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Ask Casey: Wine Corkage with Confidence

Ask Casey: Cooking and Kitchen Questions Answered

I know corkage policies at restaurants are becoming more popular, but I’m not exactly sure how to go about bringing my own bottle of wine without feeling cheap. What are the rules and etiquette of corkage so I can be more confident in taking advantage of it?


I know how you feel, and honestly, I don’t take advantage of corkage policies as much as I should. I’m happy to go the BYOB route and pop by Bottlerocket for restaurants that don’t have liquor licenses. But for restaurants that do have decent wine lists, shouldn’t I balance out the times I willingly lay out $68 for a $20 bottle of Owen Roe at Lola, for example, with an opportunity to pull a Pine Ridge from my wine rack and trot it over to Gusto?

wine glass, stemware
So I went to the source on this one: my dad the oenophile. He’s the guy who set me up with some kickass Gloria Ferrer champagne for our wedding, and made the family smuggle back a case of wine in our luggage after our 1996 trip to Tuscany (sorry, government!). Listen to him and breathe easier:

  • Always call the restaurant to make sure it still has a corkage policy and what it is currently charging. The policies may have changed despite what you’ve read. And find out if the restaurant restricts the number of bottles you can bring if you plan on dining with a large group.
  • Find a good bottle: never, and I mean never, bring a bottle of wine that’s already on the wine list. And don’t bring your $10 bottle of Snoqualmie Sauvignon Blanc or Bogle Petit Syrah either–those are great table wines for your home, but when contemplating corkage, it’s time to bust out that bottle of Seghesio you brought back from Sonoma. As Dad says, “At least purchase a good $20 wine that is highly rated, hard to find or unusual. If the corkage fee is $35-$45, make sure it is a very good wine.”
  • Offer a taste of your wines to the server and sommelier–I can’t remember a time when this gesture was not appreciated by the staff. Also, a lot of restaurants will waive the corkage fee if you purchase a bottle of wine off the house list in addition to the ones you brought. It never hurts to ask!
  • When settling the bill, make sure you tip appropriately for the cost of the wine, not just the corkage fee. Say you brought multiple bottles but the restaurant only charged you one flat $15 corkage fee. Tip your server for being awesome and only charging you once and take into account how much the bottle cost. If the wine is worth $25, you should be tipping based on a $40 bottle ($25 + $15). Believe me, those extra few dollars in tip will still not add up to how much you would have paid for a bottle at the restaurant.

Manhattan restaurants with low corkage fees include Back Forty ($15/bottle; two-bottle limit), Union Square Cafe ($10/bottle), Prune ($15/bottle) and, if you want a spicy Shiraz with your Texas brisket, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que ($5/bottle).

If you have a specific place in mind or are looking for a restaurant/corkage fee in a particular price range, try GOBYO.com, which allows you to search for both BYOB restaurants and those who offer corkage fees – but don’t forget to call to confirm, just in case.

Don’t forget, you can Ask Casey about tips on the best hot-weather recipes, cheapest and most impressive restaurants, or general food advice–no question is too random and I love a challenge. Email me at caseyATgoodfoodstoriesDOTcom or leave a scintillating comment for my perusal.

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