The Corkage Quandary
As we walked out the door the other night, headed to dinner at a nice restaurant, I dropped by the wine fridge and picked out a nice bottle of wine that Id been saving for a special occasion.
My husband visibly cringed. I dont often take advantage of the fact that most restaurants where we live offer wine corkage, allowing you to bring in your own wine, but when I do, he finds it very embarrassing.
I think that corkage fees are actually a pretty hot topic, something that restaurants are touchy about and something many wine lovers just arent sure how to handle.
For restaurant owners and sommeliers, it can be irritating to have customers show up with wine that can be purchased cheaply at any grocery store, and doubly irritating to be asked to open a bottle that appears on the restaurants wine list. However, most fine dining establishments will be willing (if not happy) to open your bottle, provided you follow some basic rules of etiquette.
For clarification, I consulted a friend who oversees operations and wine for a for some guidelines. Here are her recommendations:
1. Always call ahead to ask about the corkage policy. Its just polite. If the restaurant has specific corkage guidelines, theyll be much happier to explain them on the phone then they will be upon being presented with a bottle of Charles Shaw or Boones Farm when you arrive for dinner.
2. Make it a special bottle. Dont bring a wine that can be easily found in a nearby grocery store or one that may be on the restaurants list. If dining in wine country, do not bring a local wine that is likely to be featured at many of the restaurants where you are dining.
3. Offer the waiter or sommelier who pours the wine a taste, especially if it is a very special bottle.
4. Do not haggle about the corkage fee. The restaurant is extending you a privilege, for which they have every right to charge a fee. Since these fees can vary wildly, it pays to inquire about this when you call ahead.
These tips are confirmed and expanded upon in an excellent article by Food & Wine wine editor, Lettie Teague, .
The advice to offer a taste to your server is huge, and may save you the corkage fee -and- make you a new friend. This also works if you order a wine the server hasn’t tasted in a while - offer him or her a taste and you will often find your service taken to a new level on this and subsequent visits.
Another thing to consider is that this special bottle is likely going to be best with your choice of main course. Consider ordering a second bottle from the wine list e.g. to have with your apps. Again, you may find they waive the corkage if you do so. (Yes, you will be taking home two partial bottles - is this a problem?-)
- j