Philadelphia Eagles Sure Do Drink Well

WINE TALK
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Peter, there are plenty of factors that can change…but I think this explanation you chose clarifies your views and how you see things clearer for me. To answer your question…I’d probably tip in a similar fassion. Maybe I tipped 30 or 40% the first night because the server was excellent and I really was pleased…and on the second night when I got the exact same service I’d drop my tip to 20% but it could come out to a similar sized tip. For me, tipping is always impacted by my mood. So there’s no clear-cut way to say I would ABSOLUTELY do it a specific way each time. Each time I’m responding to a new situation.

So to answer your final question…I think I do tip for better wine experiences (when they happen). I think I always tip for the experience. However, I’m not going to blankly apply a set percentage for something that is always going to be a different experience. Each time I eat out the server has an opportunity to make the experience unforgettable. If they do…I do everything in my power to make sure that they understand my appreciation for that…but I’m not going to pay an additional percentage to a server because I want to drink more expensive wine.

My haircut in Portland, ME costs $16 and I give the guy $20. My haircut in Bangor, ME costs $17 and I have the guy $20. In both instances I’m paying the same price for the same service…but the guy in Portland is getting a higher percentage tip…my limit for hair cuts is $20. If the price were to go up to $20 I’d stop leaving a tip…is that right? Probably not…but it’s honest.

I do tip more (%) to diner waitresses/servers because they tend to have lower prices. In fine dining I’m always going to follow my mood…I’ve almost NEVER had poor service in fine dining…and I probably would tip more on more expensive meals.

My stance on not tipping a server for a wine experience is largely because (in my mind) the server has minimal to do that impacts the wine. However, I will say that if a server were to say to me, “We have an open bottle of BLANK:(DRC, and other rare gems go here) in the back. Would you like a small pour?” I would absolutely account for the value of the experience and increase my tip appropriately. IE: '82 Lafite is on the list for $1900 and I get a small 1-2oz. pour the waiter is going to get an extra $100 on their tip. Does that clarrify how I look at tipping?

If I have to ask for water, my tip goes down.
If I have to argue or see management about a corked bottle, my tip goes down.
If my dining experience is somehow enhanced or something uncommon/special occurs then my tip goes up dramatically.
If the server turns me onto a new wine I’ve never heard of and I love the wine…the tip goes up dramatically.

My ex wife and I were flying from Los Angeles to Bangor about 10 years ago…the total trip took us about 39 hours due to delays, re-routing, and planes breaking down…at the 14 hour mark we finally made it into Las Vegas for a 10 hour layover. We were both cranky, exhausted, and emotionally drained. We went to NY, NY and ate at one of ther restaurants. We both ordered seperate dishes but my wife didn’t like hers. So I swapped with her as she liked mine. Our server noticed this and asked if everything was ok. I explained and she re-fired my dish to make sure we both got what we wanted. Our server recommended a bottle of wine we both loved, brought us an app we didn’t order to snack on while we were waiting on the re-fire of our main courses…it was just plain awesome service. With booze & food the total bill was maybe $130. I left $250 and thanked her for the wonderful service…

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So what is the range of tipping practices in Europe 0 to 30 euros? A comparison of total compensation,would be useful.

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I learned this the hard way, and now bring cash to tip the sommelier. If we are doing a BYO dinner, this is a necessity, otherwise the next time you come, you will feel the hostility.

Getting back to the tip pool though, the IRS figures that waiters get a certain percentage of the total bill. If the bill is more expensive because there are some four figure wines on it, and the waiter is not tipped accordingly, he is likely to lose money.

44

Kirk,
Trying to remove all the variables so we can just get to the meat of the matter.

First Example. - Normal day, Good restaurant, good experience, good wines, dinner for 6 people, all main course were chicken, bill was $700 total, and you’ll tip $245 (an average of the 30-40% you put above)

Second Example - Normal day, Good restaurant, good experience, good wines, dinner for 6 people, main course was the A5 steak covered in white truffles. Bill was $2,200 and in this example you will tip $440.

Is this correct? And in this example you feel identically about the server. The amount of work they did, the ‘help’ they gave you. They pitched the products in the identical way, just one day you felt like chicken and the other day you felt like A5 Steak and white truffles

See, my guess is this is not correct. You’re going to tip 20% on the first dinner and 20% on the second dinner. You’re going to give the server $140 the first night and $440 the second night, where they did the same work. So again, why is this the case with food but not the case with wine? Why is it the norm to pay servers more when we upscale the food but not the wine?

And even if you do pay them differently, the nominal amount changes meaningfully for the same work. Why $250 the first night and $450 the second night?

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Peter, your examples sound plausable to me…so why food & not wine?

Because I see tipping as something that is a reflection of my gratitude. That’s not something that makes sense to me to slap a flat % on every time (or it’s no longer a reflection of my gratitude). Why food not wine? Because I can go buy the wine at a wine store…I probably can’t make the food I’m buying at home at the same level as fine dining. That’s why I see a difference between the oatmeal I order at a diner and the 5 course meal I order at fine dining. Does that clear up my stance a little? Peter, you have great inquiries, and they all make sense. I can absolutely see why you don’t see a difference between tipping on food and wine.