Planning a dinner party can be enjoyable and exciting or dread-laden and full of angst and fear. How you plan will spell the difference between success and failure. Over-plan and things will look contrived, under-plan and you will be ordering pizza for your guests.

The first step to the perfect dinner party is to mix and match guests. You want the mixture fun and stimulating; a little edgy but not obnoxious. Invite people you know will likely get along and pair couples or singles according to personality types.

For instance, do not pair a serious political advocate with a morose math professor. At the same time, do not stick your three most outgoing and gregarious guests at one end of the table. You are striving for balance.

Next, consider the home décor. You do not want to go overboard – breaking out the heirloom china, but you do want to have nicely appointed dishes and glassware; perhaps Italian or Spanish pottery for your dishes and sturdy but elegant glassware. Silver accessories are always a nice touch at a dinner party.

Additionally, you want to make sure that you have enough dishes for everything you plan on serving. You might also want to consider not using any heirloom pieces that, if broken, will devastate you and ruin the party mood. As with your guests, you are also striving for balance with your table setting – attractiveness with practicality.

Finally there is the food and drink. This is often the area that most people spend the most time on, but in reality, if mood is set properly and guests matched properly, you could serve hot dogs and most people would not complain. Look at you oddly maybe, but enjoy it just the same.

Make sure that whatever food you serve appeals to all your guests and have alternatives for guests with food allergies, preferences or diet restrictions. Asking your guests beforehand for ideas of what they cannot or will not eat is a good idea. Make sure as well, when you are preparing your meal that the ingredients you use will not conflict with any personal needs or preferences.

Always have some type of appetizer to keep people sated until the main course, and have a cocktail time beforehand to let guests get acquainted before they all sit down to dinner. Serve traditional drinks during the cocktail period and serve wine during dinner. Have a selection of red and white and other liquor available in case someone does not prefer wine.

Shopping in Italy can be an experience that is diverse and interesting as you want to make it. There are the ultra-rich shops, boutiques and arcades of Milan, the old world sentimentality of Rome or Sicily, the majestic art galleries and museums of Florence or the countrified simplicity of towns like Deruta. What you want to see or purchase is up to you.

Like any country, Italy has its own cities and sections of cities that allow for upscale shopping. Some sections of cities offer Italian pottery, while other areas offer antiques that make American antiques seem young by comparison. Still other cities offer art districts. Cities like Florence and Milan, long cultural icons, offer both art and high fashion.

In Rome, there is a thriving antique industry, with airy shops offering frescos, prints and other pieces of antique art along with furniture and equipment that have spanned centuries. In Milan, Florence and Venice, there are shopping districts that boast some of the best Italian, American and European clothiers and apparel shops. Naples and Perugia are known for their collegiate atmosphere as well as some of the best shopping experiences available in the country.

If you can only visit a few destinations, Perugia is a great bet. This cosmopolitan city is home for two universities and it hosts a world famous jazz festival in the summer. It is a walled city on a hilltop with great views and a very interesting and upscale central square.

Through the generosity of friends after a long project, I enjoyed a bottle of 2003 Opus One. Always on the far reaches of my list of wines to try before I die, the Opus One delighted. Open it and let it breath, and you will be rewarded with a supple but full bouquet.

Opus One is listed as a Cabernet, though past vintages have been blends of up to 20% of other varietals. The 2003 has a big nose, great luscious legs, and wonderful textures. You’ll taste spice, blackberry, and currant immediately, but be surprised by the lingering flavors, too.

Such a big wine deserves big foods like steak, lamb, and fowl, or enjoy with bold cheeses and rustic breads or crackers. I like to add balancing spices, so bring fennel and poppy seeds to sprinkle on the cheese and breads.

Find a special friend, a special meal, and a special occasion for your first Opus One experience and delight!