Should I ask to take the rest of the wine bottle home?

wiogs

gloriouslyhappy wrote: »

Far better to take home any wine left after you'd had sufficient, than force yourself to drink more than you want, and especially if you're driving!

Wish the drunken idiots on the last tube / train / bus would practice a bit of saying no to that extra glass..

With the alcohol limit in Scotland having been recently reduced any more than a small glass of wine (for the ladies) and you shouldn't be driving anyway.

newkitchenfund

My DH and I had a lovely meal out once, and ordered a second bottle of wine of which we only drank half. We settled the bill and asked for a cork so we could take the remaining half-bottle home with us, which the restaurant happily gave us. It was only the next morning that we realised that they hadn't charged us for the second bottle anyway! At least we'd left a decent tip...

keithyno.1

newkitchenfund wrote: »

My DH and I had a lovely meal out once, and ordered a second bottle of wine of which we only drank half. We settled the bill and asked for a cork so we could take the remaining half-bottle home with us, which the restaurant happily gave us. It was only the next morning that we realised that they hadn't charged us for the second bottle anyway! At least we'd left a decent tip...

Nice one, newkitchenfund!! I bet that half-bottle of wine seemed particularly sweet and pleasing to the palate!!!!!

pennypinchUK

Yes, of course - it's yours, you've paid for it. Simplest "dilemma" ever!

Corelli

Well of course, it is yours. But my regular dining companion takes the view that it is more the done thing to leave it for the kitchen staff to drink. I was surprised, having picked up the bottle and my coat and bag

booter

I'm glad for the clarification of the legal position as I've always taken half full (optimist you see )bottles home, except on one occasion. There was an offer at my local Cantonese restaurant, where you got a free bottle of wine for every 2 diners. We were a party of 6, with only 3 wine drinkers. So with full bellies, we just couldn't fully manage the last bottle (despite our best efforts ) I asked for the cork, and was told (quite forcefully) that I couldn't take the half full bottle as it was against the law. After a fairly lengthy debate, my (by now) mortified friends/family "persuaded" me to leave it. So it appears that legally, there should have been no objection. :mad: And I'm of the opinion that this "free" bottle was mine to take. Am I right?

gaving7095

Why wouldn't you?
Be sure to get a cork & keep it in the boot of the car 'cause having open alcohol in the passenger compartment could get you in trouble :-S

jackyann

Corelli wrote: »

Well of course, it is yours. But my regular dining companion takes the view that it is more the done thing to leave it for the kitchen staff to drink. I was surprised, having picked up the bottle and my coat and bag

I think there might be a difference between generations, and maybe your companion is either a bit older, or was taught these manners by someone older!
My father thought this was the done thing - from a time when dining out ( at least at a place that sold wine) was relatively rare for most people; drinking wine at home was limited to invalids and Italians; and "outdoor beer houses" would have a very small number of wines, usually kept for if the local doctor hadn't had a delivery from his merchant.
I once met a man who was head wine waiter at the Savoy in the 30s, and certainly they expected the wine to come back into the kitchen, but think of the clientele they had!

I think in modern society, taking it home is expected, and I also doubt that these days, the kitchen staff would get to drink it! Maybe someone will enlighten us!

tabbycat

My husband can no longer drink alcohol for medical reasons, so when we eat out I just have a glass of wine. Once in a while we go to a local pub on their Steak Night, when the deal includes a bottle of wine - after I've had my glass of wine, we reseal the bottle and take it home. No-one has ever objected or made any kind of fuss. Maybe that's because it's a pub, I don't know if I'd feel comfortable doing this in a more upmarket restaurant.

tabbycat

jackyann wrote: »

I think there might be a difference between generations, and maybe your companion is either a bit older, or was taught these manners by someone older

My husband and I are recently retired and I don't think it's anything to do with manners. I think it would be worse to drink the whole bottle and then behave in a drunken manner.