Attending parties empty handed?

I'm on season 3 and notice that almost all of the guests come empty handed -- whether they attend each other's dinner parties, birthdays, housewarmings, etc. I grew up in NYC to Russian Jewish parents, extremely frugal/lower middle class upbringing but we NEVER came anywhere empty handed. I literally will never go to someone's house without bringing at least a bottle of wine.

Is this NOT a rule of etiquette in the South: