If there's time today, I'll try to post more photos from some recent wine tastings.

Of course, you could always host your own. It's supposed to be pretty nice this weekend, but then I also thought it was supposed to be pretty cool (or at least below 80), so things might have changed. Weather permitting, an outdoor wine tasting party is always fun, but don't forgo comfort (aka air conditioning) for the sake of ambience.

Some tips for an at-home wine tasting:

"Blind" tastings can be a lot of fun. Lay in a supply of cloth napkins, wine bags, or plain brown lunch sacks to cover the labels (pin the cloth napkins around with a safety pin, of course, unless you've got stellar napking folding origami skills). Draw up a basic form and print enough copies for each person to have one, numbered from 1 to 10 (or whatever the number of bottles is that you're tasting) with a line next to each number for whatever it is you want your guest to guess -- varietal, origin, winery, etc.

You can buy the bottles yourself, or have each person coming bring a favorite bottle to add to the mix.

Choose a theme if you like--depending on your wine knowledge and the level of your guests' wine knowledge, you can go as basic or as difficult as you like. Everyone a fan of reds? Have each person bring (or collect yourself) one each of, perhaps, Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz, Zinfandel, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese (such as Chianti), Tempranillo, etc. Note: whether you're tasting reds, whites, or a little of each, you should line the bottles up dry to sweet, light to heavy (i.e. taste a Sauvignon Blanc before a Chardonnay) for maximum enjoyment. If your guests (and you) are true wine aficionados, try tasting a single varietal or two closely related ones from different regions--perhaps Cabernet from California, Washington, France (both left and right bank Bordeaux if you want to get really particular!), and Australia.

Pour very small samples--about an ounce--of each. You can always pour more later for enjoying over conversation or a game of pool. Have spit buckets and water available for cleaning glasses.

Have simple food--cheese and crackers, for example, for anyone who wants to "cleanse their palate" before moving on to the next wine. Save the savory foods to enjoy after the blind tasting is done.

How much is enough? A 750ml bottle of wine = about four 'typical' glasses of wine (it's approximately 25 ounces). One bottle for every pair of guests ought to be plenty (for both tasting and enjoying later) but you might want to keep a couple extras handy in case one wine is more popular than the others. And we suggest rounding out the evening with food and non-alcoholic drinks to get your guests ready for the road.

Last, but not least....have fun! An in-home wine tasting can easily become a tradition.