Wine pairing, briefly: how we plan a private dinner at home

Six principles our head sommelier follows when drafting a six-course wine sequence for guests hosting at home. Price never appears on the list.

Begin with the room, not the menu

The setting sets the pace. A glass-walled terrace on a summer night will not suit the same bottles as a candlelit dining room in February. Settle which of those evenings you are hosting before you draft a list.

Two whites are usually enough

One bright, one rich. A Chablis beside a barrel-aged Chardonnay; a Riesling beside a White Burgundy; a Verdicchio beside a fuller Italian. That two-white approach carries a dinner from amuse-bouche through the fish course without repeating itself.

Buy one bottle more than you think

Pourings always stretch a little past the arithmetic. We bring one spare bottle of each wine to a private dinner, every time, without fail, and the guest never notices it unless we open it.

Decant the reds you are unsure about

A hesitant young red opens after thirty minutes of air. A fragile older red fades after twenty. When uncertain, decant the young bottle and leave the old one untouched.

Pour smaller than you think

A 100 ml pour is ample for a paired dinner. Serve less, refill more often, and guests will recall the wines they actually tasted.

Finish sweeter than you began

Even when dessert is bitter chocolate or a cheese board, the final glass should tilt the night toward sweet. A late-harvest Riesling, a Sauternes, a Tokaji — the bottle matters less than the arc.

Prepared by the editorial team at Majesticshoregrand. Last updated 2026-07-27.