[Closed] Wine etiquette

Tend to do a couple of mine then crack open the guests wine.
Personally I would be a tad miffed if I took some nice wine to a dinner party and the hosts opened it for another time.

I wouldn't be offended.

If I've just arrived with a bottle - particularly red - it won't be ready to serve! Which reminds me about a thread I need to post.....

I have friends that do both - always take a particularly nice one for the guys that I know will open it. Last nice was one of those examples. When I am the host, I tend to do both, I have normally chosen wines for a reason, so unless we have really been glugging there shouldn't be a need. But if it suis the food and is a nice one, it may well get opened.

A new trend around us, is to bring a nice haf bottle of dessert wine. I think that is a really nice and unusual idea. Just a shame fr the drivers.

Edit. First and foremost, the bottle is a gift in my mind. So it's totally up to the host!

Depends on Red or White? i.e whats for dinner?

You wouldn't expect them to open a bottle of Red you'd brought if your eating fish?

Other than that yes I'd feel a tad miffed but It's a bottle of wine and whats a bottle of wine between friends?!

Don't think I've been to a dinner party where's there's been any wine left by the end of the night.

You wouldn't expect them to open a bottle of Red you'd brought if your eating fish?

Depends on the fish, but I don't see any reason why not.

I'm confused. So basically you're taking the wine for yourself, not as a present for the host. That's weird.

If you have someone round for dinner, and they bring a bottle of wine, would you automatically serve it with dinner?

Of course. It's very impolite not to.

I see the wine as a gift so I would probably not serve it...unless someone had brought something really bad then I would serve it to spite them.

We had friends over for a fireworks thing in the garden and asked people to bring plonk for mulled wine. Some people didn't get the message some did, which led to a few interesting questions:

"Sorry, funny question, I know: The wine you brought, is it shit, or nice?"

If you're going to friends' houses for dinner and you have to ask on a cycling forum about correct etiquette, you need better friends.

I think the last time I went to a mate's, he asked "shall we crack yours or one of mine?" and I gave a gallic shrug in response. Of course, it's a ultimately a non-question because it's really asking "which shall we have first?"

EDIT: sorry, that sounds a bit harsh, I didn't really mean it in an unpleasant way. What I was getting at was that if they're your friends rather than just 'people you've met', it should be easy enough to ask them?

>I tend not to, and treat it as a gift.<

This.

Actually gets on my tits. I have one or two friends that "bring their own wine" and "expect" it to get opened. Even to the point of mentioning it. To me this is actually quite rude.

If I'm doing dinner it is just that - dinner and my choice / my supply of alcohol to accompany it. If a guests booze gets served later in the evening all well and good but I think that should be at the hosts discretion.

If a guests booze gets served later in the evening all well and good but I think that should be at the hosts discretion.

Do you run a hotel !?

Seriously, "at the hosts discretion" ? 😐

I was under the impression that an evening with friends was supposed to be a relaxing and pleasant experience.

Not if your friends are ****s

Been to two parties recently where they had wine cellars. Mine probably ended up buried somewhere but then it was probably crap compared to theirs. Not offended they know more about it than me and as long as my glass is full.

What a social minefield some of you inhabit.

I try and buy something light and quaffable when we go to other people's houses.

If people come to ours I put their offering to one side for after te food unless they reckon it's good to go, in which case it gets opened and finished.

after dinner drink? I think if you take something to a meal it's generally to be drunk on the night?

Lets face it, if it's white you've brought round, it's not likely to be chilled enough - so the hosts' will be more palatable per se, and if it's a red - everyone knows reds aren't at their best once shaken up, so you'd never open a red that's 'just travelled' if you were getting precious about your wines..

And then there's the other issue of the host (should/will) have already chosen a stella bottle of suitable grape to accompany their signature dish, and you tipping up with your Hardys Stamp's not really gonna cut it when compared with the 10 year old Chateau Neuf du Pape Vieux Telegraphe they're hoping to serve with the main course.

Roll up with a gift, let the hosts deal with that nights cellar.

I drink red wine rather than white, regardless of what the food is!

I try and buy something [s]light and quaffable[/s] cheap and immediately drinkable, rather than good quality for my hosts to enjoy, when we go to other people's houses.

FTFY! Not that there's anything wrong with that, I must add! I've on occasion turned up with two bottles when visiting friends. An immediate quaffer, and then a decent saver as a real thank you. Oh, and Warre's Otima for the perfect easy drinking open and drink port.

Not if your friends are ****

Well I know one mate of his that is.........

but then I generally just arrive with a bib and my own pint pot.

I generally take a bottle because if my friends are being kind enough to provide the food I don't expect them to provide all the wine as well.
Sometimes I take two 😈

This place is soooooo wannabe middle class its funny. I take some wine if it gets drunk or not i dont really care. If someone brings some to my place it would be unusual for it not to get drunk.

So basically bugger all consensus.

Fair enough, I'll just endeavour to ensure their glasses are never empty.

And don't worry Boxelder, we've got spare bibs too.

General rules..

The host knows whats getting cooked so they know what wine to have.
They also are able to chill/warm/let breath correctly.
You may drink your bottle once dinner is out of the way.

Exceptions
Calling in advance to enquire what is on then bringing something to accompany the meal (white chilled) red arrive early enough or have something to aerate with.

Friends dont care, just dont arrive empty handed.

However if it's all just £4.99 from tescos just crack them open.

However if it's all just £4.99 from tescos

😳

[i]You wouldn't expect them to open a bottle of Red you'd brought if your eating fish?[/i]

I drink red the same as vikypea. If someone brought white wine I'd probably use it to clean any red wine spillage from the carpet.

However if it's all just £4.99 from tescos [s]just crack them open[/s].

Then you either have the wrong friends, or you have taken the right friends the wrong wine. Either way, not good.

However if it's all just £4.99 from tescos just crack them open.

This. And

just endeavour to ensure their glasses are never empty

this. Bon appetite. Pseudo middle class my arse..

Good rules mike!

I took a rather punchy Italian to friends last night (new find from pre-Xmas tasting) only to find the main course was fish pie. The host still cracked my bottle open at the start and it disappeared pretty quickly despite the mismatch!! I was surprised that the combination was not that bad!

But agree with Capt on the tesco bit!

I have to laugh at this place sometimes, oh, the worry and fretting that must go on behind closed kitchen doors regarding correct a+b nrs social groups dinner party etiquette. Pity the fools that come round to my place and have to sit on a variety of beanbags, stools and odd chairs whilst drinking whatever wine/beer/spirits they like outa whatever stolen glasses I've managed to filch from pubs over the years. By the time I've usually got the food out someone is half pissed and arguing wi the dog and everyone else is outside having a j or some folk have started on their columbian sweet beforehand so by the time we get back inside and organised the food needs heated up in the micro. Wouldn't have it any other way.

>Do you run a hotel !?

Seriously, "at the hosts discretion" ? <

Err no and yes.

I think you missed my point.