Ethics are one of the big grey areas that we in our wine community rarely talk about. The rules are not defined and one must determine for themselves where they set the standard. Below are a series of scenarios. There are no right or wrong answers… although some of the extremes would certainly get you fired and/or ostracized from the sommelier community.
Drinking on the Job
As sommeliers, it is obvious that we always taste wine; mostly it is on the clock. That is the part of our work that seems to be the most glamorous to the general public. Lord knows, we have all worked with chefs that drink during service. But how far do you personally go?
a. Only taste before service and always spit
b. Smell check when opening bottles during service and only taste when a bottle is questionable
c. Taste every bottle you open all night long- just enough to check it (and hold a light buzz)
d. Only drink at work when it is an extremely stressful shift
e. Start drinking once the last table has been seated
f. Start drinking once the first table has been seated
Buying allocated wine for yourself
This has to be one of the most hotly contested ethical issues. I have heard every argument in the book as to why this should or should not be done. On the one side, some sommeliers feel that this is a perk to the job. Others do it to hold the restaurants allocation in dry years. Wine makers loathe this practice for obvious reasons and restaurant owners would probably want the first right to take the wines, rather than the sommelier. Which of the following have you done?
a. Allocated wines are for the restaurant only. If we are not in the position to take them, we pass.
b. Occasionally I will buy valuable wines from the restaurant, but only for my own collection
c. If the restaurant can’t keep a pricy allocation, I will sell it to a collector for a profit that goes directly to the restaurant
d. I buy rare wines that are earmarked for the restaurant and sell them to collectors for my own profit
e. I sometimes take cases of cheap wine that I would never normally serve at the restaurant so that I can get a couple bottles of something valuable that I buy for myself
Refusing service to guests
Lets face it: we work in the booze business and nightly our guests drink way more than they should. But it is also our job to sell it to them. Do you ever say no? I am sure that every one of you has had the following dilemmas during service. Which of these situations would keep you from serving?
a. a guest orders an expensive bottle of champagne for their daughters 16th birthday dinner. It is presumed that she will be drinking it with them (you know, because the Krug Rose comes in such a cute box…)
b. A regular guest and his date come in for dinner. They are clearly drunk. They sit at the bar and order two rounds of martinis before sitting down. Once they have sat, clearly hammered, they order two bottles of wine.
c. A VIP of the restaurant and her friend have just finished their second bottle of wine. They order a third and you know that they are driving. The third bottle is $300.
Entitlement to the cellar: Opening wines that belong to the restaurant
So, your cost is not just in line, and perhaps it is even low. This gives you room to do some cool things. A couple bottles of wine will never be missed. Which of the following have you/would you do:
a. Nothing. The additional profit belongs solely to the owners
b. Open some fun wines that are a little pricy to pour for VIPs in the restaurant (of course this way you can taste it too)
c. Open something great for your sommelier friends that happen to come by the restaurant after work
d. Open wine to share with the staff at the end of the night
e. Take a bottle out of the cellar to an industry function
f. Take a bottle of wine home
Perks from suppliers and wineries
Wine representatives use every resource they have to get us to buy their wine. At what point are you beholden to that brand? And if your list placements have been bought, is that problematic for you?
a. I never take meals, wine, or money.
b. I let wineries take me out to lunch or dinner
c. I go on wine trips, but only when they are sponsored by a group (Wines of Argentina) rather than a winery (Catena)
d. I will go on any free trip that comes my way- even if it means that I will be supporting that brand in the future.
e. Sometimes I get a free magnum of wine when I purchase a couple cases for the restaurant. It is the only reason I ordered the wine, and I take that magnum home
f. A rep friend of mine gets a commission on every case of a specific wine that I order. They split their commission with me
g. A supplier discreetly gives me a check for all of my by the glass placements that come from them
I have encountered every one of these scenarios and have determined where my own ethical boundaries lie. Isn’t it about time that as a community we discuss what that code of ethics should be?
Since you asked for it, I'll give you the other end of the spectrum:
I find nothing wrong with having a shot of fernet before or during service to calm the nerves. I find it takes the edge off, and allows me to be more personable with guests. Overall I sell more wine, provide a more relaxed and inviting style of service, and it makes me far more optimistic when dealing with my kitchen. Which, God knows, is like pulling teeth sometimes.
My feeling on buying allocated wines boils down to the timing. If the restaurant passes on buying certain allocated wines and the wines come back around during an "open call", I say go for it. This recession has shown ten times over that even the most highly prized wines are not selling out like they used to. If there is some kicking around after the first round, why not take some for yourself? After all, every other restaurant, including yours, has already gotten first dibs. I don't see why distributors wouldn't rather make the sale than not. Does it do the winery any good to have unsold product sitting in a warehouse? No.
Serving guests is easy. If they're drunk, cut them off. If they're 16 with their parents blessing, turn a blind eye when they let her take a sip. After all, isn't demonizing alcohol consumtion the reason so many rebellious teenagers do it in excess? Look at the Eurpoean model of alcohol consumption and compare it to the number of teen drinking incidents in the United States every year.
"Borrowing" from the cellar. I draw the line here when it becomes about enjoyment. If I'm blind tasting with an accurate and acceptable wine cost, I'll take a bottle here or there to use. If my friends come and sit at the bar then I give them one of my bottles. Since I'm at work so often I find it easier just to keep some bottles from my personal cellar at work. This gives me a steady stream of interersting wines that I can give my friends when they come in so no one has to get a bill and the restuarant doesn't have to cover my enteratainment expense. I feel this is a fair trade off. Also, I feel the sheer number of non-financial sacrifices we all make for our companies more than balances out what little wine we would open under reasonable circumstances.
Shockingly, the biggest issue for me is recieving perks from vendors. I feel very uncomfortable visiting wineries or accepting lunches from brands I don't currently support, or don't plan on supporting in the near future. If I have an existing relationship or friendship with a supplier who wants to take me to lunch, I'll let him. I won't go to a Dom Perignon lunch unless my restaurant carries about twelve bottling on the list and poured it by the glass for the holiday season, which we did / do. I feel that's a fair trade off.
Like everything else in life, it's about balance. If all you do is abuse power and take advantage of every situation for your personal gain, then you have a serious moral hiccup. However, if like me, you have the self control to indulge in a morally questionable perk without making it your modus operandi, then power to the people.
Warmest regards and no regrets,
Johnny Slamon