The Southwest Voice

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Today I’m responding to a request to “explain corkage to me.” I’m happy to do so, since we live in California and it is a widespread practice in this state. It does not exist in all states.

Corkage is the term given to the fee many restaurants charge for allowing you to bring in your own bottle of wine to be served with dinner. The charge is for their opening and serving your wine in their glasses that they must provide and clean, of course. Corkage here in town runs from $10 to $25 per bottle. Not all local restaurants charge and not all restaurants allow the practice. Phone ahead to ask and also ask about the fee for this service.

Also, do not bring a wine that is already on the restaurant’s wine list. That is considered bad form. Besides, the waiter can reject serving you a wine they already have made available. That happened to me not too long ago. We went to a famous restaurant in the Napa Valley and I took along one of my few bottles of a great French Bordeaux that was nearly 20 years old. The waiter smiled, handed it back saying “great wine, we have it on our list.” Oops!

I know you’re going to ask — it was French Laundry, their corkage was $50, and my wine was on their wine list for $1,800!  Yep, you read that right. Nope, I didn’t pay that for it 16 years ago, I paid $75. Needless to say, we didn't order it that night either. Great wines do increase mightily in value over the years, but only those that age well, and that’s not most of the stuff on our shelves. Buying wine for an investment is the practice of some, but not me.

Back to corkage. Why the practice? Wine lovers generally have larger cellars of great or hard-to-get wines than the typical restaurants can manage to keep on their wine lists. We want to drink these wines with dinner with friends. We can do it at home, but it’s a lot easier to go out. I choose where I’m going to dine based on whether or not I’m allowed to bring in my wine. I want to drink it, share it with friends, and not have to prepare every meal. Winos are usually foodies too. We have very good restaurants in Bakersfield that will give you very good food and provide good wine to accompany their dishes, but they will be pleased to serve your wine — for a corkage. Such a service brings me back to those establishments more often than otherwise and I make sure my wine is not on their list and I also offer a glass to the proprietor or waiter if it is a special wine. If you have a large party, buy a bottle or two from the restaurant as a courtesy.

Why is it called corkage? I don’t know, except for the fact that the cork has to be pulled out before the bottle can be served. You would not bring in an open bottle nor a bottle of Two Buck Chuck. You should be proud to present this bottle to the waiter as both you and he know it’s special. You’re grateful he’s allowing you to bring it in because he doesn’t have to!

It has no other relationship to the cork. Corks are a whole other story that I will have to get into some other time.

So, if you have a bottle of wine that you want to open for friends or a special occasion, and you don’t want to cook, choose where you want to go and call ahead. Ask about corkage, and if you're not familiar with the wine list find out if your bottle is on it before you present it for opening.

A bottle of fine wine will enhance your evening every time.

Coming Events:

March 10 — Enjoy a gourmet wine dinner featuring Bell Winery from the Napa Valley at Café Med, 4809 Stockdale Highway. Also, you can enroll your kids in a cooking class at Café Med during spring break! To make reservations or for more information, call 834-4433.
March 22 — Bakersfield Wine Society at The Petroleum Club, featuring St. Supéry Winery from Napa. For more information, call Mike Stepanovich at 588-0783 or 342-2339.

Questions or comments? E-mail Ann at: acierley@etcrier.net