By Laetitia Ouspointour, oenologist, winemaker and founder of L.O Wine
Finding something for the company Christmas party in Bordeaux (or the end-of-year “holiday party”, if your team is on the other side of the Atlantic) is the little puzzle that comes back every autumn. The wish is usually the same: do something other than a dinner where everyone sits with their own department, and give the whole team a moment they actually share.
I run workshops for companies such as Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild and Artémis Domaines, and I’m part of Châteauform’s catalogue of activities. Here’s what wine can bring to your party, and how to organise it without the stress.
(Don’t worry, dinner stays. We just give the evening a proper highlight.)
→ See my corporate wine experiences
Why a wine activity for your Christmas party?
Because everyone can take part, from the intern to the management team, whether they know about wine or not. People taste, compare and share their opinion, and there’s no wrong answer.
Because teams mix. Around a tasting table, or a blend that has to be agreed on as a group, accounts ends up chatting with sales, which doesn’t always happen at the office.
And because people leave with something: a bottle, an artwork, a few cocktail recipes. A small keepsake that lasts longer than the party itself.
Which wine activity suits your party?
The CréaWine® blending workshop, for a party that brings people together. My blending workshop won an award at the Concours Lépine. Teams create their own blend, present it to the room, and everyone votes. There’s a prize-giving (rather fitting in December) and everyone leaves with their aroma profile. Discover the team building blending workshop
Painting with wine, for a more creative evening. We taste 4 wines, then paint with red wine on a personalised design, in your company colours if you like. Nobody needs to know how to draw, and everyone takes their artwork home. All the details are in my article on the wine painting workshop in Bordeaux.
The wine reveals the cocktail, for a festive mood. We taste the wines, then turn them into cocktails with herbs, spices and a few mixology techniques. Handy when not everyone on the team is into wine, and very much in the festive spirit.
Caviar, Grands Crus Classés and Champagne, for your client evening. If your end of year also includes a get-together with clients or partners, this is the most premium format: three pairings built around Aquitaine IGP caviar, with Grands Crus Classés and Champagne. More in my article on the caviar and Grands Crus Classés tasting.
→ Plan the wine activity for your Christmas party
Before, during or after dinner?
All three work. The right choice mostly depends on how your evening is planned.
Before dinner, the workshop replaces the usual drinks reception. It’s the ideal slot for a blending or cocktail workshop, while everyone is still standing and mingling.
During dinner, we can build food and wine pairings around the menu. Everyone stays at the table, and wine becomes the thread running through the meal.
After dinner, a short, light format such as a cocktail workshop keeps the evening going without slowing it down.
Planning your party: the timeline
Allow at least 2 weeks between your request and the date of the event. For a Christmas party, I’d recommend getting in touch as soon as your date is set: the earlier you book, the more options you’ll have.
To put a proposal together, I need four things: the date, the number of guests, the venue and the kind of atmosphere you’re after.
As for the venue, I come to you: your offices, a private restaurant or event space, a hotel. I mainly work in and around Bordeaux, but I also travel across France and Europe. The party can also take place at Château Vieux Mougnac, where I’m a winemaker.
Planning a seminar this season too? I explain how to fit a workshop into it in my article on wine activities for corporate seminars in Bordeaux.
Company Christmas party wine activities: FAQ
Do guests need to know about wine?
No. Every workshop starts with the basics, explained simply, and is designed for a mix of beginners and keen amateurs.
How many people can take part?
My workshops usually have between 5 and 15 participants, but larger teams are welcome too: I’ll shape the format around your numbers.
How long does it last?
Allow about 1.5 hours for Painting with wine, The wine reveals the cocktail or the caviar tasting, and between 1.5 and 2 hours for the CréaWine workshop. It fits around the flow of your evening.
How far in advance should we book?
At least 2 weeks before the event. For December, the sooner the better.
Can the activity be personalised?
Yes: the materials can feature your logo or a company visual, and you choose the wines (Bordeaux, other regions, organic, natural or older vintages).
How do payment and cancellation work?
Everything is set out in the general conditions of sale, and I’m happy to answer any questions before you book.
Who runs the evening?
I do. I’m Laetitia Ouspointour: an oenologist, a winemaker at Château Vieux Mougnac, a Concours Lépine award winner with CréaWine and a member of the tasting panel at La Revue du Vin de France.
Send me your date and the number of guests, and I’ll suggest an activity that fits your evening.
→ Tell me about your Christmas party
Laetitia Ouspointour is the founder of L.O Wine, an oenologist and a winemaker at Château Vieux Mougnac. She designs wine experiences for companies in Bordeaux and across France.
