My absolute favorite party idea (and one of the few I can take full credit for) is Wine and Words. I came up with it a few years back when my husband and I moved from Los Angeles—–away from my circle of aspiring writers, actors and film geeks—to the Rocky Mountain West—into my husband’s tight-knit group of former and present Outward Bound instructors.

Convinced my literary self would drown in a sea of hiking boots, wool socks and fleece, I decided to throw a bash requiring guests to show up with both a bottle of wine and a favorite piece of writing. I braced myself for my husband’s response, but rather than balk at the idea, he embraced it. Apparently, he and his outdoor-river/mountain guide-friends, many of whom spent weeks or months in the backcountry, were well-versed at sharing prose with colleagues and students. “It’s not like we’re watching television out there,” he said.

And so it began. I sent invitations asking guests to bring an “unexpected” or much loved bottle of wine and some words that they wanted to share. I fielded numerous phone calls seeking advice on the “words” half of the equation: How long should it be? Can it be funny? Are there guidelines on what is and isn’t allowed? And I went to work on a menu of finger foods that would complement the bottles. A few standouts: An easy Roma Double Tomato Bruschetta and a Smoky Chickpea Dip. View this recent Six Minute Style episode.

As our guests arrived, I realized I had hit upon a good idea. Bottles of wines from around the world, names and flavors I had never heard or had heard of but hadn’t yet sampled, filled my hands. They were earthy reds, smooth and subtle whites, even a couple of sparkling wines. But what really made the evening stand out for me were the readings. I was dumbstruck (but not for long, as I had to read, too).

Our friends went to great lengths to bring writing of value and substance. There was a beloved Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strip. A piece of Buddhist writing (read, I might add, under the stars as we lay on our backs in the front yard with Buddhist monks chanting in the background via a CD), greeting card prose brought us close to tears, an Edgar Allen Poe poem that sent shivers up spines, and excerpts from books that allowed surprising glimpses into our friends’ personalities and passions. Two friends even went so far as to dress as ’60s beatniks (right down to the striped shirt and French beret) to share Jack Kerouac with us all.

Without question, Wine and Words was a huge success. I hope it is for you as well.

Tips for Wine and Words
• Limit the party to 10-15 guests. Any more than that and it will be difficult to allow everyone time to read.

• Ask readers to keep their prose to five minutes. We had one guest attempt to read an entire chapter (argh!). It’s your job as host to keep things moving.

• In my experience, most people bring red wine, so ask a few close friends to bring some new or unusual whites. And have backup bottles of both on hand. And, yes, one bottle per couple is fine.

• Do a little research so you can talk about the differences between Rioja, Merlot and Medoc. Better yet, print up brief explanation cards to set by groupings on the table. If you’re motivated, you could provide a few wine and food pairings to entice your guests with. A favorite cookbook for wine and food pairings is the Food & Wine Magazine’s Cookbook series. They issue a new one each year. My 2002 copy is well worn and well loved.

• Stock plenty of wine glasses—more than you think you’ll need. My recommendation is to rent them from your local rental supply company. Bonus: You don’t have to wash them to return them.

• Have some sort of identifier for the reader. It could be a baton or other passed bar that moves from person to person. I have a fairly extensive collection of hats (many quite odd), so I had each person dig blindly into a large bag, grabbing one to wear when it was his or her turn to read. It was pretty funny.

• I found my guests were a bit hesitant at first, so we started with the wine. Yes, ply your guest with food and alcohol (make sure there’s a designated driver and remember, this is an opportunity to taste many different wines: pour accordingly). Once everyone has had a chance to loosen up, gather them and begin. If you go first, it will break the ice.

• Don’t forget the coffee and dessert. (It’s also great to have some bite-sized pieces of dark chocolate out all evening to nibble on with the red wine. Remember our Holiday Must Haves? Contact Jason and Ana Willenbrock at Posh Chocolat for the perfect chocolate pairings. www.poshchocolat.com

Suggested Readings (should your guests ask)
Fiction or poetry
Children’s books (Dr. Seuss anyone?)
Magazine articles
Blogs
Greeting cards
Comic strips
Etiquette books (hey, some of the older ones are quite funny when read to the right crowd)
Screenplay (two adventurous people might want to tackle a specific scene)
Encourage your guests to have fun with it. The text on a cereal box could prove entertaining in the right hands.