A concise guide to wine pairing for an intimate dinner at home

Six principles our head sommelier follows when arranging a six-course wine pairing for guests in their own dining room. Not one of them concerns price.

Begin with the room, not the menu

The room sets the pace. A glass-walled terrace on a summer evening will not suit the same wines as a candlelit dining room in February. Decide which setting you are hosting before you draft a list.

Two whites are generally sufficient

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

Purchase one bottle more than you expect

Servings invariably run longer than the arithmetic suggests. We bring one spare bottle of every wine to a private dinner, every time, without exception, and the guest never sees it unless we require it.

Decant the reds you are uncertain about

A hesitant young red changes with thirty minutes of air. A fragile older red falters after twenty. When in doubt, decant the young one and leave the old one untouched.

Pour less than you imagine

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

Finish sweeter than you began

Even if your 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 choice matters less than the direction.

Prepared by the editorial team at Lodgetropicalrest. Last updated 2026-07-13.