How is it sanctimonious if you are expressing the way you engage these situations, and that way happens to be different from the OP? He asked the question, we’re giving answers. Calling it sanctimonious is just a defensive way of dealing with the implication that other people find your behavior questionable, shifting any negativity to the others, without having to consider if they might be right.
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I sympathize with Paul. I’ve seen a few nice wines get poured near the brim of goblet glasses to feel that chagrin. But I still would never bother with hiding a bottle for private consumption. Just too much hassle. My standard move is to bring stuff I want to drink that I think others will enjoy. Sometimes that’s the really good stuff, sometimes only the just good bottles.
Last night at Thanksgiving table (the G. Rinaldi Ravera went very well with the smoked turkey and porchetta, though only one guest wanted to get into a detailed comparison of the 2001 vs the 2006) there was a discussion of what kind of wine folks liked. Quite a few of our guests (family and very close friends) said something like ‘I don’t drink wine much except when it’s from Rich’s cellar.’ Hah I’ve turned them all into wine snobs!
General WOTN: 1988 Climens. Yea those aged stickies are crowd pleasers and this bottle was spectacular.
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Was not directed at you. You made good points as well. A lot ultimately depends on how everyone else in the room would feel if they found out- would they feel snubbed and excluded, or would they see it more as I envisioned.
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At my NYE party, everyone pretty much brings their own drinks, but I pour Champagne for the ball drop at midnight. I usually have a nice bottle stashed away in the fridge, while pouring something like Chandon or Schramsberg for the toast. That’s mostly because I learned few even like Champagne and mostly just toast and sip and leave half the glass. So it just doesn’t make sense to pour DP or Cristal or whatever. Occasionally there’s someone there that really likes Champagne and then I’m happy to share from the nice bottle.
I don’t think there’s a one size fits all approach, but there’s certainly no lack of posturing and virtue signaling on this board.
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@PaulN you’ve made me recall a story of an unhidden bottle. Many years ago my dad and the rest of our family were invited to dinner at the house of a big poobah in my dad’s field. Big dinner, a cadre of servants (!) and when it came to wine, the staff poured whatever wine it was (I was a kid and didn’t notice) to all, including IIRC his wife — then the host has the staff bring over a different bottle, and he says to the table “And this is for me!”
Yeah.
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Everything is on the table for friends and family
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That’s why you prepour all the toast glasses with a small amount (you can even use flutes or coupes for it haha) and then leave the bottle for people that want more champagne; something like mags of 242 collection are fine for that purpose.
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It has taken years of meditation and a bit of therapy to realize this fact:
Both Paul and Sarah can be right.
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Part of what I enjoy about wine is sharing nicer wines with others. It is fun seeing their reactions to a great wine.
However, when I open nicer bottles (with non-wine people), I typically handle the pouring myself to ensure everyone gets a fair taste, rather than having someone take an overly generous pour that would limit what’s available for the rest of the group.
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Highly advisable. I once saw a gal give herself a 12 ounce pour of scarecrow at a kid’s first birthday party.
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The bigger question is, who is pouring Scarecrow at a kid’s first birthday party?
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Unfortunately yes. We had a huge party at the house a few years back and I had a nice wine in the decanter. One guest served themselves a full glass out of the decanter, like WTF. We had a bottle of vintage port and another guest did the same, then proceeded to dump the full glass down the sink.
No decoy bottles yesterday with friends and family but if we’ve got 20+ people at the house and most aren’t wine drinkers we will have house wine out for them.
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My dear friend PaulN ( or my Corton’s brother from a different generation ).
Simple logic…what is the purpose in one’s life ?? .
So…what is the purpose of bring and serve this bottle of wine in any event ??
For example, if I am going to open bottle of wine with my wife, I will open my house wine !!
If I am going to share bottle of wine with my girl friend, then …
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Definitely a fan of the “side bottle,“ as I call it. I only do this if I am hosting. If I’m going to somebody else’s house, I don’t bring anything that I would not want opened and shared without restriction.
I don’t hide my “side bottle,“ but make sure to offer it first to those who I think would be particularly interested in it. After I pour myself a glass, of course.
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When we entertain I keep physical control over all the wine and spirits on our service credenza and pour for all guests, makes things nice and easy and I have decanters, ice buckets, Durand etc there.
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It was at the house of a friend that owned a local wine shop and it was his first kids first birthday. Another friend that was a minority partner brought it.
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Totally agree. I bring very nice (not knockout) wines to family events. Not wine aficionados (other than my daughter and fiancé). I love watching their responses. Last night it was my 2001 Cht Suduiraut that knocked their socks off. Every guest approached me to let me know how much they enjoyed it. No need to pop a d’Yquem.
We also went out to dinner last week with non-wino friends last week. Brought a 2012 Kutch Falstaff Pinot. I asked if she’d like a glass and she declined because she thought it would make her fall asleep. When we poured ours, she was stricken by the lovely aroma, so I poured a glass for her to sniff
These events make me happy
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God bless you, good sir!
Ha ha ha, now we know why you are such a gym rat and benchpress 475 pounds! It’s all to protect the wine!
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My friends arent winos so it’s easy for me to not overthink and bring a jero/magnum of bubbles. Everyone loves the theatric of big “champagne” bottles and I love pouring for my love ones way more than sneaking a glass of good stuffs here and there.
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