Virtual Wine Tasting Games That Actually Get People Talking
- Thomas Allen
- 2 minutes ago
- 7 min read
For lively, beginner-friendly virtual wine tasting games, run a blind tasting round, a wine trivia showdown, or a wine bingo card. Add a tasting-note quiz if your group likes a little detective work. Each one turns a video call into a party instead of a lecture, and none require a sommelier to run.
Pick one, send everyone the same bottle or a simple shopping list, and you’re basically ready. If you’d rather skip the prep entirely, Blameitonbacchus’s Elements of Wine class comes with the games and facilitation built in.
Blind tasting: best for small, competitive groups who like guessing games
Wine trivia: best for mixed-experience crowds and bigger parties
Wine bingo: best for total beginners who just want to laugh and learn
Tasting-note quiz: best for wine nerds who want a real challenge
Key Takeaways
The best virtual wine tasting games work by turning education into play, using short rounds, clear scoring, and low-pressure formats to keep beginners engaged.
Point | Details |
Pick one game format | Start with blind tasting, trivia, or bingo based on your group’s experience level. |
Send materials early | Share tasting sheets and wine lists a week ahead so guests arrive prepared. |
Cap the event length | Keep the whole night to a reasonable duration to avoid energy dips. |
Use breakout rooms | Split into small teams for challenges, then reconvene for reveals and leaderboard updates. |
Skip the DIY prep | Blameitonbacchus’s Elements of Wine class provides built-in games and facilitation for hosts who want it done for them. |
Table of Contents
Best Virtual Wine Tasting Games to Run on a Video Call
You don’t need fancy equipment to run a good game night over Zoom. You need a plan, a timer, and a group willing to be a little silly. Here are ten formats that work, ranked roughly by how much setup they take.
Blind tasting. Have everyone pour a mystery wine into an opaque cup or cover the label with a sock (yes, really). Give three minutes per wine to guess grape, region, or price point. Score one point per correct guess, bonus point for closest price. Works for 4 to 12 people.
Tasting-note quiz. Read aloud a professional-style tasting note (think “black cherry, baking spice, firm tannins”) and have guests guess the wine style before it’s revealed. This format, popularized by Wine Spectator’s guessing feature, rewards people who pay attention to smell and texture rather than trivia recall.
Wine trivia. Build a 15 to 20 question bank covering history, regions, and pop culture wine moments. Mix easy and hard questions so newcomers aren’t shut out.
Wine bingo. Print or share a digital card with squares like “someone says ‘notes of leather’” or “swirls the glass dramatically.” First to five in a row wins a prize.
Scavenger hunt. Send guests hunting for something at home that matches a wine descriptor, like “find something the color of this Malbec.” It’s goofy, and that’s the point.
Sommelier Says. A wine-themed take on Simon Says. Host calls out actions (“swirl,” “sniff,” “sip”) and anyone who does the wrong one is out.
Pairing challenge. Give teams two minutes to name the best snack pairing for each wine using only what’s in their kitchen. Vote on the funniest or most convincing answer.
Creative description contest. Guests write the most outlandish tasting note they can for a single wine, then the group votes for funniest and most accurate.
Progressive reveal. Taste all wines blind first, then reveal one at a time with backstory. Great for building suspense across a longer event.
Charades with a cork. Act out wine terms like “oaky” or “tannic” without speaking. Chaotic, but it works.
For accessibility, always offer a non-alcoholic or low-alcohol substitute wine so nobody feels pressured to keep pace, and consider a lower-proof pour option for guests driving later or simply pacing themselves.
Pro Tip: Match the game to your group’s energy. Trivia and bingo work for shy or mixed-experience crowds because there’s no pressure to sound smart out loud. Blind tasting and charades work better once everyone’s had one glass and loosened up.
What Should Go Into Your Pre-Event Checklist?
Sending the same wines to every guest removes the biggest source of confusion in any virtual tasting, and curated kit delivery solves that friction without forcing you to play grocery-list detective for ten people.
Two to three weeks out: send invites with the date, format (bingo night vs. blind tasting), and a note on whether it’s BYO bottle or a shared kit.
One week out: share the wine list or kit tracking info, plus a simple tasting notes guide so nobody shows up cold.
One to two days out: confirm headcount, send the Zoom or platform link, and remind everyone to chill whites and decant reds if needed.
What to include in the prep packet:
A one-page tasting sheet with aroma, flavor, and finish prompts
A short glossary of terms like “tannin” and “body” (skip jargon overload)
The game format and scoring rules so nobody’s confused mid-round
A note on non-drinker substitutes and age verification for mixed-age groups
Budget matters here too. A single shared bottle per household keeps costs low for casual game nights, while a full matched kit works better for corporate events or milestone celebrations where everyone tasting the identical pour actually matters for the game. Advance materials shorten in-call explanation time, which means more minutes for actual playing instead of instructions.
How Do You Keep Everyone Engaged on the Call?
Treat the whole thing like game night, not a lecture. Short rounds beat long ones. Cap the entire event at 60 to 90 minutes, because that window keeps energy high and cuts down on awkward silences that creep in once people run out of things to say about a swirl.
A few tactics that consistently work can be inspired by the principles in Defining Culinary Experiences: a Traveler’s Guide, ensuring your virtual tasting combines fun and learning effectively.
Open with a 60 second icebreaker: “What’s the worst wine you’ve ever been served?”
Use breakout rooms for 2 to 4 person mini-challenges, then regroup for reveals
Run a live poll or chat vote for awards like “Most Creative Description” or “Boldest Guess”
Keep a simple leaderboard visible on screen so people can track their standing
Have a backup plan (a phone hotspot, a second laptop) in case someone’s Wi-Fi drops mid-round
Pro Tip: Give out one goofy, no-stakes award every round instead of saving all recognition for the end. It keeps quieter guests invested even if they’re not winning the main game.
Copyable Templates You Can Use Tonight
Steal these outright. A bingo card can include squares like “mentions a vacation memory,” “guesses the wrong varietal confidently,” or “asks for a re-pour.” A trivia starter bank might mix questions like “Which grape is used in Champagne?” and “What does ‘terroir’ mean?” so both beginners and enthusiasts have a shot.
For scoring, a simple weighted rubric works better than a complicated spreadsheet:
For blind tasting setups, cover labels completely or pour into opaque cups before guests arrive on camera, and reveal one wine at a time to keep suspense intact through the whole round.
Why This Format Works Better Than a Formal Tasting
I’ve looked at enough of these events to notice a pattern: the ones that fall flat are almost always the ones that try too hard to sound like a sommelier class. The ones that work feel like trivia night with better drinks.
The instinct to over-educate is understandable. Hosts worry guests will feel unprepared, so they front-load jargon and structure. It backfires. Framing the night as a game rather than a lesson is what actually gets shy or novice guests to speak up, because nobody’s afraid of sounding dumb during bingo. Save the deep education for people who’ve already opted into a class setting, where structured learning is the whole point rather than a barrier to fun. Beginners in a Zoom party don’t want a syllabus. They want an excuse to laugh at their own bad guesses.
The best virtual tastings I’ve seen borrow more from board games than wine school: quick rounds, visible scores, silly awards, low stakes. Save the technical depth for people who’ve chosen to learn, and keep the party format for people who just want a good Tuesday night.
— Thomas
Want the Games Built In? Try a Hosted Tasting Instead
Building your own trivia bank and bingo cards is fun once. Doing it every time you want a wine night gets old fast. Blameitonbacchus’s Elements of Wine class hands you the structure, the games, and the teaching, so you show up and pour instead of spending an evening writing trivia questions.
The class is built for beginners specifically. No pretentious jargon, no pressure to “get it right,” just a guided session that mixes real wine education with the same playful energy this article covers. It’s a genuinely easy way to run a polished night without building a single asset yourself. If you’d rather browse first, the Blameitonbacchus home page has course details and a shop full of wine-themed gear worth stealing for prize ideas. Book a session for your next group and let someone else handle the trivia bank.
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FAQ
What Are the Best Virtual Wine Tasting Games for Beginners?
Wine bingo and trivia work best for beginners because there’s no pressure to sound knowledgeable out loud, while blind tasting suits groups that already enjoy a little friendly competition.
How Long Should a Zoom Wine Tasting Night Last?
Keep it to 60 to 90 minutes total, since longer sessions tend to lose momentum and create awkward lulls once the novelty wears off.
What Wines Should Everyone Buy for a Group Tasting?
Send everyone the same wine list or a matched kit ahead of time. This removes guesswork and helps make blind tasting and trivia scoring fair across the whole group.
Can I Run These Games Without Buying a Kit for Everyone?
Yes. A single shared bottle per household works fine for casual game nights. Kits matter more for corporate events where identical pours are essential to fair scoring.
Is There an Easier Option Than Building My Own Game Night?
Blameitonbacchus’s Elements of Wine class provides guided instruction with games and facilitation already built in, which suits hosts who want a polished night without writing trivia questions themselves.
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