Wrap your wine bottle to avoid a festive faux pas this Christmas

WITH the Christmas party season now firmly upon us, most polite guests will be armed and ready with a smile, some pleasant conversation, and a good bottle of plonk.

However, their efforts may not be enough to impress, according to the etiquette experts at Debrett’s, who say that turning up to parties with an unwrapped bottle is bad practice.

Instead, the guide states that guests should make the effort to wrap bottles of wine or bubbly in paper, bring it in a gift bag, or both.

This year’s version of the Debrett’s Christmas gifting guide says: “Wrapping paper or a gift bag can transform your present of food or wine from practical contribution to thoughtful gift – while also enabling the recipient to keep track of who gave what.”

If you happen to be the host receiving a bottle, the guide advises that it is perfectly acceptable to open and serve it the same night.

“Try not to betray your dismay that the vintage champagne you brought is being lavished on undiscerning palates when you were expecting it to be saved for a special occasion,” says the guide.

Guests shouldn’t feel offended either way, but those who don’t want their wine to be consumed on the night should tactically bring it unchilled, it suggests. When it comes to chocolates and sweets, experts at Debrett’s say there is no need for wrapping, because confectionery often comes beautifully packaged anyway.

“Save yourself from paper cuts and Sellotape. Just be sure the recipient isn’t diabetic, or on a diet,” it says.

The guide was designed to show people where they were getting it right and wrong over the Christmas period,

‘Wrapping paper can transform your present from practical contribution to thoughtful gift’

with half (56 per cent) of the population saying they feel unsure about festive social etiquette.

The guide also warns against posting pictures of presents on Instagram, a social disgrace committed by about three million people every Christmas.

“As tempting as it may be to share a photograph of your Christmas haul on Instagram or Snapchat, gloat with caution: you don’t want others to feel that their day doesn’t match up to yours,” says the guide.

Another hidden peril with posting about presents is the potential to “out” a stealthy “re-gifter” if the photograph in question is spotted by the person who originally gave it to them.