A short guide to wine pairing for a private dinner at home

Six principles our head sommelier follows when designing a six-course wine pairing for guests dining at home. None of them concern price.

Begin with the room, not the menu

The setting dictates the pace. A glass-walled terrace on a summer evening calls for different wines than a candlelit dining room in February. Decide which atmosphere you are hosting before you draft a list.

Two whites will usually suffice

One crisp, one fuller-bodied. A Chablis and a barrel-aged Chardonnay; a Riesling and a White Burgundy; a Verdicchio and a richer Italian. The two-white approach carries a dinner from amuse-bouche through the fish course without ever feeling repetitive.

Purchase one bottle beyond your estimate

Servings almost always outlast the arithmetic. We bring one spare bottle of every wine to a private dinner, every time, without exception — and the guest never sees it unless we need it.

Decant the reds you are uncertain about

A tight young red opens with thirty minutes of air. A fragile older red can fade within twenty. When unsure, decant the young wine and leave the mature bottle untouched.

Serve smaller pours than you expect

A 100 ml pour is generous for a paired dinner. Pour less, refill more often, and your guests will remember the wines they actually tasted.

Finish on a sweeter note than you began

Even if dessert is bitter chocolate or a cheese board, the final glass should draw the evening toward sweetness. A late-harvest Riesling, a Sauternes, a Tokaji — the specific bottle matters less than the direction.

Written by the editorial team at Resort Alpine. Last revised 2026-07-13.