Corkage at restuarants and Port

[Andy Velebil]

It goes without saying if you're on this Forum you have at least a small interest in Port, Madeira, and/or Portuguese wines. Most of us probably enjoy it with food, or at least after a meal. But what about when you go out to eat. Do you normally take bottle(s) of Port with you to dinner?

And if you do take bottle(s) with you when you eat out what is the general limit your willing to pay for corkage in a restaurant?

[John M.]

I have taken bottles of port with me to restaurants--I double decant into the rinsed bottle before hand. Usually, there is no corkage fee out where I am---but I usually often offer the owner/chef a glass to taste and sometimes the waitron.

I view corkage as a tip....if there is no corkage, I will tip extra for the service. if there is corkage, the tip is typical....after all, if we did not bring wine, we'd be paying and tipping for something else off their offerings.

[Moses Botbol]

I've only brought one bottle of port to a restaurant and it was a 1980 Sandeman Magnum. No fee's involved, but it was a hassle dropping it off early as Boston does not allow bringing in bottles... Great bottle of port, that '80 Sandeman.

[Gerwin de Graaf]

Bringing your own bottles to a restaurant isn't very common where I live, but it is possible. Usually the corkage is the price of a bottle of the cheapest housewine on the restaurant list.

However, we do have an excellent (1 michelinstar) restaurant in my neighbourhood which has BOW (bring-your-own-wine) nights about 4 times a year. At such nights there is no corkage charge, and the menu (from 3 upto 6 courses) will be made to accompany the wines you bring.
I usually try to attent one of these nights a year, and we always bring at least one bottle of VP (which they very kindly decant according to my wishes regarding decanting time, and in my own decanter, so I can take the left over VP back home).

[Andy Velebil]

Bringing your own bottles to a restaurant isn't very common where I live, but it is possible. Usually the corkage is the price of a bottle of the cheapest housewine on the restaurant list.

However, we do have an excellent (1 michelinstar) restaurant in my neighbourhood which has BOW (bring-your-own-wine) nights about 4 times a year. At such nights there is no corkage charge, and the menu (from 3 upto 6 courses) will be made to accompany the wines you bring.
I usually try to attent one of these nights a year, and we always bring at least one bottle of VP (which they very kindly decant according to my wishes regarding decanting time, and in my own decanter, so I can take the left over VP back home).

Very nice of the restaurant to do that.

What is the typical cost of the cheapest house wine?

[Andy Velebil]

I have taken bottles of port with me to restaurants--I double decant into the rinsed bottle before hand. Usually, there is no corkage fee out where I am---but I usually often offer the owner/chef a glass to taste and sometimes the waitron.

I view corkage as a tip....if there is no corkage, I will tip extra for the service. if there is corkage, the tip is typical....after all, if we did not bring wine, we'd be paying and tipping for something else off their offerings.

I do pretty much the same things as you do. I try to use it as a learning opportunity for the server as most don't get to try much in the way of upper end wines and especially upper end Ports.

[Andy Velebil]

I've only brought one bottle of port to a restaurant and it was a 1980 Sandeman Magnum. No fee's involved, but it was a hassle dropping it off early as Boston does not allow bringing in bottles... Great bottle of port, that '80 Sandeman.

I guess that would make it a tad hard and quite the bummer as well. Hopefully that law gets changed sometime soon

[Moses Botbol]

I guess that would make it a tad hard and quite the bummer as well. Hopefully that law gets changed sometime soon

Been mulling getting a wholesale license for year; split with a few friends. Figure for our collected wine buying, we could save money and be able to "sell wine" to the restaurant...

[Gerwin de Graaf]

Bringing your own bottles to a restaurant isn't very common where I live, but it is possible. Usually the corkage is the price of a bottle of the cheapest housewine on the restaurant list.

However, we do have an excellent (1 michelinstar) restaurant in my neighbourhood which has BOW (bring-your-own-wine) nights about 4 times a year. At such nights there is no corkage charge, and the menu (from 3 upto 6 courses) will be made to accompany the wines you bring.
I usually try to attent one of these nights a year, and we always bring at least one bottle of VP (which they very kindly decant according to my wishes regarding decanting time, and in my own decanter, so I can take the left over VP back home).

Very nice of the restaurant to do that.

What is the typical cost of the cheapest house wine?

The cost of (the cheapest) house wine depends on the standard of the restaurant (naturally ), but at the place I mentioned (1 michelinstar) it is about €28. Wine is typically expensive in Dutch restaurants (alas, lots of places still have the philosophy of - loose money on the food, earn it on the drinks). That's why I use the BOW nights at this restaurant (and because they have an excuisite kitchen and their sommelier is a great guy).

In more average restaurants (in my definition these have a good to great kitchen, and a better-than-average Price-Quality-ratio), the price of the house wine will be under €20.

[Peter W. Meek]

My favorite restaurant (MFR) has always turned a blind eye to the occasional outside bottle since state law prohibited bringing outside wine to licensed premises. Now Michigan law has changed to allow this, and MFR has instituted a $20 corkage fee, but waives it with a reservation for 6 or more.Decanting, stemware, and sommelier service included. If you indicate which wine you are bringing, the sommelier will research the wine (if he needs to), have some information about it, suggested food pairings, etc.

Six on one bottle is a scant drink per person. I haven't asked yet if the waiver is for an unlimited number of bottles per 6-person reservation. $20 is less than their least expensive listed wine which is near $30

[Phil W]

£10 per bottle seems about standard in most places I've done this in the UK; probably reasonable as roughly equivalent to the profit (not cost) which would otherwise have been made on other drinks. Some places react negatively initially when you start asking about bringing a bottle, but are usually fine once you explain you're happy to pay corkage.

[Andy Velebil]

Peter
Glad to hear they changed their laws. Finally a win for us wine lovers.


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