Running private wine tasting evenings: places, bottles, pace

Run tasting evenings in two formats. Open tastings on set dates, where each guest books their own place until the slot is full, and private evenings, where one host books the whole session for their group and you handle the details with them. Plan bottles and glasses from the number of places, set the pace so each wine gets its moment, and ask for allergies and the occasion in the booking note. Guests know what they're coming to, and you know how many glasses to set.

An open tasting is a themed evening on a date you choose: wines of one region, a grape across several countries, food and wine pairings. Each person books a place. On Book, you create the slot with the number of places you can host; each booking takes one place, and when all are taken, the slot disappears from your page. The public form books one person at a time, so couples book two places, one each.

A private evening is booked by one person for a group: a birthday, a team event, friends at home. Here the host contacts you, you agree the date and the theme, create a slot with as many places as the group, and book it yourself from your calendar. When you book from the calendar, you can set the number of people, so the whole group sits in one booking and the slot is full.

Durations, places and prices are examples: set your own. In each description, say what's included (number of wines, food, glasses), where it takes place and whether guests can buy bottles afterwards.

Give each open tasting a clear theme in its service name, so people know what they're booking: "Loire whites", "Wines for the holiday table", "Beginners: how to taste". Plan a few dates ahead so regulars can choose, and place them on evenings that suit your audience. A beginners' evening makes a good entry point for people who have never been to a tasting; the regional or pairing evenings then give them a reason to come back.

The public booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note you read in your new-booking email. Ask about food allergies, whether it's a special occasion, and for couples, the name of the person they're coming with so you can seat them together. The note can't be edited once the booking exists, so put the questions in the service description.

Start with a welcome glass while late guests arrive, then pour the first wine at a fixed time. Leave time for guests to taste and talk before you explain each wine; answer questions as they come, but keep an eye on the clock. End with a moment for questions and, if you sell wine, for orders. Slots sit within one day, so an evening that runs late still needs to end before midnight on your calendar.

Guests can't move bookings online: they contact you, and you reschedule or cancel from your bookings list, across services if needed, so a guest can move to the next open tasting. Book doesn't email guests about changes, so let them know yourself. Book doesn't take payments or deposits; it handles bookings. With calendar sync (Google, iPhone, Mac), tastings sit next to your other work. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.