Alright so this wine plate thing started bugging me last weekend. Had friends over for wine tasting and my regular plates just didn’t cut it – too big, wrong colors, made everything look kinda sad. Googled “best wine appetizer plates” and holy hell got blasted with thousand-dollar fancy china ads immediately. Nope. Not doing that.
The Hunt Begins
Dug through my cupboards first. Tried normal dinner plates – too deep. Salad plates – still awkward. Teacup saucers? Looked ridiculous with crackers and cheese. Total fail.
Went down a rabbit hole online and realized a few things matter most:
- Size matters most – too big and food drowns, too small and spills
- Flat beats deep – gotta see that charcuterie art
- Light colored wins – shows off the food colors
Testing Cheapskate Style
Hit four stores Sunday morning. Bargain home goods section became my battlefield:
- Wood boards – Found this 9×6 inch rectangular one for $4. Perfect for cheeses but sucks for oily stuff
- Ceramic rectangles – Grabbed simple white ones about hand-sized. Easy to stack, dishwasher safe
- Weird octagonal plates – Thought they’d look cool. Spoiler: food falls off corners
By afternoon my kitchen looked like a failed pottery exhibit. Tried them all with brie slices, grapes and olives. Wood board won for cheeses, ceramic rectangles handled everything else without looking stupid.
Game Changer
Remembered grandma’s flea market plates gathering dust. Small circular things about saucer size? Turns out vintage dessert plates are PERFECT – small, elegant, cost me $1 each ten years ago. Put roasted almonds and prosciutto rolls on one – looked like a fancy restaurant shot.
Real Talk Takeaways
After wasting half my weekend:
- Size first – Anything between 4 to 7 inches works
- Color matters – White/marble shows food best
- Shape is situational – Circles for gatherings, rectangles for cheese
- Material affects mood – Wood rustic, ceramic classy
Funny thing – my favorite piece now is that ugly $4 wood rectangle paired with grandma’s plates. Total cost less than fancy single plate. Moral? Overpriced brands are nonsense when thrift shops exist. Now pass me that wine.
