> In Europe there would definitely be an expectation that alcohol would be provided [...] It would also be expected that guests bring a bottle of wine or flowers or something to that effect.

Nope. I was born and grew up in Germany. My parents have friends in France and Italy whose kids and whos families I grew up with.

I am regularly in Italy and France still but also other parts of Europe, particularly the south and Scandinavia and I have friends everywhere on this continent so dinner invitations when traveling are frequent.

My experience over 40 years of this contradicts what you say.