So, here we are; the eve of the New Year and there is yet more partying to be done. What a trauma! I am a complete lightweight when it comes to late nights and typically start to flag about 10.30pm (I know, I know . . . pathetic). My chances of staying awake are significantly improved if there are a few games on hand, and if you share the competitive spirit and have an interest in wine, here are a couple of ideas for you.

The first is ‘What Wine Am I?’. The concept is well-known and requires only a small amount of preparation.

Pick a dozen or so wines (or as many as you think your guests will put up with) and set eight clues for each wine, increasing the amount of information you give away with each clue.

The idea is that the fewer clues the players need, the more points they score. For instance, if they guess the wine after the first clue then they would win eight points and you would have none.

If they guess after the second clue, they win seven points and you have one.

Here is an example for you.

Here are my eight clues: l One of the most famous red wines of Bordeaux l The estate covers 11 hectares l The estate is owned by the Moueix family l The famous 2000 vintage of this wine is being sold by Berry Brothers & Rudd for £3,738.70 a bottle l The soil at the estate is clay with blue tinges l The estate has no château l The wine is sold under the Pomerol appellation.

l Rare in Bordeaux, the vast majority (95 per cent) of plantings at the vineyard are Merlot and it is not unknown for the final wine to be 100 per cent Merlot.

The wine is Château Pétrus.

Depending on how knowledgeable your guests are, you can make the clues easier or more tricky; it is up to you.

Another quick game that can be a lot of fun and really get people to think about the wines they are drinking is to have two or three different wines — of the same colour — open to try.

You give people time to try them and commit them to memory. Then, blindfold your guests and pour them (modest) samples of the wines. They then re-taste and have to identify which is which! It sounds an awful lot easier than it actually is.

However you choose to welcome the arrival of 2010, have a wonderful time and let us hope that the coming year will be filled with yet more delicious, interesting wines. Happy New Year!

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