A wine tasting party is a perfect recreational idea for people who are tired of the same old dance-floor party and to those who are searching for a more intimate social gathering.

Get tired of cooking the same old party food and serving that calorie-filled booze and replace them with a few bottles of both red and white wines, cheeses to pair with, some wineglasses, and a group of wannabe wine lovers.

This is also an ideal way to get friends and family together to learn about wine and experiment with new or unusual varieties. It's a nice way to relax after a rough day and getting together with friends and family.

This party also promotes a healthy lifestyle, if wine is drunk in moderation. It has a number of health benefits including lowering your risk of contracting heart disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer and cataracts. It's a good enough reason to enjoy a glass or two every night.

The idea soothe you, which lead you to questioning: How would I be able to host my own wine tasting party without the fuss? Follow these four simple steps.

Choose the wine. There are many different ways you can handle wine selection. Consider a themed party which can lead to endless possibilities as far as creativity prevails. Another option might be to choose wines from a particular winery or even to select different vintages or years of the exact same wine. It's also important to tell your local wine merchant your theme; they can be a great source of help with wine and theme matching. Make sure you have 4 to 6 different wine types to taste.

Invite guests and consider how many people to invite. You don't need a lot of guests to have a great party. Eight to twelve people is large enough to promote spontaneous interaction and small enough to be easily manageable. Gather your guests, display your wines, and tell everyone they should spit out the wine once they've experienced the flavor, although this isn't compulsory. It's advisable though so drinkers will not be affected by alcohol consumption

There must always be food in a party. By all means serve food paired with the various wines, although the food should not the backbone of the party. Focus on the d'oeuvres such as: cheese, fruit, unsalted crackers, bread or other munchies you may have prepared for the evening.

Limit your wine pours to two ounces which can be traced by marking the first two inches in a normal size wine glass. Rate the wine by simply handing out paper and pens to each of the guests as they arrive so they are able to make notes on each wine tasted. You may reduce the chance of ratings being influenced by personal preference or prejudice by having a "blind tasting" which can be done by wrapping each bottle with labeling it with a number. The wine will then be identified and judged by the number on the bottle.