Saved by the bottle

There’s an unwritten rule about bringing a bottle of wine to a restaurant that has its own wine list, and that rule is this: You don’t do it. Yes, these restaurants offer corkage fees (usually $20 to $25 per bottle), and that would make it seem as if they’re cool with you bringing in your own booze. But when you do, they lose money, and you look cheaper than Carlo Rossi. The only exception to this rule: when you have a really special bottle the restaurant doesn’t carry.

Luckily, special is a relative term—we think saving gobs of cash on wine is pretty special. So we wondered: Is there a way this rule can work to our advantage? Is it possible to find a great bottle of wine comparable to one the restaurant offers, but which costs much less, even after you’ve paid the corkage fee?

The answer is yes—if you mimic these formulas.

BLACKBIRD

They offer 2007 Sineann “Resonance” pinot noir
Total cost $143

You bring 2003 Eyrie Vineyards Reserve pinot noir*, $50
Corkage fee $25
Total cost $75

You save $68

*Same area, same grape, better vintage!

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