Recently there have been a number of questions regarding the policy for bringing guests to tastings and dinners. We understand that some events fill up very quickly and this can lead to disappointment. To ensure the best possible experience for you, our members, please take note of the following clarifications. The intent of the guest policy is for members to be able to bring an occasional friend or family member and is a great opportunity to introduce potential members to Guild events. It is also to ensure that members enjoy the greatest possible opportunity to attend.
Guild membership includes the privilege of bringing one guest to an event.
For dinner events, up to three guests may be confirmed upon registration.
Events with seats available close to the event date will be opened up to additional guests and waiting lists.
Guests are billed to the sponsoring member’s credit card.
Event organizers may designate small or oversubscribed events as open to “members only”.
Members wishing to bring additional guests to events have opportunities to accommodate them either by placing them on a waiting list, finding other Guild members to sponsor additional guests, or by inviting guests to join as new members of the Guild, in which case, the membership fee would either be billed to the sponsoring member or the new member would fill out the Membership Form and mail that with the Credit Card Authorization form before the event. Then both the membership fee and the cost of the event would be charged to the new members credit card.
Membership forms are available online at www.sommelierguild.com and near the back of each month’s newsletter. Should you have any questions with regards to the guest attendance policy or the benefits membership in the National Capital Sommelier Guild, please contact the Membership Director, Robert White at
The National Capital Sommelier Guild strongly supports moderate and responsible consumption of wine and spirits. Guild dinner events allow a designated driver to attend at a reduced price. The designated driver will not be served alcohol. Guild tasting events provide and encourage the use of spit buckets.
"Great wine is about nuance, surprise, subtlety, expression, qualities that keep you coming back for another taste. Rejecting a wine because it is not big enough is like rejecting a book because it is not long enough, or a piece of music because it is not loud enough." —Kermit Lynch in Adventures on the Wine Route
The National Capital Sommelier Guild strongly supports moderate and responsible consumption of wine and spirits. Guild dinner events allow a designated driver to attend at a reduced price. The designated driver will not be served alcohol. Guild tasting events provide and encourage the use of spit buckets.