How to Host a Virtual Wine Tasting Date

On this page

1. Three ways to do a wine tasting date
2. How to plan a DIY wine tasting date
3. Tasting themes that work for couples
4. How to taste wine (the simple version)
5. Tasting order and serving temperatures
6. Food pairings for your tasting
7. Setting the mood
8. Conversation prompts for a wine date
9. Drinking sensibly on a date
10. Non-alcoholic tasting date ideas
11. Common problems and fixes
12. Make it a tradition
13. FAQ

A wine tasting is a great long-distance date because it has natural pauses built in. You look, you sniff, you think, you say something ridiculous about "notes of wet pavement," and then you actually talk. It's relaxed, sociable and gives you something to compare that isn't your day at work.

You don't need to know anything about wine. You need two sets of bottles, two glasses and a plan. A quick note before we start: you both need to be of legal drinking age where you live, and the point is tasting, not drinking a lot. Everything below works just as well with non-alcoholic options.

Three ways to do a wine tasting date

Hosted tastings and wine clubs come and go, and shipping wine across borders (or across some US state lines) is restricted. Check that a service ships legally to both of your addresses before booking. Wineries near you or your partner often run their own online tastings, and local wine shops sometimes host them too.

How to plan a DIY wine tasting date

1. Pick a theme. A theme gives the tasting a point. See the ideas below.
2. Choose three or four wines. Three is plenty for beginners. Agree on exact bottles, or at least the grape, style and rough price.
3. Shop together on a call. Walk your local wine shops on video at the same time. Show each other the shelves and ask the staff for help; they love this kind of request.
4. Chill and prep. Whites and sparkling in the fridge a few hours before; reds slightly cool, not warm.
5. Set up your table. Glasses, water, a spit or dump cup, plain crackers, pen and paper, and a white napkin or paper to judge color.
6. Agree on a time in both time zones. Evening for both is ideal; if one of you is in their morning, they can do the same tasting with tea or coffee instead.

Tasting themes that work for couples

Beginner-friendly

1. One grape, two countries. Pinot Noir from France and New Zealand, or Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire and Marlborough.
2. Old World vs New World. A European bottle against one from the Americas, Australia or South Africa.
3. White, rosé, red. One of each, to work out what you each actually like.
4. Sparkling around the world. Prosecco, Cava, a crémant and (if you're celebrating) Champagne.
5. Dry to sweet. A dry Riesling, an off-dry one and a dessert wine.

For a bit more fun

6. Blind tasting. Each of you asks someone at home (or the shop) to wrap the bottles. Guess grape, country and price.
7. The price test. A cheap, a mid and a pricier bottle of the same grape. Can you tell which is which?
8. Your places. A wine from the region where you met, where you first visited each other, or where you want to go together.
9. Mystery swap. Each of you picks a bottle for the other, without telling them why until they've tasted it.
10. Wine and film. Watch a wine documentary like Somm or A Year in Champagne and taste along.

How to taste wine (the simple version)

You'll see this called "the five S's." Do each step at the same time as your partner and compare out loud.

1. See. Tilt the glass over something white. Pale or deep? Ruby, purple, brick, gold, straw?
2. Swirl. Gently, glass on the table if you're nervous. It releases aromas.
3. Sniff. A short sniff, then a deep one. Fruit? Flowers? Spice? Wood? Something strange? All answers count.
4. Sip. Let it move around your mouth. Is it light or heavy? Sharp or soft? Does it dry your mouth out (that's tannin)?
5. Savor. After you swallow (or spit), how long does the flavor stay? Do you like it?

Okay, I'm getting cherries and… a pencil case?

Pencil case is weirdly accurate. Mine smells like a bonfire.

Between wines, drink water and eat a plain cracker. Score each wine out of 10 and write one word that sums it up. Compare scores at the end; disagreeing is the fun part.

Tasting order and serving temperatures

• Light to full-bodied.
• Sparkling and white before red.
• Dry before sweet.
• Younger before older for the same wine.

Rough serving temperatures: sparkling and light whites well chilled, fuller whites and rosé lightly chilled, light reds slightly cool, fuller reds at cool room temperature. If a red tastes "hot" or boozy, 15 minutes in the fridge helps.

Food pairings for your tasting

Serious tastings skip food; date-night tastings definitely don't. Build matching snack boards and show them off on camera before you start.

Want to go further? Cook the same dinner on a call first, then taste with it. Our guides to cooking together over video and online cooking classes for couples have recipes and setups.

Setting the mood

• Dress as if you were going to a wine bar.
• Soft light, unscented candles (strong scents ruin the sniffing).
• Quiet jazz or a café playlist in the background.
• Position the camera so your partner can see your face and your glass.
• Phones on silent, other tabs closed.

Conversation prompts for a wine date

• If this wine were a person we know, who would it be?
• Describe me as a wine. (Be kind.)
• What would we call our own wine label?
• Which wine region should we visit together first?
• What's the best thing you've ever drunk, and where were you?
• Which of tonight's wines would you bring to meet my parents?

Drinking sensibly on a date

Four wines sounds like a lot, but tasting pours are small, roughly 1–2 ounces (30–60 ml) each. Keep a water glass topped up, eat as you go, use a spit cup if you want to taste more without drinking more, and recork what's left. A tasting is more fun when you can both remember the scores the next morning. If either of you doesn't drink, or prefers not to, the format works perfectly with alternatives.

Non-alcoholic tasting date ideas

11. Non-alcoholic wines and sparkling. Quality has improved a lot; a side-by-side is genuinely interesting.
12. Tea flight. Green, oolong, black and herbal, brewed at the same time.
13. Coffee cupping. Two or three single-origin beans, same brewing method.
14. Chocolate tasting. From milk to 85% dark, plus one weird flavor.
15. Hot sauce challenge. Mild to wild, with milk on standby.
16. Olive oil and bread. Surprisingly fun and very grown-up.
17. Cheese flight. Soft, semi-hard, aged and blue.

Common problems and fixes

Make it a tradition

Keep a shared wine log: label photo, both scores, one-word description, buy again or not. After a year you'll know exactly what you both like, which makes choosing wine on visits easy. Seasonal themes keep it fresh: rosé in summer, big reds in winter, bubbles for New Year's. And when you're finally together, plan a trip to a wine region you've been tasting from. Our romantic getaway ideas include wine country, and a winery tour makes a great experience gift.

For other date nights in the same spirit, try virtual museum tours, a virtual concert, or our big list of video call date night ideas.

Frequently asked questions

How do we get the same wine if we live in different countries?

Often you can't, and that's fine. Choose the same grape and style instead (say, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and a French Sancerre), or the same price band from the same region. Comparing two slightly different bottles of the same grape is actually a great tasting in its own right.

How much wine should we pour for a tasting?

A tasting pour is small, around 1 to 2 ounces (30–60 ml) per wine. With four wines, that adds up to roughly a glass or so in total. Sip, don't finish every pour, keep water on the table, and eat something. You can recork the bottles for later.

Can we do a tasting date without alcohol?

Yes. The same format works with non-alcoholic wines, specialty teas, coffee, chocolate, cheese, olive oil or hot sauce. Pick three or four items, taste them in order from mild to strong, score them, and compare notes. It's just as fun and better on a school night.

Can I ship wine to my partner as a surprise?

Sometimes. Alcohol shipping rules vary by US state and by country, and recipients usually must be of legal drinking age and show ID on delivery. Ordering from a retailer that ships legally to their address is the safest route. Check before you buy.