Mine! Mine! All Mine!
December 30, 2011 7:59 PM
Mr. Terrier and I received a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Yellow Label as a present a couple weeks ago. Since, then, we've been invited to a small New Year's Eve gathering. I don't actually know how many people will be there (since it's the worst possible manners to ask "who else will be there?" when invited to a 'do.)
Here's my dilemma: I don't want to share this champagne. Mr. Terrier thinks we should bring it. "Well, we're going to have to bring something!" he said when I clasped it to my bosom, horrified at the thought of sharing it out among a few not-terribly close friends, each of us getting only a jigger's-worth, maybe.
My husband doesn't drink, but I like two glasses of champagne on New Years Eve, and the rest of the bottle used for mimosas for myself the next day, to maintain the rosy glow. We rarely can afford really good champagne, and the idea of this bottle getting lost in the jungle of bottles in the kitchen and guzzled....well, I won't go on.
Data point: the party was not described as a B.Y.O.B.
What would you do?
Here's my dilemma: I don't want to share this champagne. Mr. Terrier thinks we should bring it. "Well, we're going to have to bring something!" he said when I clasped it to my bosom, horrified at the thought of sharing it out among a few not-terribly close friends, each of us getting only a jigger's-worth, maybe.
My husband doesn't drink, but I like two glasses of champagne on New Years Eve, and the rest of the bottle used for mimosas for myself the next day, to maintain the rosy glow. We rarely can afford really good champagne, and the idea of this bottle getting lost in the jungle of bottles in the kitchen and guzzled....well, I won't go on.
Data point: the party was not described as a B.Y.O.B.
What would you do?
Buy a ten dollar bottle of champagne/sparkling wine and bring that. You don't need to give away your present!
posted by MadamM at 8:05 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by MadamM at 8:05 PM on December 30, 2011
Don't take it. Buy a bottle of cheapish bubbly / red / white wine and take that. Keep the good shit for you. You deserve it.
posted by jontyjago at 8:06 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by jontyjago at 8:06 PM on December 30, 2011
The only reason ever to take this bottle is so you can say the name out loud to a crowd, because it sounds so cool. But don't take it.
posted by raisingsand at 8:09 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by raisingsand at 8:09 PM on December 30, 2011
I think it would be disrespectful to whomever gave you that bottle for you to take it to a party and give it away. It was a gift to you and you ought to be the one to drink it and enjoy it.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:20 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:20 PM on December 30, 2011
Seriously! You are both right as are all the people above. You enjoy your present (alone or with hubby or whoever you choose!) and don't show up empty handed to the party but bring something moderate, cheaper and suitable for sharing. Win win!
posted by bquarters at 8:21 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by bquarters at 8:21 PM on December 30, 2011
Oh good heavens, no, you don't bring the good stuff to a big party. Especially not one where everyone will be smashed by the time they drink it anyway. Get a bottle of cheap stuff (earlier I recommended Veuve du Vernay, which I refer to as Veuve Cliquot's younger, sluttier sister, but which sounds classy)(and tastes good!) and save the good for a special occasion with intimates.
posted by looli at 8:23 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by looli at 8:23 PM on December 30, 2011
A few random thoughts:
-It's not a big deal. Feel free to just pick up some $10 cava.
-It's not disrespectful to the original gift-er to bring the bubbly to the party (you'd be among those enjoying it, after all). Plus, it's an opportunity to be a mensch (or whatever the female version of that is) and go above and beyond the call by bringing something that people will see as special.
-Veuve Yellow Label is overrated.
posted by BobbyVan at 8:27 PM on December 30, 2011
-It's not a big deal. Feel free to just pick up some $10 cava.
-It's not disrespectful to the original gift-er to bring the bubbly to the party (you'd be among those enjoying it, after all). Plus, it's an opportunity to be a mensch (or whatever the female version of that is) and go above and beyond the call by bringing something that people will see as special.
-Veuve Yellow Label is overrated.
posted by BobbyVan at 8:27 PM on December 30, 2011
Agreed with those saying to buy something else. There's oodles of very tasty sparkling wines in the $15 range which would make an excellent addition to the festivities.
posted by FlamingBore at 8:59 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by FlamingBore at 8:59 PM on December 30, 2011
I ended up with a bottle of Moet and Chandon Imperial at a holiday booze swap, and I'm drinking that baby tonight because I didn't want to bring it to the NYE party I'm going to tomorrow. Save it for your January first mimosas and bring a nice sparkling wine to the party.
posted by Ruki at 9:07 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by Ruki at 9:07 PM on December 30, 2011
We rarely can afford really good champagne, and the idea of this bottle getting lost in the jungle of bottles in the kitchen and guzzled....well, I won't go on.
No need to go on: your take on the situation is 100% correct.
posted by gimonca at 9:09 PM on December 30, 2011
No need to go on: your take on the situation is 100% correct.
posted by gimonca at 9:09 PM on December 30, 2011
If your husband doesn't drink, I'd submit that he should defer to your judgement about when and how to use a gift that he will get no use out of either way. He's not wrong, in the sense that it's not wrong to bring good champagne to a party. But I think he's wrong to insist that you should give away a gift that you have specific (and really enjoyable) plans for and that he doesn't really care about. Bring another bottle, or some wine, or flowers, or cookies, or something else. And enjoy your champagne and mimosas!
posted by decathecting at 9:22 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by decathecting at 9:22 PM on December 30, 2011
I think Chocolate Pickle and raisingsand cover the answer nicely here... keep it for yourself.
posted by blaneyphoto at 9:51 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by blaneyphoto at 9:51 PM on December 30, 2011
Absolutely don't take it- this is far too good to share. The original giver would probably be horrified at the thought of it being wasted on people who don't appreciate it. Veuve Cliquot is good stuff - it is a proper champagne, so it will be dry, but nicely staying on the tongue.
Take a bottle of Italian Asti Spumante (a bottle that says "denominazione di origine controllata" on it) to your party. Martini Asti is one good one, but any italian Asti will be good (a lot of sparkling wine tends to be the nastiest and cheapest wine, carbonated so it doesn't taste so bad). Asti is a nice, sweet wine (but not so sweet as to be sickly). Everyone will love this fizzy wine and it looks very posh while being affordable (somewhere between $11 and $18, depending on local taxes and the distributor).
posted by Susurration at 10:06 PM on December 30, 2011
Take a bottle of Italian Asti Spumante (a bottle that says "denominazione di origine controllata" on it) to your party. Martini Asti is one good one, but any italian Asti will be good (a lot of sparkling wine tends to be the nastiest and cheapest wine, carbonated so it doesn't taste so bad). Asti is a nice, sweet wine (but not so sweet as to be sickly). Everyone will love this fizzy wine and it looks very posh while being affordable (somewhere between $11 and $18, depending on local taxes and the distributor).
posted by Susurration at 10:06 PM on December 30, 2011
Call the host and ask how many people are going, "because you want to bring either dessert or wine enough for everybody". That way you'll get a head count, if it's low you can share your bottle, if it's high keep the bottle and take cookies or pie.
posted by CrazyLemonade at 10:25 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by CrazyLemonade at 10:25 PM on December 30, 2011
It was a gift and it's for you, and you're right that it would be divided too much and lost in the shuffle. Keep for yourself. Nobody at the gathering will be taking to time to savor it like you're planning to and it will be practically wasted.
I'm bringing a nice bottle to a party tomorrow evening but it's for the hosts and I'm bringin' it warm so they know it's a gift for them and they shouldn't feel they have to put it out.
posted by ftm at 10:58 PM on December 30, 2011
I'm bringing a nice bottle to a party tomorrow evening but it's for the hosts and I'm bringin' it warm so they know it's a gift for them and they shouldn't feel they have to put it out.
posted by ftm at 10:58 PM on December 30, 2011
Bring it and conspire with the hosts to share it with them while the others drink from the general pool. Or, don't bring it. Bring something else.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:01 PM on December 30, 2011
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:01 PM on December 30, 2011
I like Susurration's response, except I would recommend a nice cava , like Segura Viudas or Marques de Gelida.
If someone was brought a bottle of Cliquot to a party, and it was left open on the drinks table (and it was not the kind of party where that was a representative bottle) , I'd consider it a duty to drink it all myself, since they OBVIOUSLY don't appreciate it.
Or I'd grab it and pour tasting glasses for everyone within arm's reach and bore them with Champagne lore.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:23 PM on December 30, 2011
If someone was brought a bottle of Cliquot to a party, and it was left open on the drinks table (and it was not the kind of party where that was a representative bottle) , I'd consider it a duty to drink it all myself, since they OBVIOUSLY don't appreciate it.
Or I'd grab it and pour tasting glasses for everyone within arm's reach and bore them with Champagne lore.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:23 PM on December 30, 2011
Agree that husband as non-drinker does not get a vote.
Amongst very close friends, a protective "it's mine, my precious" would be fine. Without knowing the make-up of the people at the party, could turn weird, so perhaps take something else if you want to make sure you get a decent suck of it.
However, make sure that you do drink it at some point soon. We have all been over this here - there is no point saving the special stuff for the never-never. Cellaring is a dodgy business.
Having said that, I kept a bottle of good Moet in appalling conditions for....15 years, and drank it recently.. by myself to celebrate my newly purchased apartment, and surprisingly, it was still in good condition and there was something quite luxurious about dancing around my apartment drunkenly drinking the good stuff. But it had got to the point where I wasn't sure whether anyone else would want to share, given its unknown condition.
posted by AnnaRat at 11:55 PM on December 30, 2011
Amongst very close friends, a protective "it's mine, my precious" would be fine. Without knowing the make-up of the people at the party, could turn weird, so perhaps take something else if you want to make sure you get a decent suck of it.
However, make sure that you do drink it at some point soon. We have all been over this here - there is no point saving the special stuff for the never-never. Cellaring is a dodgy business.
Having said that, I kept a bottle of good Moet in appalling conditions for....15 years, and drank it recently.. by myself to celebrate my newly purchased apartment, and surprisingly, it was still in good condition and there was something quite luxurious about dancing around my apartment drunkenly drinking the good stuff. But it had got to the point where I wasn't sure whether anyone else would want to share, given its unknown condition.
posted by AnnaRat at 11:55 PM on December 30, 2011
Not only do you NOT bring it and instead bring a more affordable bottle, you chill it and drink your first glass of it BEFORE the party so you can enjoy it!
posted by shazzam! at 12:12 AM on December 31, 2011
posted by shazzam! at 12:12 AM on December 31, 2011
I don't even drink, and I would be horrified at the thought of taking a champagne like that to a party. Just... no.
Seriously. Pick up a bottle of inexpensive sparkling wine, and save this one for a nice meal or maybe mojitos on 1 Jan.
posted by Tamanna at 6:35 AM on December 31, 2011
Seriously. Pick up a bottle of inexpensive sparkling wine, and save this one for a nice meal or maybe mojitos on 1 Jan.
posted by Tamanna at 6:35 AM on December 31, 2011
Please don't waste it on mimosas. Use adequate bubbly for mimosas; I give you permission to drink this lovely bubbly with the OJ on the side (or no OJ at all) the next morning. Do you have a best friend who drinks? Invite them over to share. If a friend invited me over to share fabulous wine, I'd bring fabulous food. (hint, hint)
posted by theora55 at 3:31 PM on December 31, 2011
posted by theora55 at 3:31 PM on December 31, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by HonoriaGlossop at 8:04 PM on December 30, 2011