Give It a Swirl

If hiring a sommelier feels a little too snooty for your taste, then why don’t you try a Swirl-ette? Founded by Anu Karwa, Swirl Events is a full service wine tasting company that brings everything from the hand-selected wines to the perfectly paired cheeses and chocolates, Riedel glasses and trained wine expert right to your home or office.

Karwa has designed a variety of wine packages to suit novices as well as connoisseurs and to accommodate a range of price points from the “Because I’m Worth It” luxe tasting to “Savvy in the City” that features wines under $15. The interactive tastings are perfect for a housewarming, a bachelorette or even an office holiday party.

Here, we ask the entrepreneur about her friendly, fun approach to wine and the growing trend of tasting parties at home.

How did you come up with the idea for Swirl Events?
I organized a wine tasting for a group of girlfriends and asked everyone to bring their checkbooks so we could do some grassroots fundraising for an organization I support. Because it was Women’s History Month, I focused on all women wine makers and told my guests the stories behind the bottles. Maybe it was the influence of the wine speaking, but by the end of the evening, everyone encouraged me to create a company that did fun, “unstuffy,” but elegant wine tasting parties. And, Swirl was born.

Are all of your Swirl-ettes trained sommeliers?
Yes, at a minimum, each of our “Swirl-ettes” has an Advanced Certification from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, an internationally recognized and respected board. But that’s the minimum. On top of their extensive wine knowledge, they are all dynamic, personable people that are passionate about wine, but not at all pretentious about it.

Besides your wine tasting events, do you host educational wine classes?
We’ve just started our series of courses as we learned our clients wanted further education on wine in the Swirl way. Our first class was about “Decoding a Restaurant Wine List” and it was a hit! We’ve hosted other classes this Fall including, “Organic Wine” and “Best Wines for your Buck.”

Are you finding that more brides/grooms are looking to host wine tasting parties?
Bridal wine tastings are big right now. Brides and their friends are really eager to have an alternative to the typical and somewhat dreaded bridal shower where the only activity for guests is watching the bride unwrap presents for 3 hours! It’s also a welcome change for the bride who wants a bachelorette party at home that is a bit more elegant yet fun.

Swirl Events is available for private and corporate wine tasting events throughout the 5 boroughs, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut. To set up a wine tasting (for 6 or more guests), contact Anu Karwa at 917-463-3994 or via email.

SPECIAL OFFER: Readers of Notes on a Party get a 10% discount on a private event.

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Swirl Events