Are You Ready for the Holidays?

Hey party people - I've been busy working for something special for you for the holidays.

We're talking different party menus for the months of November and December, including what to serve, great recipes, coupons and cool invites and such that you can download.

Which I think makes it OK I skipped a week or two of blogging, right?

Our plan is to help you through the holiday season by showing you how you can still throw a great party without spending a fortune.

Tip 1: Save 10% when you buy 6 bottles of wine and spirits

You can use our monthly "six ways to save six" as a guide. Mostly, I'd suggest doing the easy math in your head. I am not a math whiz. But six bottles of $5 wine is $30. Subtract $3, which is 10%, and you've only spent $27 to get the party started. Currently, we have 1.75 liters of VIP Vodka on sale until Oct. 6. Buy now and you'll spend less than $50 when you buy 6.

Tip 2: Think cocktails and sangria.

A cocktail always goes further than a glass of regular wine. To make a less expensive wine work harder for you, whip up a sangria (you'll find several recipes in our recipe center). We've served sangria at the Raley's Food & Wine Festival and it's always a party favorite. You could even consider serving warmed for cooler weather.

Tip 3: Plan ahead.

Use our monthly wine tab to figure what's on sale and when you'll buy it. Most of us plan parties in advance - to make your dollar go further, budget out your liquor purchase over several weeks instead of trying to ring it all up in one shot.

Check out next week, when I'll give you some more preplanning tips!


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From Our Dietitian: Are You Ready for the Holidays? We're cooking up something special for the Wine Club (Wednesday September 23, 2009) Hey party people - I've been busy working for something special for you for the holidays. We're talking different party menus for the months of November and December, including what to serve, great recipes, coupons and cool invites and such that you can download. Which I think makes it OK I skipped a week or two of blogging, right? Our plan is to help you through the holiday season by showing you how you can still throw a great party without spending a fortune. Tip 1: Save 10% when you buy 6 bottles of wine and spirits You can use our monthly "six ways to save six" as a guide. Mostly, I'd suggest doing the easy math in your head. I am not a math whiz. But six bottles of $5 wine is $30. Subtract $3, which is 10%, and you've only spent $27 to get the party started. Currently, we have 1.75 liters of VIP Vodka on sale until Oct. 6. Buy now and you'll spend less than $50 when you buy 6. Tip 2: Think cocktails and sangria. A cocktail always goes further than a glass of regular wine. To make a less expensive wine work harder for you, whip up a sangria (you'll find several recipes in our recipe center). We've served sangria at the Raley's Food & Wine Festival and it's always a party favorite. You could even consider serving warmed for cooler weather. Tip 3: Plan ahead. Use our monthly wine tab to figure what's on sale and when you'll buy it. Most of us plan parties in advance - to make your dollar go further, budget out your liquor purchase over several weeks instead of trying to ring it all up in one shot. Check out next week, when I'll give you some more preplanning tips!