When taking a bottle of wine into a restaurant is it traditional to leave any wine left in the bottle for the staff?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
I would say that there is no prevailing etiquette when it comes to bringing wine to a restaurant, and practices vary considerably depending upon the establishment and local regulations. Many restaurateurs, for good reason, have strict policies prohibiting employees from consuming alcoholic beverages on the premises, or accepting such a gift from a customer. I completely understand, however, your instinct to share with the staff, so you could always ask to speak directly to the manager or owner to verify the policy. Or, instead of leaving wine, you could simply increase the tip by some amount, not necessarily a percentage but an arbitrary figure reflecting the quality of service ($10 or $20, for example). Special care such as decanting should boost the amount. Cash, in other words, is an easier reward than wine and always welcome by service staff.
