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Robert Verdi's Holiday Tips
| The Robert Verdi and Ecco Domani™ Italian Wines Style Guide: Adding a Fashionable Touch to Festive Fall Fetes and Holiday Celebrations With the fall season in full swing and the Holidays just around the corner, there are endless opportunities to infuse the hottest trends into your party planning process to create the ultimate stylish soiree. According to celebrity stylist and entertaining expert, Robert Verdi, this season is all about the color purple, using layers of accessories, combining a mix of high-end and affordable items, and customizing your look to make sure your own style shines through. Ecco Domani™, the stylish Italian wine brand, has teamed up with Robert Verdi to create chic and affordable tips that will show you how to bring the latest runway trends to your next get-together. |  |
1. Make A Statement: First impressions are crucial when people enter your home, and just like in fashion, making a memorable statement goes a long way! Create a warm and welcoming environment for guests by illuminating your entryway - just place a collection of candles around the space to create a festive, but intimate vibe.
2. Glam Glassware: Add interest to any setting by breaking away from the traditional and getting a little creative. If you don’t have a full set of wine glasses for all of your guests, don’t fret! Create a statement with your glassware by using unique vessels that match your theme and add character, like a set of mason jars or a collection of hand-blown artisan glassware, and have guests select their favorite style from which to sip.
3. Every Fashionista Plans Ahead: When estimating the amount of wine you'll need for a party, a good rule to remember is: fifty percent white and fifty percent red. However, if you expect the weather to be warm, or if you’re hosting an afternoon event, plan on ordering 70% white wine, 30% red wine. Individual bottles typically serve five glasses of wine and guests will usually drink two glasses each. Save money with purchasing by the case (12 bottles) and choose a wine that not only tastes great, but looks good on your shelf – Ecco Domani Wines offer flavorful varietals, eye-catching labels and premium quality taste at a savvy price.
4. Customize Your Table: Impress your guests with chic & easy touches that add a personal dimension of style to your tabletop without busting your budget. Save ribbons from holiday gifts and reuse them to accessorize your table as napkin rings. Think outside of the box when creating place cards and use items that are also great take home gifts. For example, bring your flair for fashion by placing vintage brooches from your favorite local vintage shop on each plate with your guest’s name attached, or for a sweet holiday treat use gingerbread cookies instead of placecards with each guest’s name written in icing!
5. It’s All About Accessories: This season is all about purple so to add a splash of color, drape a vibrant purple scarf over a plain table linen and BAM – you’ll have bragging rights to the best dressed table and impress your guests as a style savvy hostess.
6. Serve a Signature Sip: Fashionistas everywhere know that this season is all about gaining inspiration from one signature piece and building your look around it. Stylish hosts can do the same by choosing one staple wine varietal and using it as the centerpiece for a chic gathering. Ecco Domani Wines of Italy has introduced the perfect new accessory to its premium wine portfolio - the 2008 Pinot Noir. With its sleek dark bottle, purple and silver label, and bold new taste, not only will it please the most discerning palate, but will also add a fashion forward accent to your décor.
7. Sophisticated Bites: Save time and money by skipping the formal sit-down dinner in favor of an easy, affordable and trendy alternative: a small plates party. Items can range from carefully selected meats and cheeses to bite-sized finger foods. Continue your color scheme by incorporating bright foods that compliment your event in taste and look. And, don’t forget the wine - the vibrant flavor of Ecco Domani’s new 2008 Pinot Noir is versatile enough to pair with a variety of tasty treats and the rich purple and burgundy colors are in line with the season’s trends!
8. Retro-Chic is Back!: From the hottest shows on TV, to the trendiest looks on the runway, 60’s style is back in a big way. Put your own spin on that stylish era by treating guests to a modern version of the classic cocktail party punchbowl. Need a recipe? Try “The Canella Domani”! Made with Ecco Domani Merlot, orange peel, clove and cinnamon, this creative cocktail adds a vintage vibe to any festivity.
9. Personal Style: Reflect your guests’ individual style by involving them in the party planning process. Ask fellow party-goers to send their favorite song of the season in advance and then create a “friends and family greatest hits” playlist. You can also suggest an event theme or ask people to dress in their favorite fashion era – providing suggestions for party attire takes the guesswork out of figuring out what to wear and the “theme” allows guests’ to show-off their own stylish side.
10. Put Your Own Twist On the Traditional: A great way to get an original look is to take inspiration for the traditional elements around you and use them in unexpected ways. For example, oversized harvest vegetables like gourds and pumpkins from your local grocery store can be hollowed out and used as vases to turn even a simple floral arrangement into a dramatic centerpiece.
