WINE: Corked off at extra fee

Recently while taking a break with my co-workers, the subject of “corking” came up. It seems that several of Coeur d’Alene’s finest restaurants are charging a fee ranging $6 to $20 to pull the cork from either their own wine that they sell, or the wine you bring to their restaurant.

I guess I somewhat understand why they charge for uncorking a bottle that a customer brings in, but why charge to uncork a bottle that the customer buys at the restaurant?

It seems to me that the Coeur d’Alene restaurants are borrowing a page or two from the airlines handbook on how to piss off their customers. Prices already seem to be on the steep side for most of the locals, so adding a corking charge must be a “California” thing. I don`t know about the rest of the crowd, but my dining out habits will soon be changing to reflect these extra restaurant sir charges.

Buying wine, steak, lobster and salmon is so much cheaper at a grocery store compared to what you pay nowadays at a restaurant, and for the $20 I now have to pay for a waiter or waitress to uncork a bottle of wine for me that was purchased there. Well, that buys me a pretty good bottle of wine to enjoy at home while grilling some steak and salmon.

The only people who may like this idea of a corking charge is the Idaho State Patrol, as it will keep wine drinkers home.

BOB BECHTEL

Athol