Is it proper to serve my wine to guests that have brought wine and keep their wine?

Answer 1

Yes, unless they are bring "White Cheval" then your a fool not to bust that open and drink it, life is too short to ever miss out on that wine!

Answer 2

It is actually "correct" etiquette to do as you suggest. The idea (dating from the times when upper-class families would have wine cellers, chefs, and butlers) is that you, as the host, will have selected wines that suit the menu, from appetizers and soup through the main course and dessert.

Besides, the wine your guests bring is a gift for you, not a contribution to the meal. Again, the traditional explanation assumes that guests are just that, guests, and that they do not have to contribute anything to the dinner but their company and conversation. A dinner invitation is not meant to be a potluck, where people whose last names begin with the letters A through F bring salads, G through K bring appetizers, etc. -- you're the host, they're the guest, no bribes required.

However, many guests (as several other respondents have indicated) bring wine which, not surprisingly, they enjoy and expect to consume that evening. So you risk hurting their feelings if you hew to the traditional rules too closely.

So here's the middle ground -- thank them profusely and say something like this:

"What a lovely wine! I'd already selected wine for tonight, though, so would you mind if we put this aside and shared it with you some other time? I'd love to build a whole dinner around this..."

Of course, if the wine would be awesome with your dinner, you can go the other direction with something like this:

"What a fantastic wine! Technically, the host isn't supposed to serve his guests the wine they've brought, but this is too tempting -- would you mind if we had it tonight?"

The overriding rules of etiquette, after all, are designed to avoid hurt feelings. You shouldn't punish your guests because they don't know the rules, so while it's "correct" to put their wine away and serve them your own selection, it may be more hospitable to serve them their wine. Use your discretion.

Answer 3

peggy post says that you are not obligated to open wine that is brought to you as a gift by a guest. She says that guest should not feel bad if their gift wine is not served. It is a gift to the server. And usually most party givers have wine already selected for whatever food is being served.

Unless you specifically asked for somebody to bring wine, you can do whatever you want with it.

Answer 4

If it is a dinner party and you have announced what foods will be
served and the wine(s) brought by guests is/are meant to match then the guest(s)' wine(s) should be opened (at least one/some of them if there is brought [too] many bottles). If you have not announced the menu or if is not a dinner party it is more appropriate to treat the guest(s)' wine(s) as a gift to be enjoyed at a later time.

Answer 5

Brought wine is a gift for the host / hostess. The assumption is that the hosts will have selected wine that pairs with the food being served. When people bring wine for me I read the label, comment on the wine, then tell them what I'm serving, and how it will compliment the menu. This lets them know I appreciate that gift and gives them the opportunity to turn down my selection if it doesn't appeal to them. BTW that has never happened. I work in a fine wine and spirits shop. When clients come in looking for a gift bottle to take to a dinner party, I ask them if they were asked to bring the wine for dinner and what is being served. Then if they can't tell me what's for dinner then we select a bottle just for the merits of the wine and I tell them that often a cook will have a wine in mind and expect to drink that one. Then I sell them 2 of their selection one to give and one to try at home.

Answer 6

Hopefully your guests know that they brought the wine as a hostess/host gift. (Not everyone understands etiquette.)

If you run out of the wine you purchased for the party, then you may choose to serve the one brought by your guests (or if they're all drunk and wouldn't appreciate the wine, then just run to the store and buy something cheap.)

Answer 7

You have to take the innitiative to say thank you very much, physically take the wine from their hands... and read the label out loud so that your guests feel that you will appreciate their wine... or they will sense that you are not a connoisseur and they will take it home to appreciate later.

You have to show your appreciation by corking them along with your own wine as well, if it is well chosen.

Not only will the red wines open up to full flavor at room temperature, but it will be a taste appreciation for you and your guests.

If it's white wine, then it's best served cold with aperitifs or sea foods and then red for red meat or entrees.

Answer 8

I usually bring wine as a hostess gift and I have no clue what food will be served,in only 10% of the occasions that i gave wine was it used at the gathering, the hostess always keeps it for herself for later....maybe different parts of the country differ in this

Answer 9

Sure, that's perfectly acceptable. Reasons to do that include making sure the wine goes with the meal, and that the wine is at the right temperature and condition to be served.

Answer 10

serve your wine of course and serve theirs only if you like. some people intend their wine to be a gift enjoyed by the host at another time.
and keep their wine? who brings wine to a dinner and takes it home with them?? tacky

Answer 11

Good question, I hope someone gives the appropriate answer. I recently went to a party and brought a wine I was dying to try and they stashed it away and we drank something else. Man I was disappointed. It was a 10 year old Chateau de Rothschild too. Good thing I have a case of it.