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+--- Thread: burlap sack (/thread-15793.html)
- Georgie - 07-11-2003
Last evening we ate at a terrific Spanish/Portugese restaurant. We toted along a Chilean wine, the name of which, I, have unfortunately, forgotten. The wine was delicious and I intend to go back to buy more at the $8.99 price tag. The bottle was wrapped in a burlap sack and proved to be rather challenging for the poor waiter to get past in order to uncork the bottle. I have two questions: 1. What purpose, if any, does the burlap serve? and 2. Should I have taken off the burlap at home?
- thewoodman - 07-11-2003
Does the restaurant not serve wine? No offense, but if so, I probably would have left the whole bottle at home, including sack. There are so many good and reasonable spanish (and portugese) reds even at restaurant prices.
- Georgie - 07-11-2003
It's a BYOB place, No liquor license. If the restaurant served wine I would NOT have brought my own.
- thewoodman - 07-11-2003
My apologies Georgie for questioning your etiquette. I believe the wine may have been Eyzaguirre (SP?), although I may be mistaken. What the burlap is for, I have no idea, other than marketing, and next time I guess you probably should cut it off before leaving the house, or bring the instructions from http://www.wineinthesack.com/instruction.htmlIt is a good choice at 8.99, but I'd still go for a Spanish red.
P.S. - I'm kind of jealous for a good BYOB restaurant. We have none that I know of in Sacramento, and very few with a decent and reasonable wine list.
[This message has been edited by thewoodman (edited 07-11-2003).]
- Kcwhippet - 07-12-2003
Aren't virtually all restaurants in your area BYO, Wood? I've brought bottles to places like Biba's and the Slocum House (Folsom) with no problems.
- winoweenie - 07-12-2003
I too have brought wine to many restaurants in your fair city. The only caveat is take something special and make sure it's not on the wine list. A modest corkage is to be assumed. WW
- thewoodman - 07-12-2003
I'm using Georgie's definition of BYO, i.e. you can only bring your own. It would be nice to eat out once in a while with only a sub $20 investment in wine.
- Thomas - 07-12-2003
In New Jersey the state liquor authority regs have seen to it that a finite number of licenses are issued in each locality; when the number is reached, new restaurants are out of luck. The only way for a new joint in that locality to get a license to serve alcohol is for the new one to buy an existing joint.
And so, while more and more people dine out, and more and more restaurants open up, in NJ most of those restaurants cannot serve alcohol.
[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 07-12-2003).]
- Georgie - 07-12-2003
Thanks for the clarification, foodie. I only know what goes on here. We do have many restaurants that allow you to BYOB. If it is allowed it, is customary for the wait staff to uncork the wine, supply glasses and even pour. If I'm not sure, I always call ahead to see what the policy of the restaurant is. So, in answer to my questions...the sack is purely decorative and it would be kinder to remove it at home?
- Georgie - 07-12-2003
Woodman, that is indeed the wine I had...the 1999 Merlot. Thanks for the link. It had a review by Robin Garr and a nice little article by Jerry Mead about the wine in a sack.
- Bucko - 07-12-2003
Who the hell buys a wine in a burlap bag, for crying out loud? Did you wear flour sacks to school like my mother? Were you abandoned on the doorstep of Boris and Natasha? Did you see WW in shorts (horrors)? [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]
Why DO they put wines in burlap and woven baskets and the like? There has to be some historical reason.......
- Georgie - 07-13-2003
You're a piece of work, Bucko. Read Jerry's article mentioned above. It's funny and it gives the historical reason for the sacks.
- winoweenie - 07-13-2003
Has had a great influence on his satorical influences Georgie. WW
- Georgie - 07-13-2003
I guess the grapes don't fall far from the vine.