Wine at a private-chef dinner

Once your booking is confirmed, I recommend a wine for each course and you buy them from Alko using my list. At the table I explain briefly why each wine suits its dish, which gives the evening the same rhythm you get at a good restaurant.

A well-chosen wine brings out flavours in the dish, and a poorly chosen one can bury them, so I plan the wines with the same care as the menu.

Everything starts from the menu. I only choose wines once I know what is going on the plates, because a wine that works beautifully with one dish can taste flat next to another.

A typical private chef dinner at home has four or five courses: a welcome from the kitchen, a starter, an intermediate course, the main and dessert. On an Italian menu the same structure becomes antipasti, primi piatti, secondi and dolce. I usually suggest a wine for every course. A rough outline might be a light white to start, a firmer red with the main and a sweet drop with dessert, but the final call always depends on what is on the plate.

Not everyone wants to switch wines between every course. In that case I pick one wine that carries the whole meal. It also keeps the shopping list short.

The cuisine matters too: Scandinavian menus lean on fish and seafood, French ones on butter and sauces, and each asks for different wines. You can browse sample menus for each cuisine to get a feel for them.

Two rules: a good wine you can buy at Alko

I choose wines by two simple rules. The wine has to be good, meaning it is rated at least 4.0 on Vivino, and it has to be available at Alko.

The Vivino rating sets a floor for quality, so the choice doesn’t rest on my palate alone. The Alko rule keeps buying simple: no specialist shops, no orders from abroad.

A good wine doesn’t need an expensive bottle, and Alko carries well-rated wines at many price points. If you’d like to keep the wine budget modest, tell me and I’ll factor it in.

You buy the wines, I write the list

Wines and other drinks are not included in the price of the dinner. The price covers menu planning, wine recommendations, ingredients, cooking, service, table setting, espresso drinks at the end and cleaning the kitchen. The wines you buy yourself, based on my recommendations.

In practice it works like this. When the menu, date, guest count and price are agreed and the booking is confirmed, I send you my wine recommendations course by course. You pick up the bottles before the evening and I take care of the rest.

This way you know exactly what you pay for the wine, and any bottles left over stay with you. Your own wines in your own home are also part of what makes eating in more relaxed than a restaurant.

Glasses and tableware aren’t included either. If you don’t have enough wine glasses for everyone, you can rent them through my partner Jubilee. There is more on tableware rental and my other services.

What to do before the evening

Buy the wines a few days ahead, so there is time to react if a bottle has sold out at your local Alko. Just ask me for an alternative and I’ll pick one that still fits the menu.

If the dinner is at a summer cottage, buy the wines in town, as the nearest Alko can be a long drive away.

Put whites, sparkling wines and any alcohol-free drinks in the fridge in good time. I arrive about three hours before your guests, and we go through together which bottles are opened when. After that you can leave the wines to me.

At the table, I tell you why it works

As I bring each course to the table, I say a few words about the dish and why this wine suits it. I keep it short and in plain language, without wine jargon, so the food doesn’t go cold while I talk.

That short story makes the tasting more interesting and gives the table something to talk about. If someone falls for a wine, they can buy it later themselves, since everything on the list comes from Alko.

You don’t need to know anything about wine beforehand. I take care of that side.

Alcohol-free works too

A good dinner doesn’t need alcohol. If some guests don’t drink, or the whole group wants an alcohol-free evening, I plan alcohol-free pairings around the menu in the same way. Mention it while we are refining the menu and I’ll include it in the recommendations. Kids are welcome at the table, and the alcohol-free pairings work for them too.

Common questions

Are the wines included in the price?

No. Menus typically cost about 130–170 € per guest including VAT, and the wine recommendations are part of that. The wines and other drinks you buy separately.

When do I get the wine list?

Once the booking is confirmed and the menu is settled. That is when I know which dishes the wines need to support.

Can I serve my own wines?

Of course. If you have a bottle you’d like to open that evening, let me know in advance and I’ll work out which course it suits best.

Tell me about your occasion and I’ll put together the right wines for you.