The host said, 'Bring wine.' How much am I supposed to spend?

A. L. Katz  |  05:07 PM, Tuesday, June 8, 2010

You sound like a lovely guest, in general: asking what you can bring is, after all, how you get invited back. As with any such contribution, however, what's appropriate depends on context. If everyone in your circle is a bit strapped for cash, or if dinner means takeout pizza and a DVD, or if everyone is 23 years old, your hosts will be delighted with Two-Buck Chuck. (Maybe bring two bottles, so as not to be an utter cheapskate.) Sometimes the point of wine is just to be wine. And lots of people are honestly indifferent to fancy beverages or even prefer the cheap stuff. One friend of mine who's a serious gourmet in other areas genuinely prefers Bud over expensive microbrews and will pick it every time.

But what if your friends are, say, urban professionals in their thirties? What if they're cooking you seared salmon with pea shoots, and chocolate soufflé? And what if you know deep down that when they say "bottle of wine," they're thinking something more like a $10 or $12 bottle? Then, friend, you cannot bring just a $2 bottle of wine. That's like being asked to bring dessert and showing up with Twinkies. You're not entering into the spirit of things. If that's what you want, great, but understand that your hosts are on a slightly different food wavelength. Not to mention that they must have shelled out some cash for those salmon filets.

Since you're obviously already shopping at Trader Joe's, you have access to a million wine bargains. If you truly prefer the bargain-basement stuff, get yourself a bottle, but throw in an $8 bottle of something as well. Now you look more like a class act, you still spend under $12, and everyone's happy.