A brief 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 at their own table. None of them concern price.

Begin with the setting, 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 creating before you draft a list.

Two whites generally suffice

One bright, one full-bodied. A Chablis and a barrel-aged Chardonnay; a Riesling and a White Burgundy; a Verdicchio and a richer Italian. The two-white approach guides a dinner from amuse-bouche to fish course without ever growing monotonous.

Purchase one extra bottle beyond your estimate

Pours always stretch a touch further than the arithmetic predicts. We bring one additional bottle of every wine to a private dinner, every single time, without fail, and the guest never sees it unless we need it.

Decant the reds you are uncertain about

A tight young red opens up with thirty minutes of air. A fragile older red falls apart with twenty. When uncertain, decant the young one and leave the old one undisturbed.

Pour less than you expect

A 100 ml pour is ample for a paired dinner. Pour less, refill more frequently, and your guests will recall the wines they truly tasted.

Finish sweeter than you began

Even when your dessert is dark chocolate or a cheese board, the final glass should steer the evening toward sweetness. A late-harvest Riesling, a Sauternes, a Tokaji — the specific choice matters less than the trajectory.

Composed by the editorial team at Radiantridgeresort. Last updated 2026-07-20.