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Tipping Etiquette

When asking a sommelier for a wine recommendation with a meal, is it appropriate to tip the sommelier? If so, is it a separate tip from the server? Thanks
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW

I suppose the answer really depends on how you feel. It is not the standard approach to tip the sommelier, but if you have been given exceptional advice with the right attitude, why not? This is particularly true if the wine you drank was very expensive. The worst that can happen is that you will be seen as an appreciative and generous customer!


About Our Expert

Roger has enjoyed a lengthy career in the wine trade as an importer and retailer, and at present he is an educator, speaker and consultant. He set up and managed Millesima USA, a New York merchant affiliated with a leading European company. Previously, he served as senior executive of importers Frederick Wildman & Sons. In recent years, Roger has judged wine competitions in Argentina, Turkey, Portugal, China and the U.S. Roger is one of America's first Masters of Wine.

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