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By Kris Blondin


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Dec. 7, 2008 at 5:55pm

Popping off over corking fees

Get with it, people: It's not a rip off. It's a service.

Posted by Kris Blondin in Wine Etiquitte
Comments (11)

The subject has reared its ugly head again and I must address it – again. Recently a wine bar I am working with presented this dilemma to me and I just about hit the roof. They have customers that complain about their corking fee on retail bottles of wine.

What is the hang-up with corking fees? $10, $15, $20 it doesn’t matter, there are wine drinkers out there that freak out when a wine bar wants to charge them to drink a bottle of wine in their establishment. And I kid you not, they try to make these owners feel like they are doing something dishonest and I want to put an end to it.

Wine bars have retail bottles for sale. The mark up should be anywhere between 25% and 35% to be fair. So at 30% mark up, a $10 bottle of wine cost the wine bar $6.99. Add another $15 and that comes to $25. Did you know most restaurants TRIPLE that retail cost for that same bottle of wine? That’s $30, $5 dollars more than at the wine shop that charges a corking fee.

I am not implying that that restaurant cost is exorbitant either. These businesses have bills to pay. Rent, electricity, gas, wages, glassware, atmosphere, etc. and food sales don’t cut it. Let me put it another way: would you walk into a Safeway or any other grocery store, pull a bottle off the shelf, sit down, have a someone serve you by opening the bottle, pouring your wine into Reidel glass, all while you enjoy contemporary jazz and lovely décor for two hours?

Some bottle shops that are strictly retail but can still open a bottle of wine are different. They do not offer sit down food service. They are in the business of selling wine out the door, and hopefully several bottles at a time. I still think they should charge a little something, but that’s my opinion.

If you want to save some money, drink your wine at home. Restaurants and wine bars should not have to defend themselves for trying to make a living. A corking fee is not unusual. Go to Seattle, Portland, any city of worth and you will find corking fees. So, please give the issue a rest. I beg you. 

Comments (11)

Phillip says:

Corking fees apply to us beer drinkers as well, Kris. I've paid 'em, and it's been worth it every time. I want to be sure that I'm going to drink the bottle I want with the meal I'm having. If I'm in a suspect restaurant for beer, I'll deliver the goods on my own.
1 | Dec. 8, 2008 at 2:09am


Kris, you have opened the door on an issue that baffles me. Resistance to corking fees are symptomatic of a broader issue of how different consumers are with the food service industry than they are in most of their other transactions. For some reason, people get totally bent out of shape on issues at restaurants that would be a minor irritant at best if they were shopping at Nordstrom. How often have you heard somebody indicate that they "will never eat at XYZ Restaurant again" after one visit or a issue they had. If the heel falls off your Nordstrom shoe in the parking lot, you take it back calmly assuming that they will make it right. But for some reason when it comes to restaurants, they approach the transaction with the idea that somehow they are going to get screwed, and when they do, it is the death penalty. Which is really interesting - isn't the idea that you are going out to celebrate life and have a good time? Yet so many people seem to enter the restaurant door with a chip on their shoulder, expecting the worst. Is it any wonder when their prophecy is self-fulfilled?


2 | Left by Squid | Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:22am


Let wine shops be WINE SHOPS and wine bars be WINE BARS.

End all deception and nobody gets hurt.

Really though, I've heard many complaints of people not knowing the corkage charge at places that want to be two businesses in one. Confusing unless your in the know, ya know.
3 | Left by Brian Marzano | Dec. 9, 2008 at 10:37pm


Brian, it sounds like you are saying that a WINE BAR should not be allowed to sell bottles at retail. Or that a WINE SHOP should not be allowed to have a place where people can sit and sip? Personally, I enjoy the "hybrid" shop/bar and willingly pay that corkage.
4 | Left by Squid | Dec. 10, 2008 at 11:49am


Agreed.
5 | Left by AvalonSister | Dec. 11, 2008 at 11:01am


Phillip says:

There's little deceptive about it. Also, almost all restaurants will let you bring in your own bottle and decant it, whether it is wine, beer or liquor. You just need to be willing to pay a corkage fee, which is essentially a seat license to drink your liquor in someone else's place. It's pretty simple.
6 | Dec. 11, 2008 at 7:24pm


We love to bring our own bottles to restaurants and happily pay the corkage fee. I can't find anyone at my house to clean and polish the glasses, set them on the table, open my wine for me, and pour it in my glass. Additionally, I tip my server well since they are missing out on tip income due to me bringing my own wine.
7 | Left by Venus Di Vino | Dec. 11, 2008 at 8:36pm


I will add that at Pacific Grill-- we break over $300 worth of Riedel per month on average...

The average restaurant in the USA makes LESS than 5% profit. In other words--you have to sell about $6,000 worth of food & wine to make that $300 profit to replace those broken wine glasses each month.




8 | Left by Anon | Dec. 11, 2008 at 8:46pm


Squid, perhaps I should clarify a bit. I have no problem with corkage fees, our is $15 per, and I myself have taken a nice bottle of Amarone out with me on occasion.

Playing Devil's Advocate, I will say that I can see how some restaurateur’s "retail" wine wall may come off as being deceiving, and I can understand someone being mislead...that's all. I've heard plenty of complaints and can understand their beef.

9 | Left by Brian M | Dec. 13, 2008 at 12:25am


Interesting, I had no idea you could bring your own bottle to places! I wish I could have beer/wine in Tacoma parks though, I would gladly pay $10 for the privilege. There are so many times when I'm enjoying a bbq in the park/beach when I wish I could crack a cold one legally.
10 | Left by intacoma | Jan. 11, 2009 at 7:00pm


Recently we were charged a corkage fee of $6.00 to take half a bottle of wine out of the wine bar after we tasted it. We paid full price for the bottle and also bought a second bottle to go unopened. Is this customary to charge a customer to recork a bottle and put it in a brown bag to take home?
11 | Left by Confused about corkage | Nov. 28, 2009 at 5:38pm


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