Offline Etiquette Question

Curious about what you think the proper offline etiquette should be if a group of people are gathering at a fine restaurant and everyone is bringing great bottles . . . except 1 individual. For example, everyone brings quality wines ranging from $200-$500 per bottle and someone comes in with $50 bottle.

Do you call out that person privately? If you don’t personally know that individual well, then what? I understand that there may be several different situations that would warrant several different answers. . . but would love to hear some responses on how to tackle such a sensitive issue.

Many thanks!

I personally do nothing other than not invite him next time. If he asks about it, then I tell him

Was the wine good?

Is that person not as well off as the others in attendance.

Too many variables to give a canned answer but if iy bothers you don’t invite them back.

Why bother discussing it?

On the other hand if the wine way outperformed, or if this person simply can’t afford to pay more for wine and this is the best he or she can do, well that’s part of being a wine geek.

Sometime it’s our responsibility to suck it up and help spread the wealth a bit.

Just tell Charlie to his face. He’s a big boy. neener

I agree with Gregory

Post a thread titled: “Should I be Upset About This? (Part Deux)”

+1

Find out wines before time…or pull a Lang and dont invite them again…(Ive done it both ways)

Damn, how did you know it was Fu? Yeah, I would tell him to his face . . . but he’s a sensitive person . . . don’t want him to run to Costco and buy a 12 pack of tissues . . . [wink.gif]

That $50 bottle could easily be better then all of your $200 bottles… Perhaps you should taste them blind to see… [whistle.gif]

I think the true answer lies more in the details of the event. Did you say “bring a great bottle” with no price point mentioned? One man’s $50 great bottle is another man’s $200 great bottle.

If you said “everyone is bringing a $200 bottle” then that’s a different story.

[rofl.gif]

I’m also with Greg.

I also agree with Greg…

JD

+1 … especially the 'taste ‘em blind’ idea.

Also, keep in mind, we’ve all been to an OL where our bottle is either the most expensive in attendance, or the least expensive in attendance; and also many where it falls somewhere in between. Things will work-out in the end. That said, I do understand where you’re coming from.

Did you make a point that one should bring a $200+ bottle of wine or just stay home beforehand?

Some of the greatest wines I have tasted this year were things I bought back in the day when $50 was $50, and $25 bought a terrific wine. dc.

I agree with Greg, but you should know that you can bring the best bottle from your cellar to Greg’s place, and he will pull out a vertical of Monfortino and kick your ass! Then when you’re crying “No mas!”, he says “I’m thirsty” and pops a 1970 Giuseppe Mascarello Monprivato and a 1970 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo.

Think I’m making this up?

Seriously, people are just different about this. Some are inherently generous (like Greg, and fortunately for me, a few other friends), and others are . . . less so.

Does this person bring anything else? Charm? Wit? If he or she is someone you want to join you, you could try discussing it privately. I’m not sure the phrase “call out that person privately” makes any sense.

Was he the only one on the RM list?

Yeh, too many variables to totally answer.

Was a price point discussed before hand?
Was it a bunch of rich guys who invited a not so rich guy? (and he was just doing his best)
Was his a hard to find gem, even at $50?
Was his wine as good (approx) as the expensive stuff?

If everything was crystal clear and he broke all the rules, I’d just not invite him next time. If anything wasn’t crystal clear, lesson learned for next time - I hope.

Yup. If someone is aware of the values of the wines that everyone else is bringing and still opts to bring a bottle with a value significantly less of everything else, then that’s unfair to the other people in the group.

Y’all sound like a bunch of doilie-knitting Martha Stewart worshipping namby pambies. I say call him out right at the beginning of the offline- get right up in his grille and call him a tightwad sob- real loud-like, then tell him he’s a disgrace to offlines and to get the hell out of there. Of course, you keep his wine as punishment.

THEN, post the thread as titled above. Even if his $50 bottle smokes everything else there.

Really two steps:

  1. You stand up at the table and in front of all assembled guests you exclaim, "Sir, I am deeply offended that you are insulting this august gathering with your cheap plonk;

  2. You challenge the rascal to a duel (either pistols or swords, at dawn).

I daresay these two steps will ensure that this loathsome situation does not repeat.