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What is the proper etiquette for sharing wine with your server when you BYOB? When I bring a bottle I almost always offer the server a taste.

I have experienced the following: 1) they bring a glass over and pour themselves a taste 2) they bring a glass and ask me to pour 3) they say they can only taste in the back so I have to leave whatever I'd like them to have in the bottle and let them know we are finished

I don't really have a preference (unless the server pours themselves a huge glass)but was wondering if restaurants have their own policies or if there is a standard etiquette...

Also, I have often heard that servers waive corkage if you share but I have yet to experience this (this is not my motive anyway)...does this often happen to you?

Only time I was surprised that it wasn't waived was when I left almost half a bottle of 03 Pride Claret Reserve.

I don't BYOB very often, but when I do I always offer a taste to the waiter/sommelier. It's a great way to set the tone of goodwill during the meal. I've never had a bad experience with too big a pour, if anything they are respective and pour themselves roughly a 2 oz. pour as a taste. I also make a habit of ordering a bottle off the list. Most every time the corkage is waived. A savvy waiter probably knows that if he comps the corkage some of that will come back his way in the form of an increased tip.

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Originally posted by snipes:
I don't BYOB very often, but when I do I always offer a taste to the waiter/sommelier. It's a great way to set the tone of goodwill during the meal. I've never had a bad experience with too big a pour, if anything they are respective and pour themselves roughly a 2 oz. pour as a taste. I also make a habit of ordering a bottle off the list. Most every time the corkage is waived. A savvy waiter probably knows that if he comps the corkage some of that will come back his way in the form of an increased tip.

ditto... except I don't always order a bottle off the list.

More often than not, corkage is comped, at least partially (like, if we are a table of 6 and have 8 BYOs then they may comp us 4 BYOs) but sometimes it is not comped -- like you, that is not my motivation. But also, like snipes said, if I BYO and corkage is comped, the server will almost always get at least half of the comp back in the form of an increased tip -- often the entire comp.

quote:

Originally posted by snipes:
I don't BYOB very often, but when I do I always offer a taste to the waiter/sommelier. It's a great way to set the tone of goodwill during the meal. I've never had a bad experience with too big a pour, if anything they are respective and pour themselves roughly a 2 oz. pour as a taste.

So in your experience server always pours for themselves?

As for the corkage- agree- if it was comped, they'd see it in tip.

We always offer a pour, corkage or not. It's most often that I pour it for them (per their wishes).

That said, if they waive the corkage, we usually add it into the tip (if the overall service was good).

Corkage, while allowed in a small minority of restaurants around here, is truly an oddity for most servers I encounter. Certainly not part of the dining culture found elsewhere. If the server seems genuinely interested, I offer a taste. Most of the time, the offer is politely declined. At least around here. If the server gives off the impression that he/she is disgusted by the notion that I brought my own wine, and thinks I am just being cheap, then no wine for them. I have no problem in furthering the education of a server who shows an interest in the field. By the same token, I have no interest in wasting wine on someone who could care less. Corkage is never waived for the cost of a taste. Not in my experience anyway.

I usually offer a taste. They usually pour for themselves and only take a small amount, the kind of pour that they would offer you to ensure the wine is OK. Never had the case where the staff took a big pour, but several have declined my offer.

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Originally posted by jgreen:

quote:

Originally posted by snipes:
I don't BYOB very often, but when I do I always offer a taste to the waiter/sommelier. It's a great way to set the tone of goodwill during the meal. I've never had a bad experience with too big a pour, if anything they are respective and pour themselves roughly a 2 oz. pour as a taste.

So in your experience server always pours for themselves?

As for the corkage- agree- if it was comped, they'd see it in tip.

FWIW: In my experience it varies. If it is a server I'm having a really good time with, o whom I already know from past experiences, that person is more likely to pour for himself -- ALWAYS a respectful amount, I've never had omeone pour himself more thn I thought was respectful. If it is someone I'm not too familiar with, generally that person will ask me to pour for him. Since more often than not, I do not know my server personally or haven't already struck up a nice intermittint conversation whith him over te course of the night, it will be the case that I pour. But I'm totally fine either way; as I said, I've never felt that the offer was taken advantage of.

I shared a David Arthur Cab with the sommelier and he waved the corkage. I wouldn't expect this to happen every time though and I made sure to give him a nice tip in exchange for the kind gesture.

quote:

Originally posted by jgreen:

quote:

Originally posted by snipes:
I don't BYOB very often, but when I do I always offer a taste to the waiter/sommelier. It's a great way to set the tone of goodwill during the meal. I've never had a bad experience with too big a pour, if anything they are respective and pour themselves roughly a 2 oz. pour as a taste.

So in your experience server always pours for themselves?
I would say the majority of the time, yes. I've never paid much attention as it's always been table side and has never been an issue. I do make sure the bottle never "heads to the back" for anything.
As for the corkage- agree- if it was comped, they'd see it in tip.

I'll offer a pour, if the server seems wine savvy and knowledgeable. I always pour.

PH

I usually offer a taste. At the places at which we are regulars, I let them pour their own. They never pour too much. At a new place, I pour.

If they express any interest I offer a taste. Usually I'll pour. I wouldn't be upset if they poured.

Sometimes it leads to a comp of the corkage fee, sometimes it doesn't; but that's not the reason for giving a taste.

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Originally posted by Rothko:
Sometimes it leads to a comp of the corkage fee, sometimes it doesn't; but that's not the reason for giving a taste.

Agree.

PH

i only share if they show alot of interest. and if they have a nice rack.

I have experienced all three.

Usually when we are at the club I will leave the bottle after we are done. I generally offer the server a taste especially if interest is shown, like many others.

While I don't always buy a bottle, when we are out, I will usually buy a glass or two of something white or sparkling, as we almost always bring reds.

Far more often than not, corkage is comped, and then simply put back into the tip....

BYOB is quite popular in Montreal. Some very good quality establishments feature this. I almost always offer a pour from each bottle of mine opened. I also agree, it's often considered good etiquette to offer any opened bottles left over for an always very appreciative staff.

At one place I tend to frequent more regularly, I'll offer a pour to both the waiter and the owner. I've received only very positive results from this.

The wines we enjoy the most don't last long when doing an offline or dinner and I don't offer to the server. But when wines are left on the table not taken home I tell the server they are all left for them and the other servers to enjoy when we leave.

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Originally posted by KSC02:
BYOB is quite popular in Montreal. Some very good quality establishments feature this. I almost always offer a pour from each bottle of mine opened. I also agree, it's often considered good etiquette to offer any opened bottles left over for an always very appreciative staff.

At one place I tend to frequent more regularly, I'll offer a pour to both the waiter and the owner. I've received only very positive results from this.

I agree. I think this is good etiquette, especially if the staff are interested/knowledgeable about the wines you are serving.

I always offer a taste to the waitstaff. When we eat at our local favorite restaurant where we are regulars, I also ask the waitstaff to extend the invitation to the chef. He is usually too busy, but occasionally he will come on out to have a taste.

They almost always waive the corkage fee, and if so, it is put back into the tip.

I always offer the wait staff a pour and if it is something special, I'll make sure the Sommelier gets a pour too. I never look to get the fee waived and generally it is not. Love going to the Rutherford Grill on I-29 where there is no corkage...imagine that ..in the heart of Napa wine country...

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i only share if they show alot of interest. and if they have a nice rack.

Similar to Tbird (including the nice rack thing I guess ):

I do not just offer tastes if they do not show any interest. I don't look to do it just to get $10 knocked off the bill or whatever the cork fee is (and that is no guarantee anyway), it's fun to have a little conversation and geek out a little with someone if I'm just with the wife or whatever.

There is no such thing as blind BYO sharing etiquette to cover all situations. If you are paying a cork fee and plan to tip well - that's enough IMO.

If they don't look or want to rap about what I brought, I don't offer. There is some wine pride with me too.

I always offer a taste to the server/sommelier when I bring a bottle (or two ro three)with me to the restaurant. I have even been known to send a glass back to the chef. (There is one restaurant that I frequent that when I make the reservation, I am usually asked "what are you bringing?" One server in particular has told me that because of me he has tasted some wines that he has only been able to read about but never tasted because they are made in such small amounts and highly allocated. He has developed quite a liking for CA PNs as a result.) Sometimes the they pour it, sometimes I do. In fact, if I pour I'm more likely to pour half a glass, when they pour it is usually only an oz or two.

I don't expect to be comped the corkage fee, but am pleased when it does happen. I also make sure that the server gets a larger tip when I BYO to make up for what they lose because I didn't buy something off the list.

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Originally posted by JimmyV:
Corkage, while allowed in a small minority of restaurants around here, is truly an oddity for most servers I encounter. Certainly not part of the dining culture found elsewhere. If the server seems genuinely interested, I offer a taste. Most of the time, the offer is politely declined. At least around here. If the server gives off the impression that he/she is disgusted by the notion that I brought my own wine, and thinks I am just being cheap, then no wine for them. I have no problem in furthering the education of a server who shows an interest in the field. By the same token, I have no interest in wasting wine on someone who could care less. Corkage is never waived for the cost of a taste. Not in my experience anyway.

I don't mean to drift off topic but... I have also noticed that people look at me funny for bringing my own wine here in Connecticut. It's not like I'm bringing cheap wine. I save my better bottles usually around $100 retail when I byob. Do you know of any good restaurants in Connecticut that are actually wine knowledgeable? The last place I brought my own bottle to was Firebox in Hartford. $25 corkage... I think Ruth Chris in Newington has a $10 corkage.