Holiday party season is in full swing and I always look forward to this time of year. My mom loves to host parties and she truly set the bar incredibly high on how to be a wonderful host. I loved watching and learning from her while I was growing up.
ALDI is one of my favorite places to shop and their selection of party-ready food options is fantastic around the holidays. The other day I popped in for wine and left with about 10 extra items that I wasn’t planning on buying. I couldn’t pass them up!
First, have a bottle of wine already opened before guests arrive and have your glass poured. It sends a casual and welcoming message instead of making the guest uncomfortable by asking to open up a bottle just for them. My longtime favorite wine from ALDI is the Broken Clouds Pinot Noir but I branched out and got the Peaks & Tides Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as the award-winning William Wright Chardonnay. I’m on a bit of a Chardonnay kick right now and really liked this wine! My second tip is to place cocktail napkins in areas where people may sit so they are available in case they need them. This is a clue for guests to see where they can settle in too! I always try to think of where the best place will be for people to congregate that is NOT in the kitchen. People tend to huddle around food, so if the food is in the kitchen, people will be there too! I try to set up the food on a sideboard in the room where there is a good amount of seating, with a coffee...