192592 Mon Oct 22 20:33:04 -0700 2001 8 18 Manhattan 0 1028431 what is a corkage fee? Mon Oct 22 20:33:04 -0700 2001 0 Laura 1 1028433 A corkage fee is a fee charged for wine service if you BYOB. You know, pulling the cork, supplying the glasses, serving the wine. My experience has been that if the restaurant has a corkage fee policy and you bring your own corkscrew, glasses, etc., you still get charged the fee, so in some regard and in some cases, it must also help the restaurant make the necessary level of profit that they are denied when you don't order their wine. Wow, what a run on. Mon Oct 22 23:52:30 -0700 2001 1028431 0 Greg Spence 2 1028439 hi greg, thanks for responding. so what does a rest. charge for that service? thanks Laura Tue Oct 23 10:14:43 -0700 2001 1028433 0 Laura 3 1028444 usually anywhere from $10-$25 depending on the price points of everything else. And I'd feel horribly tacking bringing in my own corkscrew and glasses! :) Tue Oct 23 13:41:21 -0700 2001 1028439 0 Barry 4 1028449 Tacky, yes, but often necessary. Melanie (who travels with 4 dozen wine glasses in the trunk of the car) Tue Oct 23 14:51:04 -0700 2001 1028444 0 Melanie Wong 5 1028454 As so often happens, Melanie makes the point for me. Last week, I went to an Italian restaurant here, ordered a $65 bottle of Barolo, which they very nearly poured into 12 oz tumblers. Those were the only glasses they had! Naturally, we substantially downgraded our wine order. I was introduced to the practice by a kind wine merchant that I used to have lunch with. He'd bring the wines he wanted me to try, along with the appropriate Reidel glasses. What a difference! I try to keep some Reidel tasting glasses in the car if I'm planning to dine out. BTW, I would never quibble over a corkage fee. Tue Oct 23 15:33:45 -0700 2001 1028449 0 Greg Spence 6 1028456 well... lots of good info. i would'nt quibble over a corkage fee. if i'm going to use their glasses and the waiter opens and pours i feel like its worth it. i just don't know if i want to spend 60 or 70 $$ on a bottle of wine that i can get for 20 or 30 $$. and do i want to carry it on the plane? hell no. but we'll be eating at La Caravelle ( which i've had no one give me a response on... thats not good) and i really love a couple glasses of wine with dinner and a yummy drink before dinner, also. i've made reservations at Union Pacific for lunch and would like to see some celebs. anyone got any ideas. thanks so much, Laura Tue Oct 23 15:50:25 -0700 2001 1028454 0 Laura 7 1028555 I'm not sure if I would attempt bring-your-own-bottle at La Caravelle. If you take your own bottle to a place like that, it should be something very special and rare that they wouldn't have on their own list. If you bring a bottle just to try to save money by avoiding the restaurant's wine list, I think management would look askance at that. Thu Oct 25 09:37:02 -0700 2001 1028456 0 Boswell 8 1028577 i think you're right. thanks for the tip. Laura Thu Oct 25 16:49:22 -0700 2001 1028555 0 Laura