Some of the wineries, winemakers, and topics we have covered over the years often find their way as links on other wine sites. We decided to include some as a way to pay tribute to the wines and people who who have shaped the wine industry.

Corkage Etiquette
by Tim Hayes & John Koetzner

Living here in the heart of Sonoma County with the wine
industry everywhere you turn, you cannot help but recognize the harmonious link between fine food and fine wine. Visitors and locals alike recognize the bounty of our county served on a plate or poured into a glass as world class offerings. One of the most intriguing aspects of dining at restaruants is to pair your favorite wine with their culinary creations.

When we talk with out-of-state visitors in the tasting room, we
frequently tell them to buy a bottle of their favorite wine and take it
with them to dinner to enjoy. More often than not they are shocked at the
prospect of bringing a bottle of wine with them to a restaurant and having
it opened for them. If you are from the area you know that bringing your
own special wine with you to dinner is a common practice and that for a
small fee called "corkage" the restaurant is more than happy to open and
pour it for you.

We conducted a little survey of local Sonoma County restaurants and
asked them how much they charged for "corkage" at their establishments and what if any was proper etiquette for bringing in your own wine. Ralph
Tingle of Bistro Ralph said, "Any way that makes the customer more comfortable is fine. If the person wants to stop off earlier
in the day and leave a bottle of wine, that’s fine too."

While many may wonder what most restaurants prefer customers to do,
the majority we surveyed echoed Tingle’s sentiments. Dan Berman at Mixx Restaurant agreed that however the customer was most comfortable bringing in the wine was best. He suggested that you could just carry it to the table and set it down, give it to your waiter, and have them chill it or open it and return it to your table. When asked if there was an inappropriate time to bring a wine, he indicated that there was not, but
most restaurants prefer that you do not bring in wines that are available
for sale on their regular wine list. In fact, most restaurants insist that
the wine should be one that is not available on their wine list.

Quite often, when entertaining key retail accounts for the winery, we
will bring four or five different wines to be served with different
courses, giving the waiter a list of the order in which to serve the wine.
From a winery standpoint it is a great way to showcase your wines with a
variety of different dishes. In most cases the restaurant is glad to have
you dining with them and wants to make the entire evening one to remember and an experience you will want to repeat.

What kind of charges can you expect for corkage fees? Some places in
San Francisco can be as high as $25.00. Other more creative corkage fees can also be found. For example, The Sardine Factory in Monterey has a sliding scale based on the value of the wine and it ranges from $7.00 to $25.00.

In calling around to different restaurants, we found that $7.00 is
about the average for corkage in our area. For example, Bistro Ralph,
and Johnny Garlic’s, and Catelli’s, all charge $7.00. On the
higher end, Charcuterie charges $10.00 for bringing along your own bottle of wine, and Mixx charges $8.00.

More modest charges are available at Chateau Souverain and at Western Boot, both charging $5.00 for the privilege of taking in your own wine.
Our suggestion is to be aware of what wines are available on the wine
list when visiting your favorite restaurants. That way you will not commit
a faux pas with the wait staff if you do decide to take a bottle of wine
to dinner. If you are visiting a restaurant for the first time, it is a
good idea to call ahead and check to see if the wine is available and to
know what corkage charge to expect.

Following this bit of etiquette can have incredible rewards. If you
happen to have a twenty year old bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that you
have been saving for an anniversary, it can make that occasion coincide
with a wonderful culinary experience. Raiding the wine cellar for that
special wine also adds to the uniqueness of the dining adventure. So,
corkage is just one more way that restaurants make the marriage of food
and wine that much better.