OT- When given a bottle of wine...

[SusanL]

I never know what to do when guests come for dinner and bring a bottle of wine. Is it a host/hostess gift? Is it to be served with the dinner? I am terrible in this situation!! I try to graciously say thank you and make compliments about the bottle but then what do you do? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif

[KarenW]

I generally do not serve the "gift" wine with dinner that day. I've usually picked out a couple of bottles that I think will go well with the meal. Plus you never know if someone will bring wine (or what they'll bring for that matter). My only exception to this--if I run out of the wine I had been serving.

[SusanL]

Thanks Karen, that is what I do- the wine doesn't always match the meal I have prepared!!

[Mamasue]

ditto....if I need it then I will open it, otherwise I save it for another time. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[AndreaU]

(double post- sorry, technical difficulties!)


[This message has been edited by AndreaU (edited 05-28-2001).]

[AndreaU]

I've read that it's up to the host/hostess... if he or she would like to serve it right away, that's fine. If you already have a wine for dinner and/or the new wine doesn't go with the meal, then you save it for another occasion. In my experience, that bottle is usually opened because another one (or two!) gets polished off, especially with a larger group where one bottle won't suffice.

[Jewel]

I invited two of my husband's single colleagues over for Easter Dinner a few months ago because they had no family to spend it with. When each of them walked in, one was swinging a box of Almaden Blush and the other plopped a box of Franzia in my lap.

I guess I look like I would only like and/or serve boxed wine! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif In THAT respect, I served it with dinner (theirs...I had iced tea) to get rid of it quickly. Kept refilling glasses! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif To be honest, I drank that stuff for years and didn't mind it a bit. Then I discovered better wine, and haven't gone back. Why start now! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Beth Y]

If I recall, Andrea is correct, it is a gift for the hostess/host and it is his/her choice to serve that evening or later.

[Vanessa]

When having guests I usually pick the wines ahead of time. Usually friends will bring wine, I thank them and I use them on another occasion. Unless a friend comes with a bottle and says "we must try this" or suggestts we try it then I will open it. And if I run out of wine I will also use what guests have brought if it goes with the menu.

[Beth]

I ditto the above: it's your choice whether to serve or wait, but agree with Jewel and Vanesa that some situations seem to dictate their own resolution. Anyone who arrives with boxed wine was not anticipating that you would cellar their selection, so by all means....

[Julia1Pin]

Don't know if this is fully on topic, but hear goes:

My DH's brother and SIL will get us a wine for an occasion that is being celebrated at our house, just so we will then open it and drink it with them. See, they wouldn't spend that much on wine for themsleves, so they buy a bottle they want to try, give it as a gift, then make us open it. Nice, huh?

Personally, if it seems that the guests want us to open the wine, or if it goes well with dinner, we will open the bottle. If not, it goes in our wine cabniet (which after this weekend's trip to Napa, is pretty full).

-Julia

[funnybone]

We had some guests over this weekend (last minute get together) and one brought a bottle of red wine. Since we were serving chicken, I had some white wine available. Well, he wanted us to open the red, so we did (along with the white).

Sometimes you just go with the flow. Normally I put the wine gift away and serve what I had in mind. It's not like I am just taking their wine and not offering any to them at all.