Wine at 9: 4 fun wine party ideas

Black-and-white night

Be dramatic and throw a stylish duo-chrome party à la Truman Capote's famous annual black-and-white balls

Set the mood: Print a classic black and white photograph on the invitations. Buy monochrome balloons and table confetti. Look for off-cuts of fake zebra skin to throw over the sofa and lay the floor. Dig out those black and white posters you were once so fond of (The Kiss by Doisneau?) and hang white fairy lights from the ceiling.

Audience participation: If your guests want to play games, draughts or chess will be in keeping with the theme. Make the dress code black tie or casual black and white. What better excuse to dust off that 'little black dress'? Pair it with a black or white feather boa for extra pizzazz.

The music should be big band or smooth jazz (try Glen Miller, Miles Davis or Louis Armstrong) or for a '60s slant try the Beatles' White Album. Rent black and white movies to show on the television: The Third Man, Casablanca or a Hitchcock classic.

Eat and drink: The wine can be any well-chilled white or make Black Velvet cocktails with Guinness and champagne (half and half - pour in the Guinness, then top up with the bubbly). Keep the food themed too with bowls of black olives, black and white seared scallops, white bean salad or cassoulet, miniature black puddings and warm, crusty white bread. For dessert, make white wine jelly, white chocolate mousse or Black Forest bread and butter pudding. Or use the party as an excuse to serve the richest, darkest chocolate you can find. Finally, get some black and white film in that camera and make it a night to remember.

Menu ideas: