Tipping your Host on a Paid Tasting

On to my 100th thread re: my first Napa trip newhere

We have 4 tastings planned for next week, all with tasting fees, with fees ranging from $45 to $85 a person. I assume it is proper etiquette to give a tip to our host/guide if we are pleased with the experience? If so, what is customary? $5 a person? $10 a person? No tip since I’m paying for the experience?

I figure a tip makes sense as the host/guide won’t see much of the tasting fee, just wanted to see what proper etiquette is

I’m not gonna tip on top of a tasting fee. Sorry, not sorry.

If the host/guide owns the business, or would not seem to depend centrally on tips as income, I would not tip.

Not sure what you mean by host/guide.

For the four tastings (I assume at wineries) I wouldn’t tip. I’ve tasted at many wineries and these don’t usually feel like tipping moments. If I like the wine, I buy a bottle. If I like it a lot, I buy more.

If you’ve hired a guide who is accompanying you or driving you around, then I’d definitely tip that person.

Rarely do people tip the staff here at the winery. When they do it’s almost awkward as there is no expectation of tipping occurring. I would presume this to be commonplace. Don’t worry about it. If you feel someone had gone to extraordinary lengths then go ahead and tip them but don’t feel any pressure.

as someone who hosts tastings on a daily basis, i’d say this:

tipping is never expected, and is always appreciated.

Yea I’ve never thought that tipping was expected in this setting, but with memorable tastings, I have done things like send my host a special bottle of wine. Did that not too long ago at one CA winery that hosted me for a couple of hours and popped a lot of additional, and mature bottles. It wasn’t like I over-stayed the welcome, it was a slow day at their winery and things just naturally evolved. The host was a Francophile, and we talked about French wine and comparisons, so I sent him a bottle of something he had never tried.

Paul, are there tip amounts that are so low you consider them insulting?


Separately, I would not tip in this scenario unless I felt I was getting special treatment above and beyond the experience I paid for, and even then my appreciation would more likely be expressed by and through purchases. But, that is coming from a guy who would like to see this country move away from tipping and towards paying folks living wages.

In my experience depends on the winery. The larger, corporate owned wineries can treat their tasting rooms like bars. As a result I’ve seen a tip line on the credit card signature slip.

insulting? no, not really. if a guest feels compelled to tip any amount i’m going to say “thank you” and assume it was because they enjoyed the experience. and like you referenced: i agree that purchases > gratuity in a traditional tasting room/seated/tour situation.

in my experience, those who want to tip will often ask if it’s alright to do so (since we choose not to have a tip line on the receipt) when checking out, and the large majority of those guests are visiting from outside of CA.

ITB folks tend to be the most generous when it comes to gratuities, even when making a purchase they’ll often throw a few bucks on the bar or slip it into a handshake goodbye. personally, when i go out tasting i’ll make sure to tip the host as there is typically a comp or discount on purchase involved. i see it as a courtesy between fellow winery employees. $5 or $10 is enough for a beer after work and that’s cool imo.

In my years of tastings I have never done it and never felt that it was customary or expected.

Thanks for the opinions everyone! I’d rather ask beforehand than make an awkward situation for myself lol

I always assumed the staff at tasting rooms earned some type of commission - unless of course they were the owner?

Only in the United States is this even a question.

Depends on the winery and their structure. Many hourly employees receive a commission based on club signups. Management might get a % of net sales or commissions based on sales goal achievements. There’s really no “standard” due to the myriad of winery operation setups.

Agreed.

I just follow whatever the local custom may be. In the US, to my mind, the general default setting is to tip, moreso for good service. What I get confused with is when the one showing/taking me around is a winery “higher-up” or owner. In my culture, offering/giving such person a tip would be considered an insult. Am unsure what such case would be in the US.

Pay with a credit card. If the add a tip window comes up then decide. I would say yes but I like tipping so that is my answer.

This.

bingo [winner.gif]