Wine Tasting Supplies

Wine Flights: What You Need to Know

When it comes to craft beverages, consumers are increasingly interested in the quality of their drinks as well as the variety of options available to them. Businesses in the food and beverage industry often meet these needs by emphasizing locally made beverages prepared in small batches. Whether it's a handcrafted cocktail, seasonal beer, or rare wine, the experience of tasting a unique beverage has immense value to many who frequent lounges, wine bars, restaurants, and other popular spots for midday and late-night socializing. Investing in wine tasting supplies to show off each product on your wine menu provides your guests with ordering flexibility.

By keeping wine tasting supplies on hand, guests can sample several options in lieu of purchasing a single glass or to determine which varietal they'd like to enjoy with their meal or take home. Winery tasting room supplies can also be used to offer wine samples at private events, fundraising functions, holiday parties, and other special occasions. Learn more about wine flights and the supplies needed to offer them below.

Common Questions About Wine Tasting Supplies

What is a flight of wine?

Much like a flight of beer, wine flights usually include between three and five samples so interested parties can try several options before committing to purchasing a full glass or bottle. To simplify the ordering process, your menu may offer predetermined flights with a theme, such as all reds, all whites, French wines, and so on. For the same price or slightly more, you can also let customers build their own wine sampler from the entire menu or a limited selection; however, this may require more manual labor for servers and sommeliers. The freedom to choose their own selections or double up on one they're sure they'll like can be a huge selling point for those who are on the fence about ordering a wine sampler.

How many tastings can I serve from one bottle of wine?

A standard bottle of wine contains 750 milliliters of wine, which is about 25.4 ounces. The number of tasting samples you can offer from a single bottle depends on how generous your pours are. Offering 2-ounce samples will yield 12 full samples, while 3-ounce pours will yield 8 full samples. Ideally, the wine glasses you use to serve these samples will still provide plenty of room for tasters to comfortably swirl the liquid in the bowl of the glass.

Do I need special glasses for a wine tasting?

When purchasing your wine tasting supplies, there's no need to worry about investing in miniature glasses. Stemware with a 10- or 12-ounce capacity should be compatible with the caddies used to carry a wine tasting flight around the room or to a table, though you should double-check the diameter of your glasses against the maximum diameter the caddy can accommodate.

What else can I serve in flight caddies?

To add more value to your wine sampler options, considering pairing them with desserts or small bites of cheese and other food that complements the varietal in question. Small slices of cake, cheese squares, and bite-sized samples of menu items can be attractively presented in stemware and carried to the table alongside glasses of wine. People are often unsure about what to pair with their wine, and the opportunity to learn more with a wine tasting flight that includes recommended flavors may tempt guests into ordering an indulgent dessert or appetizer option they would otherwise avoid.