What is the correct etiquette when someone brings wine to your house, do you share it, or is it OK to keep it

Answer 1

If your guests bring wine to your home, it is appropriate to serve it with the meal that night (if it will compliment the meal) or to offer it with dessert.

As it is a gift, it is certainly yours to do what you like with it.
However, for consumables, it is customary to open and share the gift with the person who brought it. This shows how thankful you are by both enjoying the gift and asking them to partake as well.

Answer 2

Usually, when I ask people round, I have a couple of bottles of wine in store, and one might even be opened. But if their wine is a really good one, I'll open that too, and make sure the gift-bringer gets the first glass. We usually finish off the already opened one later.
But it does depend on the situation, as so many good answerers have already pointed out.
Sometimes it's not a dinner; just a friend or two popping over for fun. Then we decide together which wines to open first.
Other times, people say they're driving, so won't be drinking anyway. Then I open my own and save theirs for later, hopefully when they can drink it with me, but few people expect that, so are just happy if I tell them how much I appreciated it later on.
And I have a few friends who don't drink alcohol at all but bring me wine. Then the choice is completely mine; but I feel they would be happy to see me enjoy their wine, so I open their bottle and share it with whoever wants a taste.
But if there are 5 guests, and each brings two bottles and I have 5 already to share with them ... then that gets a bit tricky and we usually put it to a vote. Whatever is left is mine.
If in doubt, offer to open it. Most people will give an honest answer, ranging from "I have a few bottles of the same back home, so this one is just for you to drink later" to "Well, even though I am driving, I'd just like a taste of it."
The closer you are to someone, the easier it is. If you don't offer, the guest can say "Hey, let's drink the one I bought, see what we all think of it." There's nothing wrong with that!
If it is a very formal affair, the wines will already have been chosen in advance, so flowers might be a better choice of gift.

Answer 3

It totally depends on the situation. If you've already opened a bunch of wine or if the wine isn't appropriate for the food being served or is a special bottle (when many people are present). Read your guest for cues. Often your guest will say this will be grat with the prime rib you're serving, or lets open this sometime when it's just us. The spirit of a gift at a party is to thank the person for hosting you. The spirit of a party is to enjoy things communally. so... use your better discretion, and if worst comes to worst just ask, "shall I open this now?"

Answer 4

A common misunderstanding is that gifts come with strings attached, that the giver has a right to expect certain behavior from the receiver. This is not true.

Once that bottle leaves the givers hand, it 100% belongs to the receiver. Period.

So if you want to serve the wine, serve it. If you want to add it to your collection, save it for next week, drink by yourself at the dinner table or pour it down the drain, it's up to you and only you.

Answer 5

The Correct etiquette is when someone brings something to ur home that u can eat or drink,u share,its more polite!

Answer 6

If you are 19, sharing a pizza in your college dorm, and someone shows up with a bottle of dago red, you are expected to open and drink immediately. Otherwise, like any other gift, the gift of wine is to quietly put aside (so as not to embarrass guests who may not have brought gifts), the opened later. Every gift requires a thank you note or letter.

People who want to show off their taste in wine, who want the bottle to be opened and enjoyed immediately should give their own party or dinner. As hosts, they are then in charge of what is served and when. It would be presumptious of a guest to tell his/her hosts what to serve and if they try, they should be politely refused. "I planned my menu rather carefully Fred, so forgive me for not making last minute changes."

Answer 7

If I take wine then I don't exepect it to be served it straight back to me, it just shows how cheapskate the host was, If the visitor wants to drink the wine they brought then I'd be mildly offended. As host I expect to provide my guest with wine and food good enough for the occasion and not be opening their gift back to them, in fact really I don't want them to bring wine at all just so long as they have enough in when I come round to theirs and yes I'd take some to theirs if I thought they would appreciate it.

Answer 8

I believe it is ok to share it, or keep it. It depends on occasion. If you have other libations, share those instead, when I've often brought wine to dinners, they were shared, however, say if it were Christmas, there are usually so many wines anyway. Bottom line, if its a gift to share, share it!

Answer 9

I swear, some people on here are just plain stupid(talking about others that answered). If a dinner guest brings wine, it is to be had with dinner. It is to show appreciation for the invite, and to show that they don't just expect a free meal.

Answer 10

depends on if it goes with the meal being prepared. If it does, then why not. If it's a housewarming gift, sure. If it's an anniversary, or the like, then it can be saved for another time. As long as you let them know that it will be opened on a special occasion, you're good to go. Then, after you enjoy it, send them a thank you note letting them know that it fit the occasion perfectly.