You’re Hosting a Dinner Party – Do You Open That Bottle of Wine?

We’ve all been in that situation before. You are hosting some sort of party and a guest presents you with a bottle. You of course say “thank you.” But are you supposed to open the bottle that night?

There are two different schools of thought:

1) Either you must open it that night, and serving it is a sign of appreciation for the gift, so it would be impolite to do otherwise.

2) Or you let the bottle sit because you’ve already planned the evening pairing the appropriate wine with food.

Etiquette dictates that the option is entirely up to the host. When this question was raised at the dinner party last night, the room was split. Most women felt that the bottle should be opened immediately. Most men wanted to let the bottle sit. The men reasoned that they typically waited until the last minute to pick up a bottle at the corner convenience store, with little time or thought invested in the food pairing. A forgetful gentleman in every essence of the term!