Corkage Fees | Rules for Bringing Wine to a Restaurant

Bringing wine to a restaurant is a common practice among wine lovers. However, there are some unwritten rules to consider should you decide to do this.

• The wine should be special, something that is unlikely to be on that restaurant’s wine list. It might be a wine from a boutique winery or wine that is available only at the winery. Or, the wine might be one that has been aging in your wine cellar.
• It is always a good idea to call ahead and ask the restaurant about their corkage fee. Fees will vary, but some restaurants will charge an outrageous corkage fee. For example, a recently opened fancy San Francisco restaurant charges $50. Expect to pay from $10 to $20 for a corkage fee. Expect to pay a higher corkage fee for a magnum of wine.
• If you have a bottle of wine that requires chilling, bring the wine chilled in an insulated wine tote bag.
• For a very special bottle, consider offering the sommelier or waiter a taste of the wine.

More Corkage Tips

• A few restaurants will waive the corkage fee if you purchase an additional wine from the restaurant.
• A few wine country restaurants will waive the corkage fee if you bring a wine from the wine region where the restaurant is located. We hope this is a growing trend in the wine country.
• If you are eating at a neighborhood restaurant or any restaurant that does not have a great wine list, you can bring a wine that is not so distinctive, but one that is of good quality and, of course, not on their wine list.