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So you want to bring your own wine.
There seems to be quite a bit of talk lately surrounding proposed legislation that will allow clients to bring their own wine to a restaurant. Understandably, this has caused a lot of turbulence within the restaurant community. The idea of someone buying wine from the LCBO at retail price and bringing it to a restaurant to consume it, when they could find something suitable on the wine list is, in my opinion, completely unacceptable. Picture, if you will, going to an auto parts store, buying a set of wheels and tires, going to a car lot and ordering a car without wheels and tires and getting a discount. What do you think the sales person would say? You would be lucky if you escaped from the dealership without a footprint stamped on your backside. There is, however, an upside to this proposed legislation, if restauranteurs can put the proper spin on it. If you have a proper wine list and someone wants to bring their own wine, there are a number of things that should be looked at: A: Do I have this on my list? B: If not, can I get it fairly easily? C: If not, is the quality and reputation of the wine up to the quality and reputation of the restaurant? D: If yes, can you and the client come to some sort of mutual agreement as to how much you will be chargingthem to open and serve it in your establishment? E: If yes, go for it! You don't have to pay anyone to go to the LCBO and pick it up. You don't have to pay anyone to put it away. You don't have to pay anyone to count it every month and you don't have to tie any money up in stocking the product. If a restaurant can develop a house policy that is firm yet fair, I think this idea can take off and be beneficial to both sides. In my opinion, if a client would like to bring a special bottle of wine to their favorite restaurant to consume it and they're willing to pay an agreeable corkage fee, why not? Whatever the politicians decide, I hope that it will allow restaurants to stay profitable while still allowing clients to get what they want. Cheers and enjoy responsibly, Jason Ernst |
Peter Lehmann of Australia Peter Lehmann's winery is located in the Barossa Valley in southern Australia, just north of Adelaide. In 1979, Peter Lehmann decided to leave his current job as winemaker for Andrew Garret and branch out on his own with a few of the choice farmers who supplied the Garret winery. Since the winery's inception, his wines have become synonymous for quality and innovation amongst his peers and public. In February of 2004, Peter Lehmann won both best Australian producer and International Winemaker of the year awards, putting him near the top of the ranks among the country's fine estate wineries. His passion for wine and his dedication to his growers certainly shows in the bottle. 2000 Semillon Retail price $12.95 This pale yellow, medium to light bodied dry Semillon exhibits aromas of lanolin and petrol with zesty flavors of lemon and lime. It has balanced acidity with a round, soft finish. Normally grown in cooler climates, Semillon can be quite acidic, however, with the warm climate of the Barossa valley, this product becomes more fruit driven, pleasing a wider cross-section of the public. This wine would be best served with roasted chicken or grilled fish. 2000 Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot "Clancy's" Retail price $17.95 This full, ripe tri-blend offers Bordeaux tradition with an Aussie twist. The Shiraz component gives this wine a ripe, full flavor with just the right amount of spice. The Cabernet gives it some tannin structure and aging potential while the Merlot offers a fresh fruit dimension. This powerful red is aged in oak, softening some of the tannins and imparting vanilla overtones. This wine should be drunk with food, such as braised lamb shank or grilled game sausage (unless you're sitting down in front of a fire, sipping it as you would a nice glass of Port). |
