Wine tasting bracket

Make the sheets View: A4 · Letter

The bracket is a single page for the wall: slots for the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the final, and a box for the winner, filled in with a marker round by round as the table decides. Every guest also gets a Versus card, laid out the same way, with the pairs to circle and a line at the foot for why the winner won. The format takes four or eight wines and nothing in between, because a knockout needs a field that halves cleanly. It suits a loud group of two to twelve, beginners very much included, since nobody gives a score or a star: you only ever choose between two glasses. Eight wines is the classic size, three rounds and a final people talk about afterwards. Four bottles give a quick semi-final and final, which is plenty for a weeknight.

Hide the bottles in bags with numbered tags and pour the first pair together, calling it as you pour: "One versus two". Everyone tastes both, circles a winner on their card, and a show of hands settles it for the table. Write the winning number on the wall bracket and move to the next pair. By the final, each survivor has already beaten one or two rivals, so the last vote is often tight. Print the bracket once, on A3 if your printer takes it, one Versus card per guest, the host sheet with the answers, and the bottle tags. Two glasses each makes the pairs easier, though a rinse between rounds works. Allow about an hour for eight wines. Keep pours small, since winners come back for another round: taste, spit, and keep water within reach.

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