149 GASTRO If you really fancy having dinner seated at the table, but you also want to spend time with your guests, you can prepare a buffet meal, which will leave you more free time. It is essential to put some thought into the decoration, which plays a key role in gatherings like these. We recommend choosing eye-catching table line and colourful crockery with dishes of different heights, and don’t forget to adorn the table with flowers, fruit and candles. Be creative! If you prefer the option of a standing buffet, you cannot beat cold and warm snacks. A good idea is to enlist the help of several waiters. Howdo I organise it all? Plan your menu with dishes and portions in mind, which will make the shopping easier. Take into account the number of guests for the drinks and that it is probably better to have more white wine than red at this time of year. Calculate the amount of drink with care: soft drinks, beers and a selection of spirits for a toast. While planning, don’t forget to include details such as the crockery, cutlery, ice tongs, corkscrews and bottle openers. A practical tip: serving drinks in glasses whenever possible will save you time. And let’s not forget how important staging is: think about side tables, appropriate decoration and a playlist that gets everyone on the dance floor. Get ready to be the coolest host! Get the drinks right Choose a few good white wines for those warm summer nights, some of which should also be sparkling. If you want Spanish wines, you can never go wrong with Rueda, Albariño or Godello varieties. For foreign varieties, try Chardonnay or Riesling. And from the local area, a Fino amontillado from Jerez or manzanilla. Serve them well chilled and keep them in an ice bucket. A clever trick: freeze some purple grapes and add one to every glass of white wine. It looks great when you are serving and helps to keep the wine cold. As for reds, Priorat, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Burdeos or Bierzo are all good options. Serve them slightly chilled to make them more pleasing. Don’t forget some small bottles of beer, which should be kept in a bucket with ice to keep them really cold. Mesa decorada por Paz Quijano
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