It’s OFFICIALLY sweater weather. False fall (aka hot sunny September) has passed, fall flavours are all the rage, and sweaters are a must. To celebrate, I threw my first official dip dinner darty! And the theme? Sweata Weatha. Obviously.
This post is sponsored by wine.com. I’ve also included affiliate links throughout this post. If you click on or purchase anything through these links, I may earn a small commission. Thank you in advance for your support! xx
I went all out for this one, and the prep/hosting experience was almost as fun as the dinner party itself. Keep reading for all the wine details, recipe links, decor inspo, and my party prep checklists to host your very own version of this epic dinner party.
PSA - You can find all the wine at wine.com!
I had the pleasure of partnering with wine.com for this one to curate the perfect wine flight, and they’ve made it easier than ever to find and buy the wine! They put together this lovely landing page for me with links to all five wines, so you can easily order them straight to your door.
What is a Dip Dinner Party?
Think of it as a classic dinner party, but with dip as the main focus. And each dip comes with the perfect wine pairing. AKA the BEST kind of dinner party! I’m sharing weekly themed menus to help get the party started, and the ideas are endless. Check out the rest of them here!
These menus are usually limited to my paid subs, but this one’s a freebie! I hope you love it, and if it convinces you to upgrade to paid - YAY.
The Menu: Sweata Weatha
Printable PDF Menu:
The Wine Flight
I absolutely love this wine flight. It’s like a trip around the world: We start in Germany with crisp bubbles to get the party started, then we move on to France for a stunning white, Oregon for a bright fruit-forward red, Italy for a bold earthy red, and finally Portugal to bring it home with a sweet fortified wine.
**In case you missed it, you can find all these wines on my wine.com landing page. Click here to check it out! **
Wine #1: Sparkling Wine
Dr. L Sparkling Riesling (Germany)
Bright, easy-going, high value, absolutely delicious bubbles from Mosel, Germany. This sparkling wine is made from 100% Riesling in the Charmat Method — the same as Prosecco — so it’s vibrant, fresh, amazing with food, and the perfect start to any party.
What to expect:
A beautiful balance of sweetness and crisp mouthwatering acidity
Vibrant flavours of ripe apple, lemon curd, apricot, and honeysuckle
A lovely wet-stone finish to tie it all together
Pairs amazingly with:
Sweet, salty, spicy appetizers, like my Apple Butter Brie Puff Pastry Bites!
Wine #2: White Wine
Mary Taylor Anjou Blanc (Loire Valley, France)
This beauty is made from 100% Chenin Blanc from France’s Loire Valley. It’s dry, both crisp and lush, layered with flavour, and honestly too good for the price (which is a great problem to have). FUN FACT: This was the white wine at my wedding, so you know it’s good!
What to expect:
Richness balanced by bright acidity.
Vibrant flavours of ripe pear, golden apple, honeyed peaches, and white flowers.
A flinty, chalky, wet-stone finish.
Pairs amazingly with:
Fresh, tangy cheese (especially goat cheese) and orchard flavours, so it’s obviously perfect with my Crispy Prosciutto & Caramelized Pear Whipped Goat Cheese!
Wine #3: Light Red Wine
Adelsheim Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Oregon, USA)
Adelsheim is one of the true O.G. estates in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, a region with a terroir that loves Pinot Noir. This Pinot is their flagship wine, and for good reason. It’s, elegant, juicy, layered, always reliable, and with it’s incredible value it’s basically the ultimate everyday luxury kind of wine.
What to expect:
A medium-bodied structure with silky smooth tannins and bright acidity
Flavours of ripe red cherry and pomegranate, balanced by a hint of spice, crushed herbs, and sweet smoked cedar.
Pairs amazingly with:
Gruyère and caramelized onions (aka my French Onion Dip Bomb!)
Also TURKEY! Yes, this is the perfect wine for your Thanksgiving dinner.
Wine #4: Bold Red Wine
Travaglini Gattinara Nebbiolo (Piedmont, Italy)
This is incredible. Maybe even my favourite of the bunch (if I had to pick one). It’s made from 100% Nebbiolo from Piedmont, Italy - specifically the mountainous Gattinara region with volcanic soils. Nebbiolo is a really cool grape, but the terroir (aka the environment where the grape is grown) is the main reason for the perfection that is this wine.
What to expect:
Full-bodied, super dry, and beautifully structured with tight tannins, high alcohol, and crisp acidity - bold, but with a lighter mouthfeel than the more common Barolo.
The flavours in this thing go on forever! Tart cherry, dried strawberries, rose petals, earthy spice, dusty tar, leather, a touch of cigar smokiness, and a stony minerality on the finish. It’s beautiful, and I love it very much.
Pairs amazingly with:
Anything with our beloved Parmigiano Reggiano, mushrooms, or truffles - so it’s basically made for my Truffle Parm Stuffed Mushroom Dip! I mean, it was literally made it for it… so it’s pretty perfect.
FUN FACT: It comes in a uniquely shaped bottle designed to catch sediment when poured, so decanting older vintages isn’t always needed!
Wine #5: Dessert Wine
Blandy’s Rich Madeira (Portugal)
This fortified dessert wine comes from the volcanic island of Madeira, Portugal. Blandy’s uses the Malvasia grape (known locally as Malmsey) and ages it using the traditional Canteiro system, where the wine is gradually heated and oxidized, creating its signature nutty, rich profile. The result is a lusciously sweet wine with unbelievable intensity and the potential to age for decades.
What to expect:
A rich, full-bodied sweetness perfectly balanced by bright, tangy acidity.
Complex, caramelized flavours of toffee, molasses, dried fig, and apricot.
A long, warming finish with notes of honeyed nuts and baking spices.
Pairs amazingly with:
Any rich dessert with chocolate, dried, nuts, and/or baking spices! It’s incredible with my No Churn Boozy Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream — especially since it’s used in the ice cream itself — but would be equally delicious with something like rich pecan pie!
FYI - rich madeira is also fantastic with bold cheese, especially blue cheese! For real - try it.
Wine Flight Options
If you’d rather fewer wines:
Choose 1 between the sparkling Riesling and Chenin Blanc (both will pair with the first two courses)
Choose between the Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo (both will pair with the 3rd and 4th courses)
None of the other wines will pair well with the dessert — since sweet foods need sweet and the wine is actually an ingredient in the dessert itself — BUT you can always skip the dessert wine and make my alternative booze-free no-churn pumpkin pie ice cream!
Recipes & Pairings
Here are the links to all the recipes included in this menu, plus some notes on the wine pairings! And in case you missed it, you can find and buy all these wines through my landing page on Wine.com :)
Welcome Cocktail
This was such a great welcome cocktail. So fall, so flavour packed. I batched this the day before the party and stored it in the fridge until it was ready to go. You can find instructions on how to batch this one with the recipe!
Pairing #1
The Appetizer: Apple Butter Brie Puff Pastry Bites
The Pairing: Dr. Loosen “Dr. L” Sparkling Riesling
I can’t get over how easy and delicious these little bites are. The best part? They look fancy, but are SO easy.
Here’s why it works:
Matching (yet contrasting) apple flavours in the wine and appetizer. The wine has these ripe green apple notes, the bites have those baked/spiced apple flavours from the apple butter, and the combination just works.
Contrasting textures (palate cleansing wine with crisp acidity vs. buttery puff pastry and gooey melted brie).
Dr. L Sparkling Riesling
Pairing #2
The Dip: Caramelized Pear Whipped Goat Cheese
The Pairing: Mary Taylor Anjou Blanc
This one’s already a hit with you guys, which makes me so happy! Silky smooth whipped goat cheese with a combination of sweet/salty/spicy toppings that are allll about fall.
Here’s why it works:
The pear notes in the wine match the caramelized pears in the dip (it’s seriously like they were meant for each other)
Both the dip and the wine walk the line between light and lush. Neither overwhelms the other, they just work!
This wine (along with most whites from the Loire Valley) has a stony minerality and herbal/earthy thing going on that matches the sage and tarragon in the pears and the earthy tanginess from the goat cheese.
Pairing #3
The Dip: Puff Pastry French Onion Dip Bomb
The Pairing: Adelsheim Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
I made this one for my 50th episode of wine & dip, and it is still hands down the coolest dip I’ve ever made. Why? Because it’s wrapped in puff pastry. And for this menu I took it a step further and turned it into a pumpkin!
Here’s why it works:
Oregon Pinot Noir has that cool-climate tartness, but is also known for its characteristic earthiness (which I personally LOVE)
The added brightness and tart acidity from the cool climate style creates the perfect contrast to this mouth-coating, cheesy, creamy explosion of a dip.
It also has enough sweet fruit flavour to match the sweetness from the onions, and has those stunning earthy notes to bring in some flavour contrast in the best possible way.
Pairing #4
The Dip: Truffle Parm Stuffed Mushroom Dip
The Pairing: Travaglini Gattinara Nebbiolo
This one stole the show. No question. It’s like a combination of my hot truffle parm dip and my creamy hot mushroom dip, and it’s TOO GOOD. Especially with the wine! The pairing blew everyone away.
Here’s why it works:
Even though it’s bold, this wine has enough tart acidity to keep it palate cleansing and refreshing
It has enough structure and complexity to stand up to the creamy, cheesy richness.
It has those vibrant fruit flavours to balance out the savoury umami flavours, and some earthy, mushroomy vibes to pair with the mushrooms and truffle oil. SO GOOD.
FYI I used this awesome Selezione Tartufi truffle oil and truffle salt from wine.com’s Gourmet Essentials! So when you decide to buy the wine, you should probably add these to your cart too ;)
Pairing #5
The Dip: Boozy Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
The Pairing: Blandy’s 5 Year Rich Madeira
This one left me (and all my guests) in shock. It’s like pumpkin pie, but dare I say… better? I seriously still can’t believe I made this, and I will be making it on repeat. Guaranteed.
Here’s why it works:
Matching and complementary flavours × 1000! Rich madeira has those caramel, nutty, spiced vibes that are pretty much fall in a nutshell, so pairing it with perfect spiced pumpkin pie and caramel isn’t even a question. BUT we’re taking it to the next level by actually adding the wine to the ice cream. You really can’t get more matchy than that.
Both are richly sweet, and sweet food needs sweet wine!
Table Decor
I had SO much fun with this one. I went full fall, with a red/yellow/orange colour palette, fall flowers, fall themed dishware, fresh apples and pears… it was stunning.
I started by laying out these sunflower yellow linen placemats to create a bit of a runner in the middle of the table. From there, I placed a candleholder with these lovely fall candles, and four unique vases which I filled with bright orange and yellow fall flowers. A couple of the vases I used were thrifted, but I got this one and this one from IKEA.
Around the vases, I filled the space with fresh apples, pears, sunflowers, and these orangey pink artificial flowers (again from IKEA). Next I placed some fall-themed dishes for my dippers (i.e., bread, chips, crackers), like this pumpkin-shaped bowl filled with soft French bread pieces and this pumpkin shaped butter dish (filled with salted French butter, of course).
Each place setting had the following:
beautiful yellow gingham napkin (tied in a simple knot)
small textured white plate (thrifted)
crystal wine glass: I decided to go with gorgeous tulip shaped crystal wine glasses that were passed down to me from my mum ( I loooove them). Unfortunately I can’t find these anywhere to link, but these ones are similar and beautiful! (specifically the clear tulip ones, but green would also be cute).
crystal water glass: I picked up a set of 10 little crystal glasses from a thrift store — they were 50 cents each and got the job done!
My serving dishes (like my favourite apple pie dip dish) and my cocktail glasses all added to the vibe as well. I love mismatched glasses and dishware that follow a theme!
I put out a variety of cocktail glasses for my guests to choose from when they arrived, like my iridescent amber coupe glass or my beaded stem goblet. You can find most of the ones I used in my wine & dip store, but I highly recommend hitting up a thrift store if you have a bunch of people coming over!
Party Food & Wine Prep
Let me be very clear about something: Hosting isn’t easy — especially when you do everything yourself!
When I first created these dip dinner party menus, I really wanted them to be seen as “potluck-style” to keep them approachable. AKA everyone brings a wine and a dip. Easy peasy. When I first started planning this one I did want to make it a potluck, but my lovely friends are all mamas. Some newly back to work after mat leave, some knee-deep in toddler life, some pregnant, and one newly postpartum. We’re in a crazy, amazing, beautiful stage of life, but it’s HARD. SO - I decided to treat them. All they had to do was show up (ideally in a sweater), relax, and enjoy!
Since I decided to take it all on, I really had to plan and prep. Not to mention I was also filming the whole thing — which is a whole beast in itself — but I won’t get into the filming details since that’s not what you’re here for! Instead, I created simple checklists to help guide you through the whole process.
PS - You can find a printable PDF version below if you’d like to download or print these checklists!
“Sweata Weatha” Party Prep Checklist
Printable PDF Checklist:
That’s it friends - I hope you enjoyed this one! Which of these recipes have you tried or are most excited to try!?
Love you all!
