In contrast to the “Corkage Cowboys” thread a few month back, I find this corkage policy (taken from a restaurant’s website) strikes a very good balance. Obviously the owners are real wine lovers who have reasoned this policy out:
Corkage Policy
We do not charge corkage so long as you volunteer to share a glass of a wine that is unique or of exceptional quality. Please email in advance if you have any questions as it is by its nature a case by case and situational decision. As a general guideline, we do not waive corkage for wines that are currently available in retail stores.
The decision to waive corkage is within our discretion. These should be wines from people’s personal collections and not readily available in a store but only on the secondary market (if at all). So, for example, a ten year old village level burgundy or a small production from California you bought on your honeymoon that doesn’t distribute to our area would likely qualify.
The key terms are unique or exceptional - not simply expensive. The current vintage of Opus One would not qualify under the policy even though it is of exceptional quality because it is readily purchased a block away.
The only time we politely ask not to open a qualifying wine is if we have that exact wine (vintage and cuvee) on the list.
It is always a somewhat situational decision until we get to know a customer. Once we get to know a customer, we begin to simply take their word for the wine and waive any need for advance notice.
In addition, depending on the amount of bottles you bring and the of level of service/glassware you require, we may request extra gratuity for the staff (in an amount at your discretion).
Once you bring in your qualifying wine, we only ask that you share a taste of your wine with the sommelier and service staff so that we may better our palates and our wine list.
If you bring a wine that would not be eligible for free corkage, our corkage fee is $45.
Corkage, schmorkage. There’s PLENTY of excellent BYOBs that have no fee in my neck of the woods. I usually volunteer a glass - and sometimes even half a bottle - to nearly anyone at the restaurant. The sommelier and staff at The Prime Rib in Philly love to see me coming as I often bring an extra bottle expressly for the purpose of sharing from any bottle that night. Isn’t that what wine is for?
that reads just like the Amali in NYC policy. They are a little pompous and we never have a problem bringing bottles that qualify. Watching the somm/owner/mgr inspect our bottles is a little over the top
In addition, the food is mixed and IMHO over salted and depending on the table it can be very cramped.
Agree about the salt, though they’ve barely ever given our bottles a second look when we’ve done dinners there. Maybe the weekend crew are bigger sticklers?
A new place that opened in Minneapolis, which has a decent wine program. told me this in person: We believe in wine education for our staff. If you share a taste of your wine with our staff and answer any questions we have about it, we gladly waive corkage, as long as it’s a bottle not on our list.
That’s a very nice policy, and I like to offer a taste to staff (assuming they show any interest in the bottle) regardless of whether it affects the corkage fee. It’s funny though–some restaurants seem to have a very strict policy of NOT allowing staff to accept any tastes of wine.
I have had some staff say it is illegal for them to taste my wine. I do not think that is correct.
I do not understand the fascination with figuring out ways to get the corkage fee waived. I am delighted to pay a corkage fee. Restaurants have a hard enough time staying in business. I want to financially support the ones who allow me to bring my own wine, so that they do not go out of business. Here in Portland (a foodie Mecca) several good restaurants have folded just in the last month.
Part of my joy in paying a corkage fee is that corkage fees in Portland are very reasonable, usually $15 or $20, and I often bring three or four bottles for the group of eight of us who dine together every month. If I had to pay the $45 corkage fee mentioned above, I too would be trying to figure out how to get it waived.
Phil Jones
It sounds nice, but difficult to administer, and perhaps intimidating to customers.
I suppose it depends on local market norms, but out here, that policy would struggle if its intent was to encourage patrons to actually come in. If the intent was to deter corkage, and potentially diners, it might succeed at that.
I’ve always felt that if a restaurant sells wine by the glass, a reasonable fee that ought to work for both the establishment and patron is 2 x cost of lowest btg pour maybe less a buck, reflecting the house doesn’t have wear spoiled wine risks, or dump a bottle at the end of a night.
Like Philip, I don’t mind corkage. Fair is fair. But I also respect establishments that will waive if the wine is interesting. I personally find it tacky to stop at the Liquor store on the way to the restaurant to buy the current vintage, so get the policy Kelly started with. I always bring wines with age on them that certainly aren’t on the list. I only object to places with no corkage allowed at all. One place near me will only allow you to bring wine when you also bring the wine-maker. That seems a bit pompous to me…
They’ve never rejected a bottle when I’ve gone so that doesn’t bother me. I’ve found the food variable, sometimes good, sometimes not. The front room is much too noisy for me but the back room isn’t bad.
I live in the same neck of the woods as Dennis now, and even though I am delighted by the many places that are fully BYO, I still have no problem paying reasonable corkage fees, commensurate with service and glassware level, at restaurants I enjoy. I even still go to a few places that do not allow me to bring wine at all. Sometimes I don’t just want a good meal, I want the pomegranate glazed lamb shoulder at Zahav (for example) or the various foods on toast at Vernick, and that means I buy off their list or have a cocktail. And if you build a relationship with a restaurant, I’ve found almost all of them will eventually make exceptions for you. Perhaps I am romanticizing, but I do feel I have my end to uphold in those relationships.
I am always happy to see and pay corkage. Restos need to make money and always waiving these as policy which while nice for me as a customer seems like bad business. With that said I often give wait staff a taste and corkage is often waived which I always appreciate, but never expect.
Couldn’t disagree with this more. Have had generally very good food there - with a couple of stinkers, but no more or less than, say Union Square Café or Riverpark or any other joint that offers reasonable BYO. And only once did we have an issue with ‘pomposity’, and TBF one of our bottles was a current release that had been picked up at Sherry Lehmann on the way over.
I don’t mind paying a reasonable corkage fee. I feel that $20 is fair. I don’t blame restaurants for charging more if their customers are just bringing in a $10 bottle. There is a restaurant in Charlotte that started charging a huge corkage because there is a wine shop next door where customers would go in right before going to the restaurant and buy some cheap bottle to have with dinner. Once they get to know you and you bring in something that is not on their list they usually waive the fee.
100% agreement Sarah. We’re frequent diners at a steak house that allows a handful of regulars to BYOB. It’s informally called the Monday Night Wine Club because many of us GTG once a month on Monday nights, although they allow us to BYOB on any night if we let them know who we are when we make reservations. Just ate there last night at a dinner sponsored by Checkerboard.