Q. Can you explain "corkage" and the thinking behind the fees that are charged? What's a fair amount to expect to pay?
A. Corkage is a charge restaurants impose for the diner who prefers to bring his or her own wine for a dinner. Generally, it will range from about $10 to $25. Expect to pay more at an establishment with a substantial investment in its wines. Randy Austin, cellarmaster at Salish Lodge in Snoqualmie, Wash., says about $25 is common at restaurants like his, which has 950 wines dating to 1882 on its wine list.
In exchange for your money, your bottle of wine should be presented with the same degree of grace and service you'd expect if you had bought the wine where you're dining. "You're there for the ambiance, the service and the event" of a fine dinner out, Austin notes.
Why bring your own wine? For me, there are several reasons. Sometimes, a restaurant has a limited wine list. Sometimes, I've already dined there and eaten a dish that seemed remarkably suited to a wine in my cellar that wasn't on the restaurant's wine list. So when I return, I may take along that wine to try with that dish.
And sometimes, I want to take a special wine for a special occasion — a birthday, anniversary or graduation. I occasionally tuck away a special bottle from my cellar with a note on my plans for it. And with a little luck, I'll remember it when the occasion arrives. For example, when my wife and I observe our 25th wedding anniversary later this year, I've got three or four candidate bottles earmarked for the occasion. When we go out for dinner, one of them will accompany us. That will make the occasion even more special.
Q. I had to "hang up my lips" a dozen years ago. But recently I was reading your piece on Woodward Canyon Winery in Wine Press Northwest (Spring 2000). It reminded me that I have a bottle of Woodward Canyon 1981 cabernet sauvignon in my cellar. I also have 1976 and 1978 Ste. Michelle cabs. Is there a market? And if so, how do I access it?
A. The market's there. And here are some ideas on how to tap it from Rich Slocum, owner of the Wine Works wine shop in Kennewick, Wash., and Randy Austin, cellarmaster of Salish Lodge in Snoqualmie, Wash.
To price a wine, Slocum suggests contacting the winery and asking for any history of what a particular wine and vintage might sell for. Woodward Canyon, for example, sometimes has notes tacked on a winery bulletin board from customers seeking a particular wine.
If your particular winery has no price information to offer, ask what your wine might cost if you wanted to buy it from the winery's library cellar. Even if the winery won't sell from its library, someone might suggest a realistic price.
Another price source might be a restaurant with an extensive wine list. As my article on Woodward noted, cabernets from the stellar 1983 vintage were listed at a number of Northwest restaurants for $150 to $250.
On a restaurant wine list, your 1981 — which was at least a match for the 1982 I found on one of those wine lists — might well list for $200 to $250. Subtract the 50 percent markup that's typical for most restaurants — say $60 or $70 for your potentially $200 wine — and you have a starting point that's at least defensible in the haggling you might engage in with a potential buyer.
For your late 1970s Chateau Ste. Michelle cabernets, I wasn't able to find as close a match, but after searching the Wine Press Northwest file of restaurant wine lists, I found a 1982 listed for $110 and a 1983 listed for $95 on one Seattle restaurant's list. Your 1976 was a subtle, surprising wine as it aged. Sandwiched between gangbuster vintages in 1975 and 1977, the 1976 got little notice. But several years ago when I did a vertical tasting of 1975 to 1983 Ste. Michelle cabs with a group of a dozen wine buffs, it consistently was rated in the top three. The 1978 was middle of the pack in that tasting. A price of about $60 for the 1978 and $75 for the 1976 would seem a reasonable starting point.
How to find a market for old wines? Slocum suggests your local classified ads, since many Northwest wines might draw only regional interest. The well-known eBay auction site has a section for wines, and there are specialty Web sites as well. One that I'm slightly familiar with is winealley.com, which appears mostly to focus on French wines but recently had a scattering from other nations. This Web site claims 4,700 members from 103 countries.
Slocum says you also might try a friendly wine wholesaler. And Austin said a restaurant with a substantial wine list also might be interested, so long as the wines have been carefully stored and reflect that. I suspect by the time you've sifted through this many leads, you'll find a willing buyer. You won't get rich, but you'll probably net a substantial gain on your dollar investment.
Slocum and Austin offer a word of caution: It's a crime to ship wine into many states, so don't break the law out of ignorance. United Parcel Service, for example, ships wine to only 23 states, Slocum noted. And Austin also warned state liquor laws must be observed in sales involving licensed premises.
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