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Ok, I should maybe clarify the whole wine thing. If I'm eating at our local Chili’s or Roadhouse grill and order a beer or a glass of wine, of course I'm going to include that in the tip, and I usually leave about 20% if the service was good.
But when I eat at the French Laundry in Napa, or at Water Grill here in LA, I'm going to spend $60-100 per person for dinner before tax and wine. 20% of that is more than adequate for the wait staff. Assuming I'm there with a party of 4 that's $80 for them to split however they need to.
Wine is probably going to be another $60-100, depending on their selection and what was ordered. If I am familiar with their wine list and feel comfortable pairing up a bottle, then I won't ask for the sommelier. If the sommelier helps me out and does a particularly good job selecting a wine, then I'm going to tip him for his expertise and service, usually 10-15% of the wine bill.
But here’s the word on it from the expert, and should be remembered by people who are in the service industry:
“Tipping is a recognition of excellent service, not an obligation on the part of the person served. A tip should be accepted, not expected.” – Nina Zagat (Zagat Survey)
-sm
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