Wine Pairing

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Compare how distinct qualities combine effectively by examining food and beverage pairings and mapping complementary workplace roles.

Use it when: Use during a team dinner or social event when you want an educational tasting combined with structured conversation between table partners.

Skip it when: Skip when alcohol is inappropriate, when dietary restrictions make shared tasting awkward, or during a fast working session that requires serious task focus.

Group arrangement: Seated tables of 3 to 6 participants, working in pairs with an immediate neighbor (with one trio if an odd number is at a table)

Timing: Source specifies 30 to 60 minutes. Set to 45 minutes for a standard dinner course.

Materials and tools

• Pre-selected wines (or non-alcoholic alternatives such as craft juices, teas, or flavored sodas) paired with a dinner course
• Tasting glasses (2 per person)
• Water glasses and carafes for each table
• One pairing card per person with prompts
• Pens (1 per person)
• Table chime or dinner bell

Before participants arrive

1. Coordinate with the venue, catering staff, or an internal connoisseur in advance to pick 2 distinct tasting samples that contrast with a specific food course.
2. Arrange non-alcoholic substitutes (like tart sparkling cider and savory herbal tea) that mimic the contrasting profiles.
3. Set tables with two tasting glasses, water, one pairing card, and a pen at each seat.
4. Seat participants next to someone from a different functional group or project.

Say this to open

Tonight we are exploring how complementary elements bring out the best in one another. Our host will introduce two contrasting tastes and explain why they pair with our plate. Tasting is completely optional, and non-alcoholic options are poured at every seat. After each sample, take two minutes with your table neighbor to test the pairing and discuss how your own roles complement each other.

How to run it

1. Introduce pairing principles 10 minutes

   The sommelier or resident expert presents the core principles of complementary pairing (such as balancing acidity, sweetness, fat, or salt) using the first sample. The facilitator speaks the opening script and asks everyone to observe the contrast.

2. Taste and compare 10 minutes

   Participants taste the first and second beverages alongside a small bite from their course. Non-tasters participate by evaluating the aromas or testing the non-alcoholic options. Participants note one descriptive word for each pairing on their card.

3. Partner pairing discussion 15 minutes

   Turn to your immediate table neighbor (or form a trio if odd). Complete Part 2 of your pairing card: state your primary workplace strength, record your partner's primary strength, and discuss how those two strengths complement each other in daily work. Take turns so each partner speaks for about 5 minutes.

4. Table reflection and debrief 10 minutes

   Convene as a whole room. Invite 2 or 3 volunteers to share one unexpected complement they discovered between their partner's work and their own.

Debrief questions

• What made a pairing feel balanced rather than overwhelming?
• How did seeing your partner's skill beside your own highlight opportunities for collaboration?
• Where in our daily work could we pair complementary skills instead of matching identical ones?

Finished output: Completed pairing cards recording each partner's unique strength and how those strengths combine.

Remote

Deliver tasting kits (such as tea or specialty soda samples) to remote participants in advance. Run the tasting presentation via video conference, then move participants into breakout rooms of two for the 15-minute partner discussion before gathering for the group debrief.

Hybrid

Broadcast the expert presentation via the main room camera and microphone to remote attendees. Remote participants pair up in two-person video breakouts for Step 3. During the Step 4 debrief, call on one remote pair and one room table alternately.

Access and participation choices

• Provide equal non-alcoholic beverages (such as artisanal teas or sparkling shrubs) poured in identical glassware.
• Anyone may skip drinking or tasting entirely and participate solely in the conversational partner exercise.
• Participants may keep their written pairing card private and share only what they choose.

If the session gets stuck

A participant does not drink alcohol or has strict dietary restrictions.

Ensure non-alcoholic beverage options are pre-poured in identical glassware so nobody feels singled out or obliged to disclose personal reasons.

The room becomes too noisy during the dinner for pairs to hear each other.

Briefly pause table conversation using a chime or dinner bell to instruct participants to lean in close to their immediate partner.

Terms used here

• Complementary pairing: Combining two contrasting elements so that each highlights the positive qualities of the other without clashing.
• Resident expert: A colleague or guest with knowledgeable experience in flavor profiles and pairing principles, serving in place of a professional sommelier.
• Sommelier: A trained professional specializing in beverage service and food and wine pairing.