Correct wine etiquette when hosting an informal dinner?!

Correct wine etiquette when hosting an informal dinner?

We have been out for dinner to 3 people's houses in the past month, and each time we take a nice mid-priced bottle of wine. On all three occasions during the evening the hosts have brought out another bottle they already had, and put ours away. Once we went back to one couple's house (again taking a bottle of wine) and they brought out the bottle of wine we had taken last week (and put our new bottle away)!

If I was hosting a dinner evening I would immediately open the bottle of wine my guests had brought, assuming that is the wine they prefer and would like to drink here.

So my question is: What is the etiquette relating to this? The selection of wine for the particular meal isn't the issue as usually we are drinking rum & cokes, black russians, beer and other stuff as well.

Thanks

There is no formal etiquette in this issue.

It is pretty much up to the host.

Since most of my friends drink wines, we all host and attend wine dinners all the time. It depends on the occasion and the discretion of the host.

When I have my wine tasting dinner, it is expected there the wines that are brought to the tasting will be drank there and then. It is not to be kept by me or anyone else other than the person bringing it. That is my rule, and it is working well after 2 years of monthly wine tasting.

When I have my birthday party, which is not a formal wine tasting dinner, I usually keep the nicer wines and serve the cheaper stuff. I consider those wines as my gifts, and many of my friends go out of the way to get the really nice stuff for me. They are meant to be cellared.

When my friends have party, they usually look at the wine and the occasion. If a wine is too young, it would be foolish to open. It a wine is too expensive or too cheap for the occasion, then we would not open that. Also, if the host has ordered a bunch of wines ready to be served, then the wines that the guests bring probably will not be opened, unless the host himself decides to open them.

Usually when I go to a party and bring my own wine, I make it clear to the host that this is the wine I expect to drink if that is my intention. Personally, I don't like to start a wine party with leftover wines that has already been opened and drank before the party, but that is just personal preference.

Chilling wine is easy and quick and makes no bearing on whether we open the wine or not. It can be done by placing the wine in refrigerator or even freezer for a short period.