Hey everyone,
I’ve been thinking a lot about etiquette and decorum recently. First, the New Orleans Saints decided to run up the score against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Then on Monday, every conservative Supreme Court justice decided not to show up for work so they wouldn’t have to weigh in on the Texas Heartbeat Act case. Finally, I was in an ethical conundrum yesterday about whether I should put down the divider in the checkout line at Publix or if it’s the other person’s responsibility. What would Jesus do?
The biggest question I have regarding etiquette happened a lot over the holiday season, and because I can’t decide the right way to handle the situation I figured I’d crowdsource the answer from the people reading this newsletter. The dilemma in question is if you bring a bottle of wine as a gift for someone, are they supposed to open it for everyone to enjoy? Or should you bring another beverage to drink and that gifted bottle gets stored away for another occasion?
I always get caught between two minds when showing up with a bottle I intend to gift to someone. Do I bring something that I would like to drink that evening and put the expectation on the host that they should open it for my enjoyment? Do I bring two identical bottles to be prepared for any scenario? And why is wine the default option for this scenario? I can’t imagine it would go over well if you showed up to Thanksgiving with a bottle of Grey Goose.
I’ve gifted everything from Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserves to the wine that has Snoop Dogg’s face on it to Two Buck Chuck, and recipients are always happy to receive them. I think a lot about how we got to the point as a society where a random bottle of wine is an acceptable gift for any occasion. Every social event, whether it’s with family, friends, coworkers, or strangers, involves alcohol consumption. Breweries are the new malls, in that they’re centralized meeting places with entertainment and food for the whole family. It must be so awkward for anyone who can’t or won’t consume alcohol during these events. Alcohol is so prevalent that even when you’re not drinking you should look like you’re drinking. That’s the reason that 0.0% White Claw exists now, but I digress.
I’m including a poll below. I’m curious to know what you think is the appropriate expectation in this gift-giving scenario. And let me know any other etiquette or decorum situations that are grinding your gears at the moment.