Aperitifs

Old Jul 27th 2011, 8:26 pm
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Default Aperitifs

We have not been here long and have been invited for aperitifs by our French neighbours on Friday. Can anyone tell me what the likely start time is, as my other half is on the17.30 plane an hours drive away! We are in a small village in the Charente
Thanks for help
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Old Jul 27th 2011, 10:11 pm
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Default Re: Aperitifs

Originally Posted by bigglesworth
We have not been here long and have been invited for aperitifs by our French neighbours on Friday. Can anyone tell me what the likely start time is, as my other half is on the17.30 plane an hours drive away! We are in a small village in the Charente
Thanks for help
In our experience it has been 6.00 or 6.30 sometimes with an endless stream of nibbles which can last for several hours.
I think that it can vary depending on the hosts and what the local custon is.
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 5:58 am
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Default Re: Aperitifs

Originally Posted by bigglesworth
We have not been here long and have been invited for aperitifs by our French neighbours on Friday. Can anyone tell me what the likely start time is, as my other half is on the17.30 plane an hours drive away! We are in a small village in the Charente
Thanks for help
I'd ask them! At the same time, tell them your OH won't be home before such a time (17h30 is the departure or arrival time?). If they're inviting other neighbours, they won't be waiting around for you to turn up.
Have a nice apéro!
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 6:39 am
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Default Re: Aperitifs

.. and don't take any wine ...
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 7:01 am
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Default Re: Aperitifs

Thanks all for help.

I have knocked on the door, but they work very strange hours. I will try again tonight.

Several hours of nibbles!
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 8:37 am
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Default Re: Aperitifs

Originally Posted by cjm
.. and don't take any wine ...
is taking wine a no-no then?
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 8:51 am
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Default Re: Aperitifs

Originally Posted by wetwang
is taking wine a no-no then?
We had some french neighbours in for aperitifs last week and they brought wine. - One lot did and the other didn't.
We are now on first name terms with them although we havn't progressed to tutoyer
I think that the rules in french society are changing - slowly The golf club is all tutoyer and bises (with the women!) and first name terms with the neighbours (some of) after a couple of years.
I think that it also depends - in part on the generation.
Your neighbours have held out a hand of friendship and that is a good sign.
good luck
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 10:02 am
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Default Re: Aperitifs

I think it's very nice that the French neighbours invited you , aperitifs , whatever ;
where I live , I've been invited ( and I went ) for drinks , lunches , BBQs , dinners , coffees , cakes , snacks...by Italians , Norwegians , Hungarians , English , Germans , Austrians , Swiss , Swedes , Finns , Croats , Americans and others - but in all my 12 years here , never yet once by a local ( Belgian ) .
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 10:50 am
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Default Re: Aperitifs

Originally Posted by wetwang
is taking wine a no-no then?
No need to take anything for an apéro - it'll be your turn soon to invite everyone!
Even for a dinner invitation from French neighbours, I'd hesitate to take a bottle of wine. They'll have decided on what to drink and might feel obliged to open your bottle even if it doesn't go with the meal and/or isn't to their taste.
This comes from experience before I married a Frenchman and learnt all the pros and cons!
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 12:25 pm
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Default Re: Aperitifs

Originally Posted by dmu
No need to take anything for an apéro - it'll be your turn soon to invite everyone!
Even for a dinner invitation from French neighbours, I'd hesitate to take a bottle of wine. They'll have decided on what to drink and might feel obliged to open your bottle even if it doesn't go with the meal and/or isn't to their taste.
This comes from experience before I married a Frenchman and learnt all the pros and cons!
I agree that taking wine (or anything else) is not generally necessary when invited for an aperitive - or a pair of teeth as our young son used to say!

However if invited around to neighbours for lunch or dinner I would never ever turn up without a reasonable bottle of wine - never table wine or especially BIB.
When we've had neighbours here for the first time, they too have usually brought a bottle - or flowers (for Mme TweedP).
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 1:03 pm
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Default Re: Aperitifs

when our new neighbours came round for apero at our invitation for the first time they brought no alcohol but a couple of gifts of some foie gras and some jam; however I had given them a small hello from us before hand
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 1:18 pm
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Default Re: Aperitifs

Originally Posted by Tweedpipe
never table wine or especially BIB.
When we've had neighbours here for the first time, they too have usually brought a bottle - or flowers (for Mme TweedP).
Please , teach me , what a BIB is !
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 1:37 pm
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Default Re: Aperitifs

Bag in a box. Always a no no. Enjoy your first aperitif. I'm with the others here. No need to take a gift to an aperitif. If you get invited to dinner, then flowers and chocolates are always appreciated, and I find that anything you have made yourselves, such as biscuits or jam, is always really well received.
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 1:45 pm
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Default Re: Aperitifs

Thanxxxx!
Bag in a box , do you mean : a box of wine ? ( like the 3 l usual carton with the wine in silver foil inside , very popular in some counties I know ) ?
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Old Jul 28th 2011, 2:07 pm
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Default Re: Aperitifs

That's the one.
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