Requesting wine at pool parties?

[Guest]

It's pool party season again. In past years, I've had parties in which I offered mixed drinks, beer, and hard seltzers, in addition to alcohol-free options. Despite these options, I had a few guests specifically ask for wine, although wine was not on offer. This made me go upstairs (the party area of my house is downstairs) to go accommodate them. I realize that from now on, I just have to make sure I have wine available. I certainly wouldn't chastise the guests. But do you think it was rude for guests to ask for wine in this situation? I've never asked for wine at pool parties when I didn't see any. (Most of those who asked for wine were older, mainly neighbors, whom I often have over for wine and cheese soirees upstairs)

[Luv2play]

Some people only drink wine for an alcoholic beverage.

[CuriousByNature]

It would only be rude if they knew the wine was upstairs and Escher had built your staircase

[+ DynamicUno]

Just have a box of Francia's finest from the Ralph's for their poolside imbibing.  If they want something else then they shouldn't show up empty handed.

Edited July 15, 2023 by DynamicUno

[+ azdr0710]

gee, pushy guests.....I'd never make requests to have a particular drink on hand at a party to which I was invited......however, this being California and all, it'd seem that wine should be a standard offering at a party.....the other alcoholic offerings you mention are pretty standard, too.....back upstairs you go!

[+ nycman]

Go upstairs you lazy ass bitch!

Who’s ever heard of an "LA pool party" with no wine?!?!

Just kidding, I think it’s rude to request a bar item that’s not obviously available.

Then again, they may just be simply inquiring "do you have wine"?

How are they supposed to know……
(that you’re a cheap ass bitch that doesn’t serve wine at pool parties)…grin

 

[rvwnsd]

I've been to parties (pool and otherwise) in Southern California where wine was the only alcohol served, but never to one where wine wasn't served. That said, I wouldn't ask if you had wine when it clearly wasn't being served. 

[rvwnsd]

4 hours ago, nycman said:

Go upstairs you lazy ass bitch!

Who’s ever heard of an "LA pool party" with no wine?!?!...

 

I lived in Southern California for nearly 20 years and had never heard of one. And that's no joke!

[mike carey]

I think it would be reasonable for a guest to ask if you had wine available (especially if it were a guest who you'd previously offered wine), but I would equally see 'No' as a reasonable answer. I'd be more concerned about serving any drinks in clear glasses at such a party, but especially in thin, relatively fragile wine glasses.

[Luv2play]

11 minutes ago, mike carey said:

I think it would be reasonable for a guest to ask if you had wine available (especially if it were a guest who you'd previously offered wine), but I would equally see 'No' as a reasonable answer. I'd be more concerned about serving any drinks in clear glasses at such a party, but especially in thin, relatively fragile wine glasses.

There are wonderful clear plastic wine glasses with colourful things like fish or animals as bases to use around pools and patios. I always use them for outdoor entertaining and also good plastic tumblers so never worry about broken glass.

[CuriousByNature]

22 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

There are wonderful clear plastic wine glasses with colourful things like fish or animals as bases to use around pools and patios. I always use them for outdoor entertaining and also good plastic tumblers so never worry about broken glass.

No need for fragile glasses or breakable bottles when you have boxed wine and a straw 

[mike carey]

30 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

There are wonderful clear plastic wine glasses with colourful things like fish or animals as bases to use around pools and patios. I always use them for outdoor entertaining and also good plastic tumblers so never worry about broken glass.

Yes, I have some like that. Blue base that has a blue strobe LED in it. Perfect! Bought them in the Reject Shop or Dollar Shop, or some such. Also perfect for camping, and I use the word advisedly!

[Rudynate]

I don’t entertain on a large scale but I try to anticipate what my guests need/want, so I certainly would have considered whether I should have some wine on hand. At the same time, Im not bothered if my hospitality isn’t perfect.  I drink diet coke everywhere I go.  Occasionally people don’t have it on hand.  I’m fine with something else.

[MscleLovr]

13 hours ago, Unicorn said:

do you think it was rude for guests to ask for wine in this situation?

Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but Yes I do consider it rude to ask for something that hasn’t been offered.

I entirely agree about having clear plastic glasses for beverages outdoors (as years ago I had the experience of idiots bringing glass outside and broken glass ending up in the pool - and Yes the pool had to be drained to get all the shards out).

But I don’t know how ‘entitled’ people feel nowadays. Would it be acceptable to ask not for ‘white wine’ but for a glass of ‘good white burgundy’ or ‘an excellent California Chardonnay’?

[+ Pensant]

6 hours ago, Rudynate said:

 

GoVino is the plastic wine glass brand I’ve used for years.

[Luv2play]

5 hours ago, MscleLovr said:

Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but Yes I do consider it rude to ask for something that hasn’t been offered.

I entirely agree about having clear plastic glasses for beverages outdoors (as years ago I had the experience of idiots bringing glass outside and broken glass ending up in the pool - and Yes the pool had to be drained to get all the shards out).

But I don’t know how ‘entitled’ people feel nowadays. Would it be acceptable to ask not for ‘white wine’ but for a glass of ‘good white burgundy’ or ‘an excellent California Chardonnay’?

I once attended a dinner party given by a new couple in the neighbourhood. These exceedingly affluent people originally from Montreal offered nothing but the best in alcohol to their guests. Cristal champagne, vintage Bordeaux wine at the dinner table. The sit down dinner was superb.

One of the guests, a friend of mine, who was there, had this couple back for a large reception at her house a month or so later. This lady often hosts large events at her riverside mansion, many related in support of charities. She only serves plonk wine but it flows endlessly. And she does serve nice food.

I observed this couple in the library when a server offered them a glass of wine. The wife took one sip and put the glass down. She didn't take another sip all evening.

Edited July 16, 2023 by Luv2play

[+ nycman]

1 hour ago, Luv2play said:

The wife took one sip and put the glass down. She didn't take another sip all evening.

Been there. Done that.

Rich people can be cheap as fuck.
Especially when they think they’re being "charitable". 
Every local cater waiter knows, if I nod twice when ordering a "Martini" it means
”the host is serving shit, just pour water in a martini glass with a twist and hand
it to me, so I can appear civil, and I”ll tip the fuck out of you later"

[Rudynate]

What does it matter? You didn't say "Oh, I'm sorry, we don't have any," a perfectly appropriate thing to do.  You went and found some wine, so you obviously considered it your duty, as host, to provide your guests what they wanted. even though you hadn't anticipated it. 

[Xavitv]

Too much whine and not enough wine it seems  

[wsc]

I wouldn't mind there being no wine as long as you have my Laphroaig.

 

I am neither difficult nor demanding and am quite easily satisfied with the very best. -Winston Churchill

[Rudynate]

2 hours ago, Luv2play said:

I once attended a dinner party given by a new couple in the neighbourhood. These exceedingly affluent people originally from Montreal offered nothing but the best in alcohol to their guests. Cristal champagne, vintage Bordeaux wine at the dinner table. The sit down dinner was superb.

One of the guests, a friend of mine, who was there, had this couple back for a large reception at her house a month or so later. This lady often hosts large events at her riverside mansion, many related in support of charities. She only serves plonk wine but it flows endlessly. And she does serve nice food.

I observed this couple in the library when a server offered them a glass of wine. The wife took one sip and put the glass down. She didn't take another sip all evening.

That's entertaining.  Opening your home to guests requires you to surrender a lot of expectation and control - for example, by saying nothing to  a guest who doesn't appreciate that the glass of wine she just wasted would have cost $50.00 in a restaurant .

[Luv2play]

1 minute ago, Rudynate said:

That's entertaining.  Opening your home to guests requires you to surrender a lot of expectation and control - for example, by saying nothing to  a guest who doesn't appreciate that the glass of wine she just wasted would have cost $50.00 in a restaurant .

In the case I cited, the glass of red wine the guest put down after a sip would have cost about $12 in a restaurant in Toronto. At home it was worth about $2.50. 

The inflation in prices in restaurant drinks since the pandemic has been fierce here in Canada. That $12 glass is now around $18 for 9 oz. I was just in Toronto and that is what I was paying. The same in Montreal when I was there in June.  

[Rudynate]

Just now, Luv2play said:

In the case I cited, the glass of red wine the guest put down after a sip would have cost about $12 in a restaurant in Toronto. At home it was worth about $2.50. 

The inflation in prices in restaurant drinks since the pandemic has been fierce here in Canada. That $12 glass is now around $18 for 9 oz. I was just in Toronto and that is what I was paying. The same in Montreal when I was there in June.  

I don't drink wine, so I don't pay much attenton to price, but, I believe, in a pushy wine-country restaurant, it is entirely possible to sink that kind of money into a single glass of wine. 

[mike carey]

5 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

The inflation in prices in restaurant drinks since the pandemic has been fierce here in Canada. That $12 glass is now around $18 for 9 oz. I was just in Toronto and that is what I was paying. The same in Montreal when I was there in June.  

9 oz is a serve of beer, for wine it's drinking for effect! But yes, in a restaurant they go that way for wine by the glass. And I'm guilty of ordering the 'large' glass of wine rather than ask for a second smaller one.

But back to whether to ask for wine at a party where it wasn't offered!

[Luv2play]

Personally I thinks it's gauche to ask for something that is not on offer at a party. I would try to choose from what's on offer.