Time To Celebrate- No Corkage Fees!!
Yes, I am cheap. And yes, I love me some good wine at fair prices. Unfortunately, many restaurants have huge markups for wine, with prices at sometimes three (or more) times retail. Other beverage options are cocktails or beer, and often I am not in the mood for pairing my dinner with either choice.
So, the other option is to bring your own wine and pay a corkage fee, with the industry standard being $20. While I will pay the $20 for the right to bring my own wine to dinner, I would prefer to not pay a corkage if possible, especially if I am spending a significant amount of money for dinner.
My neighbor Paul is a genius for “creating” great service, as he engages the servers immediately and is very friendly. The following list is adopted from Paul’s expertise in cultivating a great, positive atmosphere at a restaurant.
While not foolproof (i.e. Nostrana never seems to waive the corkage), follow these six steps for a higher probability of having the corkage waived:
1. Ask. Simply ask the server if they will waive the corkage fee if you purchase another bottle on the wine list. Bar none, this direct strategy is the best one and has the best success rate because the server knows you are at least buying one bottle and the restaurant is not “losing” money. This is great if you have four or more people because you can order a (usually) cheaper white while bringing a more expensive red.
2. Share. Most servers are trained at least a little on wine tasting, and appreciate trying new bottles. Be sure to ask the server to get a glass so they can try the wine, and I will tell a brief story about the wine or what the occasion is (i.e. birthday, anniversary, etc.).
3. Buy another bottle. See item number 1, the server is more likely to waive if you buy a bottle on the list.
4. Bring a unique bottle. It helps to bring a bottle that is not on the wine list and that is special to you, as you have an excuse to bring it. Do not bring a $10 bottle from Fred Meyer just to save money. It also helps to be chatty and friendly with the server and tell the wine’s story.
5. Become a regular. Just like in “Cheers”, it helps when the staff know your name, so become a regular to get better service.
6. Tip well. If you get the corkage waived, use some of the money saved and tip your server well, especially if you want to come back! I understand restaurants need to make money, and some may not waive the corkage fees no matter if you follow these steps or not, but I appreciate tremendously when they do waive the corkage and will usually tip an extra $5-$10. I will also get the servers name and request their section the next time I come back.
We have experienced success with these tips at Wildwood, 50 Plates, and Toro Bravo has a $10 corkage which is totally acceptable. Let us know if you have other corkage success stories!
No Luck Here...
