To want to drink nice drinks at a party if that’s what I take?

[TempleOfBloom]

We often socialise in groups at each other’s houses. I don’t like Prosecco, and always take Cremant or Cava, or if red something mid range and drinkable.

Then inevitably get poured repeat glasses of the cheapest available Prosecco or nasty mass produced generic red that others have brought.

Can I reasonably manage to open and drink bottles I enjoy, or should I cut my losses and also take cheaper bottles and glug it regardless? (I can do this, I just don’t really enjoy it, so drink a lot less, which is fine)

I’m not talking really expensive connoisseur type bottles that I take, just mid range drinkable.

Wrong thread

Indeed, I reported it already. Sorry all.

I hate prosecco. I've told all my friends. Now they don't serve me prosecco. Simple.

@NeedToChangeName Cava is made the same way as champagne/crémant, in terms of the fermentation in bottle. Prosecco is made in big steel tanks. Most widely available Cava is, IMO, much better then the equivalent prosecco. Obviously there are great proseccos (col fondo) and bad Cavas but as a general rule

My distaste for Prosecco is now well known in my friendship group. You need to be very vocal about it. They get the message. We’ve all moved on to cremant now anyway.

In this situation I’d take 2 bottles - a gift bottle then a chilled bottle you do like and just say ‘shall we try this?’ And proceed to open.

Ah just seen this. In this case I wouldn’t arrive early. Arrive after initial bottles open and some drinks served. But I’d bring about 3 bottles of medium quality wine rather than drink crap night. Just not really expensive stuff. And maybe try and hide it in the middle of the other bottles or something.

I’m sorry OP, I empathise. (I was a competitive blind wine taster and have sat professional wine exams).

I’m afraid the only satisfactory option is to find new friends a group of wine friends who don’t bring the bs. Check out Wine Pages where you might be able to find a good group. Or see if you know anyone who might like to form a tasting group.

Prosecco is the new Sauvignon blanc which is the new Aussie Chardonnay - it was an affordable option, which has become a race to the bottom, at great expense to the environment, and is now undrinkable. See how M&S cava is now cheaper than their own brand Prosecco - there is NO way that is justifiable purely due to production methods. Almost as insufferable as people who insist that their shit plonk ‘tastes the same’ as something better quality and is acceptable to bring to a party in this day and age. It’s embarrassing tbh.

keep your own wine next to you, pleasantly explain it’s the only wine you like
you drink your wine leaving plenty of the other stuff for everyone else

I totally agree OP- I am exactly the same as you. I hate prosecco and would only drink it if nothing else. It always tastes like crap and is usually cheap and makes my headache.

If I’m going to drink these days I’d much rather have high quality/ mid range wine or Cremant or a gin and tonic . Normally people ask me what I’d like to drink on arrival and if they show me the prosecco I say very nicely - do you have any wine as I don’t like prosecco. I’ve had a few comments from friends that have known me for ages about being a snob but I just ignore them! Or say well I just don’t like prosecco - what do you want me to do? Force it down?
Its about preference - I don’t go out to drink what I don’t like. Life is too short.

I would always bring a gift / flowers/ chocolates and wine for the host. I wouldn’t expect to drink that. But I would hope they would be able to offer more than just processco. Men get offered beer aswell too- you don’t see them putting up with the cheap stuff.

Thank you for your service! Perhaps we can get the message out about how shit Prosecco has become.

Totally agree, it wouldn’t be acceptable to force the menfolk to drink Fosters all night at a dinner party would it?

Yep... makes sense that people bring and drink what they want instead of bring something they don't want or bring something they do and watch others drink it whilst they drink what they don't want.

IMHO the polite approach to turning up at a party or gathering is to bring supplies to meet your own needs, plus bring a gift for the host or something for the party, or both, on top. Having done so it is insane if the stuff you brought for yourself is drunk by others who might not even prefer it, whilst you're left with nothing to enjoy.

The only caveat is bringing Blue Nun for the host whilst you bang on about how good the finest champagne is going down would be appalling form. But if you are treating the host and the others similarly to how you are treating yourself then no problem.

What annoyed me when we had parties was the number of guests bringing a bottle of red (any quality!), then drinking white (my preference!)

I think the word is definitely spreading. Last year I was a bit of a lone voice but others are now joining me!

That's because they're offloading gifted reds that they don't drink

Haven’t RTFT, but I went to a party recently with a decent bottle of white…a cheap bottle was already open, but I really wanted to try mine so I poured a glass.

Went back to get a glass for a friend and guess what, my bottle had completely disappeared and the cheap one was still sitting there. 🤣

I suspect that someone recognized mine as a decent bottle and grabbed it to top up their friends’ glasses. It was a big party so easy to do. Cheeky though!

The bottles I take are for the host. I’m quite picky in my group in that I’m the only one that drinks dry wine. I can drink white or rose but sweet makes me vom. They know that & have one or the other ready .. I thought that was a thing because we always have drinks ready for who ever comes, based on what they like, regardless of what they bring

@Wishbone436 I agree that the wine is typically a gift to the host, although at larger gatherings, sometimes the provided drinks go quickly.

We went to dinner at friends’ last weekend and brought a nice red as a gift. Unfortunately they used up a previously opened bottle with the meal and it was horrible, def. been open too long!

You have a 'friends' problem. Change your friends.

Tbf the quality decline has been really marked in the last two years as well. I can’t believe that some supermarket Proseccos cost more than the cavas - which just shows you it’s a money making exercise. Hopefully that will start to turn the tide.

Bring a St Bernard wearing a brandy barrel collar filled with the good stuff.

Nobody will notice.

🤣

@SkaneTos Cava is a traditional method sparkling wine, whereas Prosecco is made using a different process called tank fermentation. The grape varieties are different as well (as you might guess from their originating from different countries).

Traditional method (sometimes called methode Champenoise) involves a secondary fermentation in the bottle (en lees, which contributes to the more bready/brioche/yeasty flavour profile), followed by disgorging, triage, and re bottling followed by any necessary bottle aging. Prosecco just ferments in the tank and then they bottle it, and typically isn’t aged. As you might guess, traditional method is more expensive to produce.

What has happened is that Prosecco has undercut the Cava market, to the extent where many producers went out of business as they had to lower their prices to a level where they can’t compete. Gradually they were bought up by Freixenet and Cordoniu and maybe one other company which escapes me at the moment. There is beginning to be a resurgence in artisan/small grower Cava. Now they are competing on quality with Cremant, because they can’t compete on price. Frankly Prosecco production has done huge damage to the production of Cava, but that is a story for another day.

Additionally, Prosecco production has become a race to the bottom in terms of profiteering and now there are serious concerns about yield management and the environmental impact of the level of pesticides used in its production. Quality has gone completely down the toilet because the consumer doesn’t bother to educate themselves doesn’t know any better.

Bit more than that, they’re completely different production processes. See my post above.

It corresponds to the decimation of the cava market as a result of prices driven down by Prosecco demand from consumers. See my post above.