Share wine at dinner

[PRINSENDAM]

we were at a table with .... and two early 20's son's. Guess they were just trying to be polite by saying yes, but had no interest in drinking.

 

 

Stange children!

 

A day without wine is like a day without sunshine!

 

Stephen

[GayleArc]

I always order two bottles of white wine ( all we drink) to be delivered to the table the first night. We offer it to everybody and wait to see the reaction. If they don't accept it we just have it kept for the next night. If the do accept it I wait to see what they do and go from there. We were at one table several years ago the they would not drink

our wine (ordered there own) but

very generously drank the wine that the Officer supplied on the nights he was there. Needless to say, we did not keep intouch with them.

[Alexborngal]

Perhaps,

I don't really care where she got her glass from, it's her life.

 

Share etc sounds lovely, but is it expected? I know it is done. I know that I don't want their wine, so have no expectation of sharing theirs.

 

I'm glad to read about this subject. On every single cruise we have been asked by the sommelier about sharing our bottle of wine - by the way corkage has been $15 - and felt awkward about saying no so we said yes. Then the waiter poured more wine for everyone, leaving very little for a second glass for us, another irritation. However, no one has ever shared a bottle with us, nor do the people who usually buy wine by the glassful ever offer to buy us a glass on a subsequent night. We're getting 2 bottles of wine on the Zaandam and I'll try to work around this situation.

[serendipity1499]

I always order two bottles of white wine ( all we drink) to be delivered to the table the first night. We offer it to everybody and wait to see the reaction.....etc etc..

 

We were at one table several years ago the they would not drink

our wine (ordered there own) but very generously drank the wine that the Officer supplied on the nights he was there. Needless to say, we did not keep intouch with them.

 

Have been reading this thread with interest & hadn't planned on posting since I can see both sides of the story..

 

However, I'm confused about why you would choose not to keep in touch with a couple only because they refused your wine, ordered their own wine, & then proceeded to drink the wine which was supplied by an Officer who had joined you for dinner..You go on to say: "Needless to say, we did not keep intouch with them."

 

Most times we do not drink wine with our dinner as prefer to have a cocktail beforehand..Wine also makes us sleepy..I ocassionally will enjoy a glass of red wine but it sometimes gives me a headache & I often break out from it.. However I will have a glass of wine when an Officer has graciously provided the wine for our table & joined us for dinner..

 

Am I loosing site of a major impropriety here and wonder what your table mates did that was so terribly rude? :confused: I try to be polite & not offend & would be mortified if someone considered me rude in doing this..

 

Please clue me in..Would also appreciate others comments about this so called faux pas.. Betty

[kingclick]

I always order two bottles of white wine ( all we drink) to be delivered to the table the first night. We offer it to everybody and wait to see the reaction. If they don't accept it we just have it kept for the next night. If the do accept it I wait to see what they do and go from there. We were at one table several years ago the they would not drink

our wine (ordered there own) but

very generously drank the wine that the Officer supplied on the nights he was there. Needless to say, we did not keep intouch with them.

 

Could it be that they didn't like the wine you had chosen?

[djallar]

If you want to drink your special bottle of rare wine with food, why not book a table for two at the Upcharge Restaurant, and drink it there with your dinner?

 

You would then be able to enjoy your special rare wine with food as you wish, but not feel any uncomfortableness over not sharing your wine with your regular tablemates (it is nice to mention that you'll be absent from table that night so they do not delay their dinner orders waiting for you that night).

 

FW&FS,

Celestia

My wife & I don't often drink wine. However, I know that if our tablemates offered wine to share, we'd feel obligated to take a glass. We wouldn't want to insult them. Then, we would feel obligated to repay in kind, but don't know much about wine.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is...If we're at your table, don't feel bad if you don't offer us a glass of your wine. It saves us from the embarassment of displaying our lack of wine knowledge.

 

Does that make sense?

[RuthC]

...if our tablemates offered wine to share, we'd feel obligated to take a glass. We wouldn't want to insult them. Then, we would feel obligated to repay in kind, but don't know much about wine.

There is no obligation to accept an offer to share wine, and there should never be an insult construed when the offer is declined. You have the right to say "no". If you arrive at the table to find an unexpected wine glass at your setting, and do not wish to drink wine, simply turn the glass over. That silent signal will tell the wine steward what he needs to know.

The obligation is to repay when an offer is freely accepted. The repayment does not need to be the same type of wine, nor even the same cost.

[schertzcruiser]

On our first cruise we ordered the wine package for dinner and did not offer any to the other eight at the table. However, we did miss one night so on the last night we asked the others to order our extra bottle and enjoy. They did and we all enjoyed. On our next cruise we ordered the wine package and the other four ordered by the glass and again all enjoyed.

Our next cruise will be with family members who don't drink (so sad) so we will enjoy.

[kingclick]

If you arrive at the table to find an unexpected wine glass at your setting, and do not wish to drink wine, simply turn the glass over. That silent signal will tell the wine steward what he needs to know.

 

See! That is what this board is great for. Little pieces of advice like that. I will do this when we sit.

 

Supposedly we wont have table assignments because of our cruise being chartered.

[lisiamc]

I have just read through these responses as I am fairly surprised that people would not offer their wine around the table. I most certainly would.

 

You're a generous person for thinking like that, but what if you were at a table for 10? You'd have to order two bottles every time you wanted to share!

 

If we're at a table for four or six, we do offer to share sometimes, but not at a larger table. The sommelier normally assumes that we are not sharing, and only prepares two glasses.

 

Lisa