Today’s article is for people who want to know what to do when guests bring a bottle of wine as a gift. Below, we explain what the Wine Etiquette recommends and what rules you should follow.

What do you do when guests bring you a bottle of wine for dinner?

We immediately tell you that the situation is rather intricate and not easy to solve. According to Wine Etiquette, guests at a dinner or lunch should NOT bring a bottle of wine or food. The explanation is very simple: it is the task of those who invite to offer food and drink to those who have been invited. What to do if the bottle of wine does not go well with food? (and this is the real problem!). This situation is very difficult for those who invited to dinner friends, spending time and money for all the preparations. What to do with the bottle brought as a gift? Should the bottle be opened or not?

Although Wine Etiquette does not recommend this practice, many of the guests bring wine for a dinner or lunch. Different possibilities open up here.

The guest who knows everything about who invited him, knows tastes and menus, often gives a perfect wine with the food that is served. In these cases, THE BOTTLE MUST BE OPENED during the meal, perhaps after identifying the right moment or course to serve it. Priority must always be given to the bottle that is brought as a gift. In any case, the person who invited friends and relatives should prepare bottles of wine, to be ready in case of unforeseen events.

Now the most difficult situations: the bottle is NOT good with the meal courses! In these cases, according to the Wine Etiquette, the host should PROPOSE the opening of the bottle. It will be the guest’s task to ask not to open the bottle and to serve it on other occasions. This happens when the guest knows the rules of good manners, but good manners are not always known ...

Now a very difficult situation. The guest is not a great wine expert. The guest does not know that the bottle can not be drunk with the dishes that will be served. The guest does not know the rules of Wine Etiquette. What should you do? If the guest does not ask explicitly to postpone the opening, those who have invited the guests must be able to find a suitable moment, even outside the meal, to serve the wine that has been brought as a gift.

This is what happens in Italy. Customs and rules of etiquette change in the various countries. Learn about the rules of Wine Etiquette that characterize a nation to behave according to good manners.