byob - checking restaurant wine list?

Hi,

I used to check a restaurant’s wine list to ensure I wasn’t byob-ing something on their list. Is this proper etiquette or should I not worry about it?

tia,
jd

Typically a restaurant will not allow you to bring something that is on their list. An older vintage may be ok, but not the current.

Agree with above. I always check.

I check. Even if bringing a bottle on the list is ultimately allowed, it’s bad form to do so, in my opinion.

Always call beforehand and discuss the BYO/corkage policy.

If their list is on line I check. If not, I usually call or e-mail. I like e-mail because I can print the response and keep it in case there is an “issue” when I get to the restaurant. This has helped in a cases except in one case where we were told (basically) they didn’t care what they said before.

Just be careful - some restaurants have different definitions of ‘what is on the list’ compared to what oenophiles might consider. As in they might define any producer/vintage/vineyard/village etc. as being on the list, thus blocking BYO.

Honestly, don’t understand the point of these policies especially if lists are not kept updated/online, and its difficult to enforce for a typical waiter, and just burns the whole ‘hospitality’ aspect. I think it would be easier for venues to simply say ‘no BYO’ rather than having this kind of complex rulebook, and that way they can filter out these kinds of patrons.

These days can’t you just pull up the email on your phone and show it to them?

funny…obviously! And that is indeed what I do…now.

I’ll go against the current here. I never check beforehand, except in rare specific instances (e.g. Mozza) where I know they have a policy that you can’t bring something on their list. I’ve done BYO many dozens of times a year for decades here and have never had any issue or even conversation arise because I didn’t check their wine list beforehand.

It depends on the kind of restaurant, but many don’t have a wine list, or a current wine list, on line for you to inspect in advance, and I don’t want to try to call and get them to email it to me or whatever every time I want to go out to dinner.

I also doubt the server at your table has any interest in looking at the wines you brought and then going and cross referencing against their wine list, except at some restaurant that makes that issue a priority.

Caveats: (1) I live in California, and practices and customs may be different elsewhere, and (2) if we are talking about the Michelin star type restaurants in Manhattan or places like French Laundry, that may be different than the rest of the upscale restaurant world on this topic.

I try to avoid a direct collision - exact same producer, vintage, vineyard, bottling - and have never had to figure out what I would do if I had one. Most of what I am taking for BYOB is wine that I have cellared for many years, making it less likely that the restaurant will have the same wine on its list. If I’m going to a restaurant that has a cellar program as good as my personal cellar, I am not BYOBing.

fred

I always check ! BYOB is a rare privilege here in TX and I don’t want to do anything that might cause a restaurant to reconsider if they want to offer it. I do recall one instance where the server did look at the wine we brought. He said it was the same as one on their list and he couldn’t open it. Another server overheard and came by. She noted the wine on the list was a current vintage Fèvre village-level Chablis while we had brought a Fèvre Les Clos with a few years of age on it and told the first server it was fine to open. I had called in advance as I had seen the wine list online and was told serving our wine wouldn’t be a problem, so I wasn’t particularly concerned. I think we just ran into an over-zealous server initially.

I should have mentioned this – I very rarely would bring a wine which has much chance of being on the restaurant’s list, so that’s part of the reason I never bother checking.

I guess if one were thinking of bringing a current release Mondavi cab to a steakhouse, then it might be more worth checking (or better still, bringing something less generic).

I am actually going to a restaurant tonight that has a similar issue. I will be bringing the same wine as in the list (which I asked them to email) but it is a different / older vintage. The caveat here is that the corkage I will be paying is quite steep, $75 / bottle ($75 for first 2, then $100 for the next 2). I am not here to discuss their corkage fee, but if I am paying that much corkage, I almost feel I can bring anything I want. The wine I am bringing is an older vintage of what they have on the list, we will see how this goes later tonight if they make a fuss or not.

Thanks to Dr. Rick

Pretty much this for me.

Chances that I’d bring something on their list are slim to none, but always check for good etiquette

Wow, did you stay and eat? Not sure I could have enjoyed it after that.

Wasn’t my party and out of town so just didn’t open the bottle.

Yes be aware of what they have on the list. Just bring a 61 Latour and you will be fine!