I’m new to the world of wine and wasn't sure if it's appropriate to tip my wine supplier. I recently made some large purchases of hard to obtain 2005 Bordeaux, only to leave with the question of whether or not tipping is appropriate. I'm interested to hear other people's opinion about the subject, if they tip and what guidelines they use.

I have never tipped anyone who got wine for me, but I have also never paid anyone to find me wine. If there is something I really want I'll put in the effort to see if it is obtainable and how. If this is a situaion where you paid someone to find you the wine and he did, I would say tipping is deffinitely not necessary, but might be appropriate.

When I worked in the wine industry, I was always tipped when I provided a service (eg. hosted a wine tasting or tutorial) but almost never simply for selling someone some wine he already knew he wanted, no matter how rare the was.

NO !!!!!!!!!

This thing with tips is really out of hand. At one point Americans disdained tips - they were reminiscent of the European nobles throwing a few farthings to the peasants and were un-American. Then restaurants started in. OK. Then porters, bellboys, then hairdressers, taxi cab drivers, and then even mailmen and paper boys. Enough! Everyone has a hand out. You pay a lot for wine. No tips!

seriously! but you had me at "NO !!!!!!!!!"!

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Originally posted by GregT:
NO !!!!!!!!!

This thing with tips is really out of hand. At one point Americans disdained tips - they were reminiscent of the European nobles throwing a few farthings to the peasants and were un-American. Then restaurants started in. OK. Then porters, bellboys, then hairdressers, taxi cab drivers, and then even mailmen and paper boys. Enough! Everyone has a hand out. You pay a lot for wine. No tips!

I tip strippers. If a stripper found the wine for you, sure go ahead.

hummmm....now confusion sets in...

as kelly bundy once said, "it bobbles the mind"....

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Originally posted by Stefania Wine:
I tip strippers. If a stripper found the wine for you, sure go ahead.

I'd tip Kelly Bundy too.

The old-young one, not the one now who used to play her.

If my supplier had strippers, I would visit more often, and probably buy more stuff.

Tipping a wine supplier would be uncharted territory for me. Unless it wa a female who brought the wine to my condo, opened it for me, and then proceeded to perform other services as well.

Sooooo, it sounds like this has happened before?

quote:

Originally posted by mpls wine guy:
Tipping a wine supplier would be uncharted territory for me. Unless it wa a female who brought the wine to my condo, opened it for me, and then proceeded to perform other services as well.

quote:

Originally posted by mpls wine guy:
Tipping a wine supplier would be uncharted territory for me. Unless it wa a female who brought the wine to my condo, opened it for me, and then proceeded to perform other services as well.

That wouldn't be tipping. It would be prostitution which I suspect is the only way you'd get serviced.

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Originally posted by wineismylife:

quote:

Originally posted by mpls wine guy:
Tipping a wine supplier would be uncharted territory for me. Unless it wa a female who brought the wine to my condo, opened it for me, and then proceeded to perform other services as well.

That wouldn't be tipping. It would be prostitution which I suspect is the only way you'd get serviced.

Never. Your supplier is already making their commision or profit off of acquiring the goods for you. I agree with GregT about how tipping has gotten out of control. It seems that people will not just do their jobs without you tipping them anymore. I tip service people who only make around $3.77/hour and must be compensated in order to make a descent wage (servers, bar tenders, etc...) The deli person at the local sub place who makes minimum wage and above gets the spare change from the purchase in the cup. I really wish restaurants here in the states would go the european route and include the service charge in the cost of the meal (without hiding the fact that the service charge is included).