Don’t be afraid to be bossy: When your guests ask you beforehand, “what should I bring?” please don’t say, “just yourself!” (cue the eye roll). Don’t be afraid to ask them to bring a bottle. Also, be specific; if you’re serving beef, ask them to bring their favorite red blend or if the menu includes poultry, ask for a crisp white.
Buy wine by the case: We’re bringing out the big guns. If you have a go-to wine you love, preferably that’s on the less expensive side, buy it by the case and think of it as your “house-wine” to share with your attendees.
Run the numbers: I came across a handy-dandy wine bottle calculator so you won’t be stressed worrying if you have enough wine or not (because what is worse than running out of alcohol…nothing.). However, the rule of thumb here is to buy more wine than you need- you don’t want to be THAT host.
Relax: The most important rule. If you plan ahead and make sure all your boxes are checked, there should be no reason for you to be stressed: live in the moment, have a drink or two and enjoy the ones around you. Salud!
For the Love of Wine 