Corkage Etiquette for Older Bottles?

[Chris_Seiber]

Just push it in. If you keep some past corks lying around, better chance with one of those after they’ve dried out than the one you just pulled.

This doesn’t make sense. The cork’s diameter is at its smallest right after it is pulled out from the bottle, after which it starts to expand. It is also more elastic while it retains some humidity - a dried-out cork is much harder and it’ll be a tough job trying to insert an expanded, dried-out cork inside the lip of the bottle without any tools.

If I need to put a cork back into the bottle, I try to do it as quickly as possible after extracting the cork.

This is not my experience at all - talking about old corks, not never used new ones. Though they vary; I might eyeball or try a couple to find the one that goes in easiest.

I always find that the wet end of a cork that was just pulled expands greatly and won’t go back in.

But chalk it up to another of those things where each of us experiences the wine world a little differently.

[Brady_Daniels]

For the first time in my wine-drinking life, I was challenged for bringing in an open bottle a few weeks ago. Once I explained why it was opened they were completely cool. I think you’ll be fine.

If you need to open the second bottle, be prepared to pay a second corkage fee, even if the first wine is flawed. Corkage is a privilege not a right.

I’ve never been charged corkage for a flawed bottle.

I think many / most restaurants will be compassionate, but that is their choice, not the patron’s. I have had both experiences and believe we should react with grace, even in the face of this first-world problem. I’m sure it is more than balanced out by the number of times we haven’t been charged corkage in our lives.

[Arv_R]

It’s not common, but we have had restaurants object to bringing previously opened bottles before.

If you use an Ah-So type of opener you can probably reinsert the cork back in so that it doesn’t look like was removed (except for the foil). Some table / stand style openers are also good for reinsertion of the cork.

[AAgrawal]

For the first time in my wine-drinking life, I was challenged for bringing in an open bottle a few weeks ago. Once I explained why it was opened they were completely cool. I think you’ll be fine.

If you need to open the second bottle, be prepared to pay a second corkage fee, even if the first wine is flawed. Corkage is a privilege not a right.

I’ve never been charged corkage for a flawed bottle.

I think many / most restaurants will be compassionate, but that is their choice, not the patron’s. I have had both experiences and believe we should react with grace, even in the face of this first-world problem. I’m sure it is more than balanced out by the number of times we haven’t been charged corkage in our lives.

My experience has always been that the protocol for serving wine that someone has brought is the same as wine that is purchased. It’s opened, (or if already opened, they ask whether I had already tasted it), pour a small taste to one person who judges whether it is flawed, and after that it is served to the table. If it is flawed, corkage shouldn’t be charged. If it’s approved and poured to everyone, then you’ve accepted corkage even if you don’t finish the bottle, later decide it’s flawed, etc.