A brief guide to pairing wine for a private dinner at home

Six rules our head sommelier follows when shaping a six-course wine pairing for guests in their own home. None of them concern price.

Start with the room, not the menu

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

Two whites are usually enough

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.

Buy one bottle more than you expect

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

Decant the reds you are uncertain about

A hesitant young red transforms with thirty minutes of air. A delicate older red collapses with twenty. When in doubt, decant the young one and leave the old one alone.

Pour less than you think

A 100 ml pour is generous for a paired dinner. Pour a little less, top up more often, and your guests will remember the wines they actually drank.

End sweeter than you began

Even if your dessert is bitter chocolate or a cheese board, the final glass should pull the evening toward sweet. A late-harvest Riesling, a Sauternes, a Tokaji: the choice matters less than the direction.

Written by the editorial team at Marbleharbourlife. Last updated 2026-07-20.