Do you prefer to go to a BYO restaurant or choose from a wine list? I've often wished when looking at a wine list that I'd been able to bring a bottle from home but then it's nice to be able to try new wines although it's annoying if you pay a lot for one then don't really like it. I do like restaurants that allow you to buy wine by the glass in case everyone at the table has different preferences. Sometimes the corkage charge on BYO is over the top though!
BYO? Really? Wow, we don't have any restaraunts around here that will let you bring in your own bottle of wine. That would be really nice to be able to do that. We are fortunate enough that they do let you purchase wine by the glass so that is usually what we do. I usually select a type of house wine that I am familiar with like a chardonnay or a cabernet sauvignon so no matter what winery made it, I know what I am getting. the house wines are usually more affordable and some are actually pretty good.
I've only been to a BYO once, and it just so happened that there was a winery next door to it, haha! It was actually quite lovely, and I wish there were more analagous restaurants around my way. I can't even go back to that one, because it closed about three or four years ago.
I think I would feel silly showing up to a restaurant with my own bottle of wine to be honest. I would imagine the chef and owner went through some time and effort in pairing their wine list with their menu - and it would seem like somewhat of an insult to walk in with your own bottle of wine. I've been to restaurants where they don't even let you substitute anything on the menu items (though you can request things be removed from them). I'm guessing the "corking fee" is just to make up for the potential revenue they are loosing by you bringing your own bottle instead of purchasing one from them, kind of like when restaurants charge a fee for sharing plates.
