But these days you often get stung with the dreaded C word – dare I say it……corkage – there, I said it.

 

Copping a fee for each bottle is one thing but when you get hit up for each glass used is when it starts to get a bit out of control.  So when is enough, enough?

 

Nepenthe winemaker Alex Trescowthick thinks it fair and reasonable for restaurants to charge $10 - $15 per your own bottle.

 

“If you’re paying ridiculous corkage you feel like you’re getting had,” he said. “When you see they are charging $10 per person and you might only have one special bottle to show off with friends I think that’s when it starts to get a bit cheeky.”

 

Wine blogger and sommelier Deb Pearce has found the most common BYO charges are $5 per person or $10 a bottle in a one hat or 14-15 score restaurant.

 

“I think it’s a pretty good deal for customers because when you think about it there is still someone who serves your wine to you, who the owner has to pay a wage to, and you are using their glassware which has to be washed up which they are also paying someone for,” she said.

 

Restaurant and Catering Australia CEO John Hart says restaurateurs need to charge an average of $16.50 per bottle for corkage just to break even.

 

“If the corkage charge is less than that essentially the operators are subsidising the cost of bringing that bottle of wine into the business,” he said.

 

Diners can often find it a bitter pill to swallow when ordering from an establishment’s wine menu and recognising a label from the local bottle shop which has been extraordinarily hiked up in price.

 

But charging triple the retail price of wine is what the operators need to do to get by, Hart explains.

 

“Even at that level the average restaurant on those numbers is losing money because 47 per cent of every dollar through the door is spent on wages,” he said.

 

While Pearce believes that the mark-up on wines had improved in the past seven or eight years.

 

“Back then it was triple or quadruple but I’ve probably found it’s gone down on average to about double,” she said. “I’ve found wine lists are getting more reasonable in pricing especially with wine cafe/bars you find more moderately priced wines coming in at $35-$40– they are getting much better at it because consumers have become more savvy.”

 

Trescowthick agrees that diners are increasingly more knowledgeable about the wine market.

 

“The wine needs to carry a price tag - that’s the biggest issue we see in restaurants,” he said. “They are still taking for granted that consumers don’t have a very good understanding of wine or aren’t up to speed with what their recommended retailers are.”

 

 

- A lot of restaurants that don't usually allow BYO are willing to be flexible if you have a special bottle you would like to enjoy over dinner.

 

- Make sure you ring the restaurant in advance and negotiate the fee.

- Most restaurants won't allow this on their busy nights so aim for earlier in the week.