AIBU to think couples should take two bottles of wine with them when going to a friend's home for dinner?

[ImperialBlether]

Just wondering what you thought.

If a single person goes to dinner at a friend's home, he/she takes a bottle of whatever it is they like to drink. Usually wine. It doesn't really matter if they only drink 1/3 of the bottle, they still take the whole bottle and, if they are normal, they don't take the rest of the bottle home with them.

So if you are a couple, you should take two bottles, shouldn't you? Why is it then that so many will take one bottle between them, because they are a 'unit'?

It was the reference to couples/singles paying for taxis that sparked this off - still not sure why couples think they should only pay for one fare, but that's another thread.

Yes, love it when people bring food gifts or home made stuff.

the wine I bring is probably rubbish too because it's either a re-gift or an 'eeney, meeney, miney, mo!" cause I know NOTHING about wine.

for a while (being aware of my wine ignorance) I used to go to a proper wine shop pay more assuming it might be better but it never got a better reception than the supermarket stuff from its recipients so I stopped caring about how much it cost and where it was from.

I have to say also we tend to get cabs or walk if it's a local dinner party. Most couples I know both want to drink

A bottle is a gesture,accompanied by a bunch of flowers. I'd expect food and drink to be provided by the hosts.

Oh I knew my offering of salame would have been controversial Pinot

(It's good though)

We had some v good friends over recently for dinner. We provided food, drink etc but they brought some beer (for him) and a sholer (for heavily pregnant her). They consumed it during the meal (even though we had beer, juices, water etc). But this only happens with this couple.

Other dinner parties people bring wine or choc or flowers. We don't expect it but we are happy to receive them.

My DBil and his wife came down to stay once and we went out for dinner with them and the first couple and our dc to the local bistro pub. Dsil whipped out her phone calculator at the end to tell each 'group' of people how much they owed. I was all prepared to pay more anyway as my son had a meal too (although he's only 3) and even though I don't drink (had a coke whilst everyone else had at least 2 pints of alco something or 2 glasses of Pinot grigio). So it was all calculated down to the last penny.

I hate that, drcrab; it spoils the entire evening.

I would just guess at how much we're likely to drink & up it a bit tbh.

So for a supper party with friends, I'd expect to polish off a bottle of wine, maybe a bit more if a convivial evening; dh only ever drinks diet coke - we'd rock up with 2x wine & a 6 pack of diet coke (dh is peculiarly fussy about it - bottled Pepsi for example, Will Not Do.)

& if it's old friends with whom an evening is likely to extend into the small hours, we usually keep a bottle of JD or brandy somewhere in the boot for those occasions when the conversation is flowing but everyone's bored with wine.

(but then mostly my friends are from uni days or travelling to gigs, so we're all quite impressed at ourselves for graduating to naice waine & brandy rather than cider & bucket bongs).

I think my rule of thumb is always to try & leave 'in credit' - I have one, otherwise lovely, mate who turns up with one bottle, proceeds to neck everyone else's with cheerful abandon. We don't bitch about her, quite, but it's a running joke behind her back...

Imperial - the Dsil apparently also insisted that all her hens (for her hen party) choose their food and pay for them in advanced.. Also pay for the decorations for the hen party (like the sashes, tat that people wear etc)...?!

She also has a board in their house which says DBil owes Dsil £4.43 for petrol/gum/wine/takeaway.

taxi fares should be paid per person.

wine bottles - it's fine to take one bottle for two people. we have only ever bought one bottle between us but thats because we would dink about 2/3rds of the bottle in total. Less if one of us is driving. I might bring chox or flowers though too.

If I was hosting, I'd expect nothing but would accept any gifts happily.

drcrab, it is the norm that hens pay for their own food/entertainment and also split the brides share amongst them. I've never been to a hen do where the bride paid anything, always the hens!

I would never go to someones house empty handed but personally I think one bottle of wine is fine for a couple, though it depends on the occasion. If it's a "drinking" occasion then I will probably take 2 bottles oe a bottle of wine and few cans or beer or cider. I also generally take a dish if it's a bbq/nibbles type party but obv not if the host is making a formal dinner unless I've offered and they've accepted

Depends how much would normally be drunk of course.

Anyone who would feel offended by 2 bottles, as if they were not trusted to have enough booze in the house, do make sure to tell me so I can take a bottle home.

Please don't, it would feel like you were paying to come to my party.
I live in the middle of nowhere so too many people would be driving and bringing children for anything like a bottle per person to get drunk.

Maybe it's the people who I go to dinner with, but if DP and I go to dinner with some people we take 2 bottles of wine and they say "lovely" and we all drink plenty of wine (ours and theirs) and no-one is offended.

Reduce - yes of course the hens pay. That's not the issue here (maybe I wasn't clear)... It was more the militaristic fashion of getting money and everyone paying x 2 months before hand etc that made a few people raise their eyebrows. Anyway I was only sharing a story. Back to the op.