What’s the most egregious thing you have seen done while serving wine?

[Anton_D]

1. I watched two politicians formulate a tax bill while they were drinking wine.

2. In 1975, I was ’forced’ to add Seven Up and ice to a 1966 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo Langhe-Barbaresco in a restaurant/bar I worked in. After the owner watched me make the first glass, he went off to do something and I switched to the house Chianti for the spritzers and a friend and I drank the Gaja. Looking at it from an ethics point of view, I don’t know who was in the wrong- the owner or the customer.

[NED_VALOIS]

Wine dinner at a friend’s home, blind tasting, we all brought the usual great Cabs & Bordeauxs, the host served his and after we all could not name it, he explained it was a cheap cab that he had added some Grey Goose Vodka and put it in a blender !!!
No one liked it !

[mike_pobega]

I have seen someone pour from the dump-decanter (many varietals mixed) and taste what was believed to be Lafite. Unreal.

[Tom_G_l_a_s_g_o_w]

1. I watched two politicians formulate a tax bill while they were drinking wine.

2. In 1975, I was ’forced’ to add Seven Up and ice to a 1966 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo Langhe-Barbaresco in a restaurant/bar I worked in. After the owner watched me make the first glass, he went off to do something and I switched to the house Chianti for the spritzers and a friend and I drank the Gaja. Looking at it from an ethics point of view, I don’t know who was in the wrong- the owner or the customer.

Certainly not you and your conspirator. You’re older than I thought, but certainly no wiser.

[David_Glasser]

Took an 82 Haut Brion to a restaurant. Was taken away to decant and mistakenly served to another table.

[LMD_Ermitano]

Glasses lined up for a decent $30ish white wine. Hostess drops an ice cube in each glass and pours

I first saw similar done in a home of some wealthy doctor in the US. It was April or May 1985 - I was in college, just turned 18, visiting the US for my summer break (summer break in the Philippines is April/May). The host was a successful doctor from the Philippines who migrated to the US. Wealthy neighbourhood, large garden with a long, circling driveway - whereat his cars (multiple mercedes benzes and Porsches) were conspicuously parked.

Anyway, the party was a catered affair. I went to the bar and asked the bartender for a glass of white wine. She asked me “So you want some ice in it?” I was puzzled; and responded “You put ice in wine?” She answered “Most people like it that way.” I found that very strange.

[Anton_D]

1. I watched two politicians formulate a tax bill while they were drinking wine.

2. In 1975, I was ’forced’ to add Seven Up and ice to a 1966 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo Langhe-Barbaresco in a restaurant/bar I worked in. After the owner watched me make the first glass, he went off to do something and I switched to the house Chianti for the spritzers and a friend and I drank the Gaja. Looking at it from an ethics point of view, I don’t know who was in the wrong- the owner or the customer.

Certainly not you and your conspirator. You’re older than I thought, but certainly no wiser.

I was 15. It was Nevada.

[Ryan_Haskett]

Took an 82 Haut Brion to a restaurant. Was taken away to decant and mistakenly served to another table.

I’m curious what the restaurant/server did after they made this mistake

[Craig_G]

Somm gripped the bottle of Burgundy between his upper thighs in order to free both hands to remove the cork. I’ve stopped letting somms open my bottles.

I thought that was how it’s done in Burgundy?

Mine is similar to another above. We had ordered a nice Cote Rotie but we had glasses of wine before that. The waiter opened the Cote Rotie and left it on the table, then came back and poured it into a half glass of something else. I must have made quite a strange noise, as he was pretty mortified.

[Tom_G_l_a_s_g_o_w]

1. I watched two politicians formulate a tax bill while they were drinking wine.

2. In 1975, I was ’forced’ to add Seven Up and ice to a 1966 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo Langhe-Barbaresco in a restaurant/bar I worked in. After the owner watched me make the first glass, he went off to do something and I switched to the house Chianti for the spritzers and a friend and I drank the Gaja. Looking at it from an ethics point of view, I don’t know who was in the wrong- the owner or the customer.

Certainly not you and your conspirator. You’re older than I thought, but certainly no wiser.

I was 15. It was Nevada.

Growing up in Nevada takes 10 years off your life, that makes you 69.

[Wes_Barton]

We were out at a wine dinner at a long closed restaurant in Toronto. At the end of the night the chef came out so we offered her some wine. She picked up a decanter and started chugging - the decanter was far from full, but still…

Sounds like it could have been the start of an epic evening…

[Anton_D]

Certainly not you and your conspirator. You’re older than I thought, but certainly no wiser.

I was 15. It was Nevada.

Growing up in Nevada takes 10 years off your life, that makes you 69.

There are days that feel that way!

I am much wiser now. If faced with the same situation now, I would find a way to make the switch before making that first spritzer.

[C_Bowman]

When you’re young and naive there’s times you do things innocently. One of my first jobs many moons ago was waiting tables. I opened the wine and proceeded to pour a taste for the person that ordered the wine. Through my lack of experience I clumsily dripped it down the side of the bottle. In a split second and obviously not thinking I lapped it up like I was licking an ice cream cone. They were not amused and I’m sure it was the most egregious thing they’ve ever seen but needless to say I haven’t had the opportunity to ask them.

[Anton_D]

When you’re young and naive there’s times you do things innocently. One of my first jobs many moons ago was waiting tables. I opened the wine and proceeded to pour a taste for the person that ordered the wine. Through my lack of experience I clumsily dripped it down the side of the bottle. In a split second and obviously not thinking I lapped it up like I was licking an ice cream cone. They were not amused and I’m sure it was the most egregious thing they’ve ever seen but needless to say I haven’t had the opportunity to ask them.

That rocks!

In Nevada, they would have paid you extra for that.

[Robert_M_yers]

The boss took us to lunch at a Chinese restaurant and ordered a bottle of wine. The waiter didn’t bother to remove the foil, just pulled the cork out of the bottle tearing right through the foil, left the foil in place and poured the wine.

Hmmm, I don’t even own a foil cutter

[David_Glasser]

Took an 82 Haut Brion to a restaurant. Was taken away to decant and mistakenly served to another table.

I’m curious what the restaurant/server did after they made this mistake

The manager came over with our waiter in tow and had the waiter apologize and explain what happened. The manager then comped dinner for the 4 of us and gave us our choice of 2 bottles on their list. We picked a Krug or Dom and I think another Bordeaux, not a first growth. It wasn’t my only bottle of 82 Haut Brion so not irreplaceable. We were impressed and satisfied with the response.

[Jeffrey_Neal]

We ordered a bottle of champagne at a nice restaurant. Before I could stop her, the server pushed the cork out of the bottle with her thumbs. The cork hit the ceiling and wine spewed out all over the table. At least the cork didn’t hit one of us in the face.

[Chris_Seiber]

We had a tasting group lunch at, of all places, The Winery restaurant in Tustin.

The waiter first opens the Champagne and shoots the cork off the ceiling and it hit an older woman at another table.

Then, the same young man pours a different wine into a partly full glass. They were very good wines, but I don’t remember which ones exactly.

[Robert_M_yers]

Took an 82 Haut Brion to a restaurant. Was taken away to decant and mistakenly served to another table.

I’m curious what the restaurant/server did after they made this mistake

The manager came over with our waiter in tow and had the waiter apologize and explain what happened. The manager then comped dinner for the 4 of us and gave us our choice of 2 bottles on their list. We picked a Krug or Dom and I think another Bordeaux, not a first growth. It wasn’t my only bottle of 82 Haut Brion so not irreplaceable. We were impressed and satisfied with the response.

What did the other table drinking the 82 send you?

[Jim_F]

On a date with the woman who is now my wife, at a BYO restaurant, the waitress started to refill our half-empty glasses of nicely aged Beringer PR cab with the tap water. I recall shrieking in horror.