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Booze on a Budget: Hate those pricey wine menus? Haggle, or bring your own
November 6th, 2009, 6:00 am · 18 Comments · posted by PAUL HODGINS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
About this time last year, when the economy first started to circle the bowl, my wife and I were entertaining her brother Ed and his wife at a very la-de-da San Diego restaurant. Ed is a high-rolling lawyer with a taste for pricey grape juice, and we had chosen this place partly because of its Rolls Royce of a wine list.
We arrived on a Saturday night at 8, prime time for such places, but it was practically deserted. Looking over the wine list, my brother-in-law mulled the Merry Edwards Olivet Lane Pinot Noir — world class, our sommelier assured us, but pricey at $120 a bottle.
The sommelier saw us hesitate. “How does half price sound?” he asked. “Sold!” said the high-priced lawyer, slamming his menu shut in glee.
Thus we discovered one of the upsides of the Great Recession: you can haggle!
A colleague of ours was in a Pasadena restaurant the same night we struck our San Diego bargain and had a similar experience. She asked for a fancy Rhone red. This place had run out of it, but they didn’t want to lose a wine sale. They sold her a more expensive Rhone for the same price.
I’ve noticed other signs of tough times. Take Charlie Palmer at South Coast Plaza. Last year, their corkage fee (the price they charge to open wine that you bring in) was a hefty $30 per bottle. “The corkage fee is not designed to be a penalty for the diner and should not be viewed that way,” according to Wisegeek, my favorite source for offbeat information.
Now Charlie Palmer’s servers will open your wine for free. The same is true at another classy place nearby, Pinot Provence.
Let’s send a message to the restaurant industry:
- Don’t tolerate that 200-300% markup on the wine list. Haggle with them! Many places are desperate enough to strike a deal, especially on high-end wine that just isn’t moving.
- If you want to save money by bringing your own vino to the diner, call ahead and ask them about the corkage fee. If it seems steep, remind them that some of O.C.’s most expensive places don’t charge anymore to open a bottle of your own stuff.
Sorry, restaurant owners, but the days of gouging over wine are over.
Got your own stories or tips about ordering wine at restaurants? Let us know!
Contest: How many bottles are stored in the wine cellar at Charlie Palmer?
The first person to email Paul with the right answer (or come close) will get our last new set of sleek Coke bottles. (NOTE: Don’t even try to call Charlie for the answer. The restaurant has been told not to tell.)
Other Booze on a Budget stories:
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$30 to open MY bottle of wine? I wouldn’t ever eat at a place that charges that much. They probably charge $9.50 for a glass of WATER!
$30 even if it is a bottle of 2 Buck Chuck….Hmmm….outrageous.
Most fast food places don’t serve wine…
If they did, there would be some very long McD’s playdates!
corkage is the biggest scam in the history of restaurants. if I want to bring a particular wine, especially for a special occassion, it should be free. or some low-level conditions should have to be met, like waived all fees if you order an appetizer or any other glass/bottle of wine from their menu. I’m already paying your exorbitant prices for anything else. you’re lucky I’m eating there.
it’s right up there with a 50% fee of the cost of an entree for splitting an entree. not that I have ever made a habit of this, but it should be my choice so buzz off. just like automatic 18-21% gratuties, not a great way to garner repeat business, especially in this economy!
“The corkage fee is not designed to be a penalty for the diner and should not be viewed that way,” according to Wisegeek
——–
(snort, snicker) Oh no, no no certainly NOT a penalty…just catering to the truly stupid. Because who else would agree to pay $30 to have a server open your own bottle of wine??
Wisegeek should be renamed idiotNerd.
I’m not going to SUPPORT corkage fees here, because I’m don’t enjoy paying extra money…but I do understand why restaurants have them and the purpose they serve. The markup on all alcohol, wine included, is one of the main profit centers for a restaurant. Once I bring a bottle of wine in, that’s a lot of money lost to the restaurant. I’ve already paid for the wine, months or years ago, so a $10 or $15 isn’t off the chart outrageous. Especially considering even a CHEAP ($15 retail) bottle of wine will be in the range of $50 if it’s ordered by the bottle at a restaurant.
We take our own wine just about everywhere when we go out, whether it’s to Outback, or even the Spaghetti Factory ($5 corkage fee there, by the way).
“The corkage fee is usually minimal and is considered a convenience charge to the restaurant for opening and serving wines from outside their cellar. The use of a corkage fee is widespread in many parts of the United States, especially heavy wine producers such as Napa County in California. The corkage fee is not designed to be a penalty for the diner and should not be viewed that way. ”
yeah if it was $10 on a $120 bottle of wine, for a very fine meal then I could see it. $30 is practically extortion. after all they’re storing it in the proper temperature until you’re ready for it to be served, then opening and pouring it for you, but beyond that takes no great effort on their part. sure they’re losing out on any potential wine sales but too bad.
I like the haggling idea a little better - half price and no corkage, period. done!
I’m in agreement with a corkage fee. The restaurant is allowing you to bring in an outside beverage to enjoy with your dinner. They let you use their glasses and the servers pour the wine for you. They are also losing income on the non sale of one of their bottles. Would you bring in a Sizzler Steak to a Mortons and expect to be able to use the table, dishes, etc and not be thrown out?
I have no problems with corkage fees. Yes, $30 is ridiculous. Look you are bringing in your wine to a restaurant. The restaurant is losing out on a wine sale, so yes they should charge you. Why not just bring in your own sodas, lemonade and beer? Nobody does that, so why do you think you can bring in wine and not pay a fee. All you people that think corkage fees are ridiculous, you’re the ridiculous ones.
While I HATE wine corkage fees; yes, TMG… your reasoning about bringing in your own sodas, etc. hit the mark. That’s WHY I pay corkage.
However, I NEVER dine anywhere where the corkage is over $15.
I have no problem with a corkage fee either. As the others have stated, it’s the restaurant’s prerogative to charge you that fee since you are somewhat skulking the restaurant. I do think $30 might be pushing excessive so there must be a happy medium for the restaurant to reach. However, to expect NO corkage fee is a little demanding. You have to think of it from the restaurant’s perspective. As others have pointed out, should I be allowed to bring in my own beer, raw steaks, potatoes, and veggies and then just simply ask the restaurant’s cook to prepare it all for me for free?
Reading these comments, another question comes to mind: does anybody have any theories on why restaurants (in this part of the world, especially) routinely increase the price of wine by 200-300% from the store price? I hate paying $40 for something I can pick up at TJ’s for $13. Is the cost of storage, etc. really enough to justify that outrageous markup?
I don’t have hard facts, but my theory is that it’s pretty costly to run a restaurant in California: regulations, permits, worker’s comp, taxes, lease payments (especially), etc. So I would imagine that alcohol sales are subsidizing a lot of these expenses. Food is expensive as well but I don’t think restaurants routinely mark up the food 200-300% so the alcohol is subsidizing the rest of the operation, because frankly, alcohol is something diners will pay for, isn’t it?. Remember too that a good head chef is not cheap, the make a pretty good stack. Basically, the alcohol is paying for the entire operation.
As a wine shop owner I have discussed this with many in the wine industry. I’ve been told that 3 glasses of wine from a bottle is what it takes to pay for the restaurant’s costs to bring in that wine (all things considered; wine, storage, employee cost.) After that it’s all pure profit.
In my opinion, the reason for the high price off the menu is simply “because they can.”
I am the owner of UnCorked Wine Bar in Rancho Santa Margarita. My business is surrounded by restaurants. Most all of the restaurants near us have deals where if you purchase a bottle from us (UnCorked Wine Bar) they will either waive or deeply discount the corkage fee.
This has proven to be a win-win for everyone. 1) The restaurants do not have to purchase quantities of higher end wines, which would require their upfront cash flow. They do not need to worry about storage or updating wine menus, employee training, breakage, theft, etc.
2) Their customers are able to enjoy a wider variety of wine, rather than be limited to the menu.
3) Even with a corkage fee the diner saves money by bringing their own bottle. A bottle of good Cabernet may cost $50 at the restaurant and the selection may be limited. The same bottle at UnCorked Wine Boutique may cost $28. Most of the restaurants we work with charge a $5 corkage fee (or waive it completely) when you provide a receipt from our shop. So, you can see the savings right there!
While chatting with one of the chefs yesterday he mentioned that those people who purchased their bottles from us ended up ordering more appetizers from them.
Also, most restaurants try to use as few vendors as possible, so their wine selection is often limited to 1-2 sources. If you wish to have an Italian or French wine, but the restaurant has limited themselves to CA wines, the diner is then encouraged to walk over to our shop where the selection ranges from CA, Italian, French, Argentina, Australian, and many smaller boutique wines.
Wine lovers are also able to taste a wine before deciding to buy. How many times have you been disappointed with a glass or bottle of wine at a restaurant, because you were restricted to what was available?
It been a very good partnership for us between the restaurants and their guests.
Not only great information but a plug for your store at the same time
i’m curious how many of those who find wine markups to be gouging buy sodas at a fast food eatery, coffee at starbucks, etc. same concept, just different price points.
i’m a big wine enthusiast and fine with a corkage fee as long as kept reasonable. i particularly like a restaurant that offers a nice wine list and waives corkage if i purchase a bottle from them, win win situation.
Corkage fee!? Why not just bring your own bottle, and when they offer to open it for you at $30 a pop (hmmm…wondering if I meant that pun), just whip out your own corkscrew and say, “No thanks, I’ve got it!”