I love fine food.  I enjoy great wine with fine food even more.  I am often disappointed when the wine list at an establishment is “weak” in comparison to the food being served.  I am even more disappointed when I pay excessively more for a mediocre bottle of wine at these establishments.

One practice I have always applauded dining establishments for is a BYO policy.  That said, such a policy permits you the patron to bring your own wine to the establishment for consumption.  You will usually pay a fee per bottle called a “corking fee”.  Even with the fee, BYO has several advantages:

1. You know what you will be drinking – no guessing off the wine list (that’s a different post altogether);
2. You won’t be overpaying – even with the corking fee;
3. The wines you bring will often be conversation starters.  What’s a better way to start a relationship with a dining establishment than to allow them to understand what you, the customer – likes?

That said, don’t go bringing your $5.00 bargain bin wine to the establishment unless they don’t serve wine at all.  I’d consider this rude.  I’d also consider bringing a wine you know they establishment has on its wine list as rude.  If it’s a common bottle AND you know what it’s price point is AND you are going to drink a bottle – then ask to speak with the wine steward or manager and work out a deal.

If it’s an uncommon bottle and they have a wine steward on staff – offer a taste.  This just builds a relationship and that relationship will benefit you in the long run – especially if you are a frequent patron.

So how do I find a BYO establishment in my area?  You may find them in various reviews on Yelp, OpenTable or Zagat.  You are better off calling and asking if they have a BYO policy.  Or you can use this handy website that someone recently pointed me to…. GoBYO.com.

Try it out. Post your thoughts or better yet – tell me your best BYO story.

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Since posting, I have found these related articles elsewhere:

http://www.winetastingsandiego.com/