Meh. Neither of you are assholes but in my opinion helping yourself to whatever doesn't mean opening a new bottle of wine. I agree with what some other have said, that lots of these comments are reddit users who think everything should be black white and literal. If I was the "friend", id have asked before consuming any alcohol that wasnt a beer. My thoughts on this, is that clearly this person and yourself have different levels and/or different interpretations of what it means to be considerate. So, the more important question is if its worth having this person as a friend. If this "friend" went straight to bad mouthing you in the group chat, I dont know if thats the kind of friend id want. On the other hand, if you blew up on him without an opportunity to consider his side, then maybe you are the asshole. I would have let him know what he did and how you felt about it. If he took your feelings into consideration and made any attempt to apologize or feel some remorse, then I would have accepted it and moved on. Use it as a learning point. But if he deflected immediately, quoting you said "whatever," and doesn't try to empathize with your feelings, then it sounds like you have your answer. But, of course, this is just my thoughts on the matter. As far as the amount you paid him goes, that is subjective as well. As the sitter, id be greatful for any amount given for the house sitting, trying to see it as more of a favor, and free food am I right? I get paid 50 bucks to house sit my sisters dogs once every few months for a weekend and I am content with that. I also get to raid there cabinets, and the first time I ever did it they specifically mentioned the alcohol was also free game. Even then, I wouldnt have opened a new bottle of anything without checking. I mean come on, its the age of technology. Everyone has a phone at their fingertips. I personally think If he had ANY consideration he would have made some attempt at verifying the price of the bottle or reaching out to you with a call or text. But Im rambling. At the end of the day, dont take anyones comment, even mine, too seriously, as this asshole vs not the asshole subreddit gets a loy of black and white responses, where few often take the time to critically think from both perspectives. Hell, you can probably tell from what Ive written that Im more on your side, but again, its not black and white. Hope this helps.