The Ultimate Kick-off Checklist

It's that time of year: football pre-game shows, cheerleaders, Hail Marys, safety blitzes, play-by-play commentary and halftime extravaganzas? Whether you’re heading to the stadium or cheering with close friends from the comfort of your home, make sure you have the essentials to make the most of the day.
Looking for a rule of thumb for tailgate party foods? Keep everything quick, easy and social. “Quick” means finding foods that can be cooked in less than 15 minutes or prepared ahead of time and simply warmed-up, if necessary. When cooking at the game make things “easy” and condense your supplies, cooking utensils and condiments.

And, remember that people will be walking around, chatting and hopefully jumping up to celebrate touchdowns -- which is not the best environment for foods that require a knife and fork. So, choose “social” foods like sandwiches, bratwurst, Buffalo wings, hamburgers, chicken legs, ribs, or small appetizers like deviled eggs or meatballs. Remember, it’s a tailgate party, so even if the event is in your living room, try to keep in the spirit of the game.

Ideally, you should try to keep the amount of supplies you need at a minimum. For tailgating from your vehicle -- folding chairs, a small barbecue grill, coals, a radio or portable TV, and a large cooler are essentials. Depending on the type of car, truck or SUV you drive, you may actually have room for a small table and a sunshade or some other means of protecting your party from the elements.

If you are tailgating at home, make sure you have enough seats to comfortably accommodate all of your guests and that the screen is clearly visible. Also, make certain there is enough table or counter space for all the food and enough space in the refrigerator or cooler for beverages. Most importantly, no matter where you are tailgating, make sure to have plastic forks, paper plates, disposable cups, as well as a couple of large trash bags for clean-up. And if the weather is favorable, a football makes a nice touch for pre-game entertainment.

When choosing drinks for a tailgate party, the safest bet is to grab beverages that will appeal to everybody’s taste. The traditional drink for tailgate parties is obviously beer, but make sure you have sufficient sodas and bottled waters for children or designated drivers.

Another good idea, especially to please the female fans tailgating is to purchase wine. We suggest a wine blend, as they are perfect for social settings and parties and everyone can drink their favorite variety without you having to buy several different bottles.

The Luna di Luna brand of wines offers six different blends in colored bottles: a blue-bottled Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio, a red-bottled Merlot/Cabernet, a purple-bottled Sangiovese/Merlot, a yellow-bottled Pinot Grigio/Pinot Bianco, an orange-bottled Shiraz/Merlot and a green-bottled Chardonnay/Sauvignon. At around $10 a bottle (750-ml), they’re a great value and, best of all, they come in almost any team’s colors. Also ideal for a larger cheering section, Luna di Luna wines are available in 1.5 liter bottles. Just remember the corkscrew.

Now that you have your lists of food, supplies and drinks, just remember to find the time to have fun and actually watch the game. So, when you hear “Are you ready for some football?” you can cheer with confidence.