We’ve all been there … you get an invite to a dinner party and need to bring a bottle of wine. A wine that you know others will drink and judge you on. Even worse the hosts may be offended if you bring the wrong bottle of wine as a sign of the value of your friendship. So how do you navigate this potentially tricky area of wine etiquette?
Well, there are generally three scenarios:
- You bring a bottle to share;
- You bring a bottle you specifically would like to drink;
- You bring a bottle as a gift for the host.
If you bring a bottle to share then as you hand it to the host on arrival make it clear it’s your contribution for the evening. It’s then up to the host to determine if they open it or choose to save it for themselves. When guests bring a bottle that we don’t open on the night we generally put their name and date on the bottle, age it to perfection and then share them with them in the future. It makes their bottle become somehow special and is always well received.
If you bring a bottle you would specifically like to drink on the night, rather than just a contribution, then hand it to the host and gently make it clear that you would like to try it tonight. This can be tricky if the wine and food pairings are already set, but most people will be OK if you let them know it’s a wine you’d like to get their opinion on or especially share with them.
If you bring a bottle as a gift for the hosts make it clear on arrival that the bottle for them and there is no expectation that they will open it on the night…it is a gift for them and entirely up to them. Most people will simply appreciate the gesture and your gift.
And lastly, if you want to be an amazing guest then bring two bottles: one as a gift and one to share. Your hosts will love you for it.
PS we are holding a Wine Confidence event on February 19th at the Blacksheep Bar in Hawthorn to help you learn more tricks of the trade. Click here for more details
Cheers,
Antony
