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.

regardless of moving in wealthy or formal circles, presumably those friendships still allow for you to be honest and get to know each other instead of feeling awkward? I understand not wanting to risk offending an acquaintance or a colleague and following perceived etiquette to the letter, but why would a friend be offended - surely your relationship has progressed where you can speak to them openly/on the same level

The bottle you take is a gift for the host. Not for yourself to drink. If the host chooses to open it that’s up to them. But you can’t demand your bottle gets opened.

The exception is a party which is specifically “bring your own bottle” where you bring drinks for yourself only.

Get one of those wine glasses that holds a full bottle and pour your drink when you arrive.

Prosecco is made by a different process to Cava, Crémant and Champagne, giving it a sweeter, fruitier flavour profile. People's preference of one over the other will usually correspond to whether they prefer drier or sweeter drinks.

That said, prosecco is more widely available in this country, meaning that there is a wider spectrum of quality available. In many supermarkets there will be something like 5 proseccos to choose from (ranging from cheapest, lowest quality to more expensive) compared to 2 cavas - perhaps this corresponds to people having headaches or not from specific bottles!

I hear you, OP.

I only drink a particular type of wine (I'm very dull and boring!).

I always end up bringing three bottles of it in the hope I get to actually have some.

I tried that and it all got poured in about thirty seconds flat, I ended up with one very small glass!

OP I am the same as you, I am fussy with what I drink - not snobby, it’s not about price - so now I just take two bottles.

I wouldn’t hesitate to say something like “hey I’ve found prosecco gives me a headache lately, so I’ve brought X instead, do you mind if I crack it open straight away”.
You will have to share it though. Bringing a bottle for the party is just that, not bringing it only for yourself.

It really isn’t, not at the sort of get togethers I am talking about. I might well take a gift for the hosts, but the event, whether BBQ, house party, book club, camping trip etc, is ‘everyone bring a generous contribution of drink and pool it for everyone to share’ .

None of us would consider ‘bring a bottle’ to be for our sole consumption: we are not students. But actually that would suit me better.

I don’t understand the issue. If I take a bottle of something I like then when I get asked by the host what I’d like to drink I simply say “I think I’ll have a glass of the XX I brought, thanks”. Or, “I bought a nice bottle of XX I’d like to try, I’ll have some of that please”.

why would the host care that you drink your own bottle? I wouldn’t give a damn.

This is such a non issue!

Prosecco is also artificially carbonated.

Cava used to be the more usual budget fuzz option until suddenly about 15 years ago the market was flooded by Prosecco.

Take it as a gift for everyone else, not just yourself, then say "let's open this as well" as a show of debauchery / merriment / generosity rather than stuck up behaviour

Because by the time I go back for a second glass the bottle will be in the recycling!

It sounds like most people on here only attend quite formal dinner parties whereas it sounds like OP attends informal get togethers.

I think it's fine to have your drinking preferences, but also anything you take with you, you should be willing to share, it's a bit odd to bring something to a gathering that is just for you and no one else is allowed to touch it. Normally the host would ask you what you're drinking though so you can voice your preferences. I can't stand any carbonated wines so can definitely sympathise!

Ah I see the issue now. No you can't really insist no one else drink from your bottle. You could hide a bottleful in your water bottle but that's just odd and very reminscent of Prohibition era dodginess.

😂

Pour yourself three glasses, and keep them dotted around (with lipstick marks on them so nobody else picks them up). Then you have the whole bottle to yourself. Problem solved 😉

I think that the thing to do is take two bottles and say "here's a bottle for the party, this other one I am keeping to myself because this is the drink that I really like and I don't want to be mixing drinks".

IMHO, so long as the "party bottle" you bring is of a similar quality and price to the other "party drinks" others bring then you have gone above and beyond - you've brought a bottle and you're not even going to take a sip of it or anyone else's... but you will sure as hell drink what you want to drink, and no-one else will have a sip.

I take mini bottles and just say I’m going have one of those.

Prohibition dodginess sounds fun tho’. Very Guys and Dolls

Get one of those bags or bras that is also a discrete wine dispenser

It is a "bit odd" but it is also perfectly reasonable to want to drink what you want to drink, and not to be forced to drink what others brought and which you do not want.

Cava and Champagne are bottle fermented, Prosecco is bottled after it’s made. Doesn’t necessarily mean one is better than the other depending on grape quality but they aren’t quite the same.

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🥂

That’s not quite true - that makes it sound like it’s put through a big soda stream. The wine is fermented in a closed system so that the CO2 can’t escape, then it is bottled. The méthode champenoise is for the secondary fementation to be carried out in the bottles.

There does exist a flat Prosecco, Prosecco Tranquillo, but I’ve never seen it outside of Italy.