A few weeks ago I threw this simple, fun Friday night wine party. Here in Austin, it was the first day of fall (read: the first day that the temps dropped below 90 degrees)… I invited some of my closest friends, served up some fall-inspired appetizers and (to keep things easy!) opened up a few boxes of Bota Box wines. Here was my menu: – Roasted Butternut Squash Crostini w/ Sage – Assorted Cheese Platter – Pumpkin Hummus (recipe below)

I roasted cubes of butternut squash and topped them onto crostini with lemon ricotta and fried sage. This is my go-to fall appetizer. It’s also a wonderful starter before your Thanksgiving dinner. I LOVE assembling pretty cheese boards. This time, I went with a combination of blue cheese, white cheddar slices, goat cheese, and a few others that looked great at the cheese counter that day. I filled the platter with grapes, rosemary crackers, and cranberry-hazelnut crackers. I also made pumpkin hummus, which is great because it can be made well in advance.

I decorated with a few pumpkins and had Jack string some lights from the tree.

If you come to my house often, then you know that I usually have a Bota Box in my fridge – their packaging makes it possible to store wine for a really long time, so I find it super convenient. For a party, it’s a great solution because you don’t have to mess around with tons of empty bottles, and it’s also very affordable.

Get the recipe for my Pumpkin Hummus below!

All in all, it was a fun evening with friends, although little anxious Annie didn’t know what to make of it all. She hung back by the door waiting for snacks to fall on the ground.

A Fall Wine Party    a video   Recipe - 82A Fall Wine Party    a video   Recipe - 36