I think that's really sensible. Except that the chief government health advisor recently advised against any alcohol before the age of 15 (brain development). So nothing for my DS until he's 15 (except low alcohol beer if he wants it).
When DD was 14-15 the parties started, which terrified me. She went to a couple then stopped. I gave her such graphic descriptions of the lack of control you have while under the influence that I really think I frightened her off having alcohol outside of home. Now she's 16 she's keen to have a drink and will be 18 in a year and a half anyway. She's recently made friends with a boy who turned 18 the other week and went to a club to celebrate. That'll be DD soon, so some controlled drinking might be a good idea indeed. (not looking forward to that).
When I were a lass..... in small town Scotland, in the dark ages, nearly all my friends and I went to the local pubs at the weekend and regularly had three or four drinks. We liked being slightly tipsy, but no-one wanted to be completely drunk as we would get into such trouble and get the pub into trouble. This doesn't happen now, but I think it stopped me going mad when I went to uni, aged 18 and one month. In some ways we had it so much easier - we all had unconditional offers of (free) uni places, no access to a city, no possibility of drinks being spiked, no alcopops. Less scope for things going disastrously wrong. Which is quite ironic, given the heavy drinking culture in Scotland.
Next time DD's friend comes round I'm going to ask him to tell us about the club scene in our city ( I know nothing). Before he went, he said that his mum wasn't keen, but he's 18 so he can do his own thing. "What's the worst that can happen?" he joked. "Get steaming and throw up," replied DD. She obviously needs educating about the dangers. Hopefully her friend will tell it like it really is so she's prepared when it comes to her turn.