired. Now I enjoy parties!
A good bottle of wine is everything!!! Those little roast beef appetizers look delicious!
What a beautiful tablescape! I love simple and the silver really looks upscale. Happy Holidays!
It all looks so good! I can’t wait for Christmas. This is the first year I’m hosting for the holidays and I’m excited to decorate. I’ll have to try these appetizers as well!
I’ll take all of the wine please in those fluffy stockings because they’re so adorable.
This post makes me wish I was hosting a party this year. I love trying new wines, so I’m going to look for these next time I visit the liquor store.
As a wine lover, I approve this message. I would love to pair this with seafood and explore my tastebuds =)
Omg just love it!!!!! I have never heard of this wine before. So need to change that and pick up a bottle!!
How fun! I love he wine in the stocking. Holiday season is definitely so much fun with decorating.
I love a fresh fruity wine so I must try this one. I am drooling over the Roast Beef Crostini with Horseradish Sauce, YUM!
I love it all! Wish I was invited. You are the hostess with the mostess.
There’s certainly a great deal to find out about this subject.
I like all the points you have made.
Thank you for any other informative web site. The place else
may just I am getting that kind of info written in such a perfect way?
I have a mission that I’m just now operating on, and
I’ve been at the glance out for such info.
Hello to all, it’s really a nice for me to pay a quick visit this web site,
it consists of priceless Information.