Beppi Crosariol, Life columnist for The Globe and Mail talks wine etiquette. We’ve re-printed many of his ideas here and added a few of our own.
- The host gift belongs to the host – Don’t expect your wine will be served with the meal. Generally, the bottle you bring is intended for the host’s cellar.
- You brought it – you leave it – Yes, we agree that it hurts when you have brought a prized bottle of wine for dinner and it sits uncorked at the end of the night. But don’t think of repatriating it – even if the host graciously offers to send it home with you.
- Don’t turn your nose up at an inferior wine – If a host pours you a glass of something that you’re not fond of, try to slurp it down and wait for something more agreeable. And do remember what wine educator Dave Larocque advises – ‘when you can’t identify the taste – simply say that ‘it’s complex’.
- By all means, take two (or three) – If an invitation comes with a request to bring wine consider taking two or three bottles. Abundance is a sign of generosity, plus it can be fun to try different wines with a meal.
- Top yourself up – with grace – We’ve all been there – Your glass has been empty for 15 minutes and your host is busy doing other things. There’s no need to suffer – try a line from another wine connoisseur … “Hey, that wine must be delicious because my glass is empty. Would you mind if I had another spot?” Save’s you from the ‘border-house reach’, and you’ll look like you’re having fun.
- Don’t brag about the price – Take it from us – it’s no longer fashionable to boast about how you made that wine yourself for “only eight bucks” – and we’ll just leave it at that. But do brag if you made it 🙂
- Bring a wine that you personally brewed? – Of course. Craft brewing provides an abundance of different types of wonderful wines. Taste is a matter of preference not price.
The Wine Butler would like to remind all it’s customers, to always drink responsibly.