Tips for Food, Beer & Wine at Your Next Bunco Party

That's the Spirit – Choosing Beer, Wine and Cocktails for your next bunco party! To help you plan your next party, here are some tips and guidelines for what to serve, how much to spend, and just how much wine your friends will drink at your next bunco party. How much do I need? As a general rule, you will get six 4-ounce glasses from a 750ml bottle of wine. The average guest at a stand-up party will drink two glasses of wine an hour. With these numbers in mind, the math is easy. If you have 15 guests at a cocktail party, they'll go through 30 glasses, or five bottles of wine per hour. This means you'll need about a bottle per person for a typical three-hour party. At a dinner, the average is half a bottle per person, so a group of six will drink three bottles. How much should I spend? First off, set a wine budget. Since you already know how many bottles you need, a budget will help guide you to an appropriate price point. For a small dinner party, especially one where wine will be the star, it's always nice to splurge on a few good bottles. Indulge your friends (and yourself, of course) with a special vintage or a limited production, small-lot wine. Or, choose a less expensive wine to start and serve a pricier selection with dinner, where it will complement the meal. A bigger bash needs a crowd pleaser, something that's easy to drink, like Merlot. Also, consider what's trendy: Right now, Shiraz is big and Chardonnay is enjoying a renaissance, so these will probably be good choices. Serving suggestions When hosting a large group, create a wine bar so guests can serve themselves. Before everyone arrives, place several bottles on a small table, along with a corkscrew, a towel (for spills), the glasses, and maybe some wine charms. Open a few bottles to get things started, and your guests will take care of things from there. Of course the most important consideration is the comfort and pleasure of your guests. Don't fret over a specific vintage or just the right varietal.