Last night she came home and spent the night drinking from her usual water bottle. It was only later at bed time that I noticed she had stashed an empty wine bottle on a shelf (of all the places to hide it this was the most stupid) and that she had poured the bottle into her water bottle to drink, as if I wouldn't notice!
My mum does similar.
She hides a glass of wine in the back of the fridge and secretly sips it throughout the day.
The problem is she starts visiting the fridge every 3 seconds which is strange behaviour.
As she sneak's more sips she gets more drunk and replacing the glass becomes noisier and more noticeable. She is not as slick at it.
When this happens she moves the glass to behind a photograph frame in the kitchen.
Then she stays in the kitchen cleaning and washing up and tidying.
She thinks we don't know. However she does not realise that it is strange to have family over then her spend most of the time in the kitchen, not interacting, secretly drinking. Or so she thinks. We sit in the living room without her hearing the fridge open every 30 seconds saying to each other "lots like mum has hidden a glass of wine in the fridge again"
I did call her out on it.
I wasn't aggressive but I said mum why not just bring the glass of wine you are drinking from into the living room. I've driven for over an hour to see you as its Easter/Christmas/my birthday and you have spent 90% of the time hidden in the kitchen.
Have you spoken to your wife about her drinking?
There are ways to speak that can make it an easier conversation to have if you are worried or don't know where to start.
Do you mind me asking how long you have been married?
Has it always been like this?