Guidelines for Parties
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General Serving Guidelines for Parties  

Hors d' oeuvres         4oz per person

Tortilla Chips             1-1/2oz per person

Potato Chips             1oz per person

Bread                         1-1/2oz per person[1]

Meat                           4oz per person[2]

Potatoes or Salad   4oz per person

Salad Dressing        1oz per person

Vegetables                4oz per person

Dessert                      4oz per person

Sheet Cake               2" square per person

Beverages (per guest)

White Wine/Champagne   4oz

Champagne (for toasts)     2oz[3]

Red Wine                             6oz

Beer                                   12oz

Punch                                   6oz

Coffee                                  4oz

Soda/Water                 10-12oz

Ice                                          1lb

Average Drink Consumption:

2 drinks per person for the first hour

1 drink per person each following hour

A Few Words about Champagne [4]

Strictly speaking, champagne means "French Champagne" coming from the Reims and Epernay districts east of Paris .

California produces two types of Sparkling wine. The "Bulk Process" type is basically glorified soda pop. The other, usually labeled "Methode Champenoise," is produced using the traditional methods developed in the Champagne Region of France. It is well worth the price to buy a sparkling wine using the "Methode Champenoise."

It is also well worth a few dollars more to purchase a French Champagne. There is a significant difference in taste between the "fruit-driven" sparkling wines of California and the "yeast-driven" Champagnes produced in the chalky soils of France . The "doughy," "biscuity" bouquet on these champagnes is a treasure waiting to be discovered.

How to Open and Pour Champagne

Remove the outer foil wrap and untwist the wire cage. Keep your thumb on top of the bottle when untwisting the wire cage. Hold the bottle at a 45 degree angle and twist the bottle while firmly holding the cork. The cork should ease smoothly from the bottle with a delicate pop.

Sweetness Chart for Champagne

French      American   Residual Sugar   Description

Brut             Bone Dry   0-1.5%                   bone dry to off-dry

Extra-Sec   Extra-Dry   1.2-2%                   off-dry to medium dry

Sec             Dry               1.7-3.5%               medium dry

Demi-Sec  Semi-Dry     3.5-5%                  sweet

Doux           Sweet          5% plus                 dessert - like Spumante

A Special Note Concerning Responsible Hosting

One 12oz beer, one 4oz glass of wine[5] and 1-1/2oz shot of hard liquor (a jigger) all contain about the same amount of alcohol. A good rule of thumb is to limit consumption to 1 serving per hour per guest. Otherwise, you'd better not drink because you're going to be driving your guests home!

We've all heard the saying, "Don't drink and drive." Well here's another saying for the host: "Don't pour too fast, and monitor the alcohol consumption of your guests." 

Moderation in all things--that's the key.

 

[1] Tortilla chips, potato chips and bread add up to a lot of carbohydrates. If you are going to serve all three, it would be best to scale back portions to equal 2 servings of "carbs" per person.

[2] If you are not serving Hors d' oeuvres or chips before the meal, you may want to increase the meat per person to 8oz. A good rule would be to plan for at least 20oz of food per person.

[3] One 750ml bottle of champagne should serve 12 toasts.

[4] Everything I know about champagne I learned from Patrick Coffield, instructor of the World of Wine class offered through the University of California Santa Barbara Recreation Center’s Leisure Review programs. Patrick is a great teacher, his course is fun as well as informative and the class on champagne is my favorite.

[5] A 750 ml bottle contains approximately six 4oz servings. A 4oz serving is ½ cup--not a very big glass of wine. Most red wine glasses are so big that your guests may be offended by what appears to be such a small serving. So you may wish to pour a little more to start. Nevertheless, through the course of the evening, the average wine drinker should consume no more than about 12oz in the first two hours. Also, be sure to offer Hors d' oeuvres when serving alcohol to guests before the main courses are served.