BYO'n some Rhones question

[Tom V]

The wife and I and a couple of friends are going to a real nice, long time established, Italian restaurant on Friday evening and I am bringing along a '93 Beaucastel and an '85 Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde. I plan to decant them and then pour them back into the bottles an hour before leaving for the restaurant, and I was just wondering if anyone has happened to have had either of these wines recently and if they might have some feedback.
It had occurred to me, also, that it might be possible that some restaurants might look askance at the already opened bottles, anyone know if this is generally considered acceptable?

[Rahsaan]

Why don't you just ask the specific restaurant?

I've certainly seen this done in many wine dinners I've attended over the years.

[Tom V]

Why don't you just ask the specific restaurant?

I've certainly seen this done in many wine dinners I've attended over the years.

Yeah Rahsaan, Actually, I did it myself once but it was a very casual restaurant. I was just kind of wondering if it might be considered bad form. Then again, I'll always offer a taste, so they'll know I'm not refilling some old bottle with Yellow Tail just to beat the wine cost!

[Dale Williams]

I've probably brought double-decanted wines at least 50 times to restaurants, never had a complaint, but have read of problems elsewhere (CA).

[Tom V]

I've probably brought double-decanted wines at least 50 times to restaurants, never had a complaint, but have read of problems elsewhere (CA).

Well Dale, I'd say 50 times is a pretty good sample size! I guess ,then, the only time you might have problem is if the restaurant was allowing a cork charge but really objected to the concept regardless... and if I picked up that vibe, I wouldn't be back again!

[Lou Kessler]

It's no problem in CA, especially here in Napa. NYC I agree why not call.

[Tom Troiano]

I'd be a bit careful with the '85 Guigal CR BeB. I've had that wine at least 20 times and I don't think at this point in its evolution its giong to benefit from a lot of time.

[Tom V]

I'd be a bit careful with the '85 Guigal CR BeB. I've had that wine at least 20 times and I don't think at this point in its evolution its giong to benefit from a lot of time.

Appreciate that input Tom. So if you were in my shoes you'd not decant beforehand but just have it opened at the restaurant, trading off perhaps a bit of sediment and avoiding the chance of the wine dying on route?

[Tom Troiano]

How far away is the restaurant? I like your idea but I'm just not sure an hour plus is a good thing in this case.

[Richard Fadeley]

Why would you take anything but Italian wine to an Italian restaurant? "When in Rome....", and I don't think you will have any problem with the wines, as long as they are not on their list. Take a nice Chianti or Nebiolo and enjoy, or plan on ordering off the list. Please report back.

[Tom V]

How far away is the restaurant? I like your idea but I'm just not sure an hour plus is a good thing in this case.

I let your experience with this wine kind of guide me, popping and decanting the wines immediately before leaving for the restaurant which is only about 20 minutes away. The Guigal was heavenly, beautiful mellow aged red in perfect balance. It was the more enjoyable wine of the two as the Beaucastel was harder and maybe a little bitter, this one may have needed a long decant, which the next bottle will get.

[Tom V]

Why would you take anything but Italian wine to an Italian restaurant? "When in Rome....", and I don't think you will have any problem with the wines, as long as they are not on their list. Take a nice Chianti or Nebiolo and enjoy, or plan on ordering off the list. Please report back.

That, Richard, is a great question, and I can see why you would ask it. The reason I didn't bring a couple of lovely aged Italian bottles from my cellar, which I certainly have, has to do with the restaurant we were going to. This Italian restaurant in Long Island City Queens has been around for probably 50+ years. Always known for it's Italian wine list, which although pared down somewhat through years of attrition, is nonetheless still formidable, I wanted to avoid bringing a wine which might be on the list or have a close equivalent on the list. At the very least, that would make me uncomfortable.

While they allow for a cork charge I do get impression that the cellar manager would much rather you picked something off the list, and I think this preference is not strictly fiscal but is also due to his enthusiasm that you share & appreciate the offerings. As a wine enthusiast & collector for 25 years, I on the other hand, naturally prefer to enjoy my cellar jewels.

Of course, there is a monetary side to my preference too. I saw a Barolo on the list which was a mid 90's equivalent of an '82 in my cellar and it was priced at $160. Two bottles like that would be $320. which with tax and tip would come to $410 just for the wine portion of the meal. Not in my budget.

The wines did go well with the meal though Richard. Everyone ordered a meat entree, so the Rhones were nice with the steak, veal marsala, and roasted suckling pig.

[Tom Troiano]

I let your experience with this wine kind of guide me, popping and decanting the wines immediately before leaving for the restaurant which is only about 20 minutes away. The Guigal was heavenly, beautiful mellow aged red in perfect balance. It was the more enjoyable wine of the two as the Beaucastel was harder and maybe a little bitter, this one may have needed a long decant, which the next bottle will get.

Glad to hear it!! I'm happy it worked out well.

[Clint Hall]

In Washington State, anyway, bringing pre-opened BYOBs to restaurants can be done, but my experience is most managers and waiters will claim it's against the law, and most of the time they give me at least a bad time about it before grudgingly pouring the wine.

I took the trouble a few years ago of running down an extract from the Washington State Liquor Control Board Restaurant License Handbook, and under a paragraphe titled "RECORKED WINE" it says, "A beer and/or wine restaurant may allow the customer to bring their own wine into the restaurant for consumption with a meal. The restaurant may charge a corkage fee. (WAC 314-11-065)." That's not as clear as I'd like it, but the RECORKED WINE paragraph title seems to indicate that bringing recorked wine is OK, so if I waved this in the face of a waiter I'd probably win the argument -- but who wants to start a meal that way. In any case the handbook doesn't say a customer has a "right" to bring a pre-opened bottle, so diplomacy is called for.

[Bill Spohn]

That 85 is getting decidedly delicate. I wouldn't open in ahead, and in fact I'd consider taking something else instead and keep the Guigal for a home event (where you have a back up). If you value RP's opinion, he judged it fully mature the last time he tasted in in 1997. I've had mixed success with aging this wine - had to ditch a half case of prematurely deceased 1996 a few years ago, for instance. Your 85 will probablu emulate a very mature Burgundy - whether a live one or a dead one, only you can say.

The 93 Beaucastel was drinking beautifully the last time I opened one, BTW. The B&B wouldn't stand up to it on its best day.

[Tom Troiano]

The B&B wouldn't stand up to it on its best day.

Well, that wasn't the case this time!