Restaurant Wines

[Miki]

Question: In US (or in NY State for that matter) as a customer at a restaurant, can I request to buy their wines and take it home, uncorked? Sometimes, a restaurant is the ONLY place that carry a rare, off the beaten path, obsecure but excellent wines... In this case, can I request to buy the bottle to take home? (legally) How about "socially"?

[Thomas]

In most of the U.S. it is not legal for a restaurant to sell wine for off-premise consumption, especially in New York.

[winoweenie]

Miki, the above goes for about every fine restaurant in the West. The one big draw for a lot of the places is the fact they have an allotment of the boutique " Show-Case " ultra-scarce wines. There was an article that will illustrate this point more clearly in a past issue of WS. A group comes to Bistro Don Giovanni EVERY year and drinks 8 to 12 bottles of Screaming Eagle Cab. The price is somewhere in an area that can only be seen by Shaq.The bill is over 10 G`s.Do you think they would sell any out the door? Case closed. Winoweenie

[Innkeeper]

Although it is not exactly what you are looking for, there are some places that have wine retail stores associated with restaurants. These tend to have most or all of their wine list available for retail. Go down to Wine & Politics, and go back 45 days. There is a thread entitled: Merging Wine Retail and Upscale Restaurants.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 06-22-2000).]

[mrdutton]

Come to Virginia.

The wine for which you are looking is not available here.

Nonetheless, you can enter a restaurant, order a wine, drink a glass and then take the rest of the wine home with you.

[winoweenie]

Also, If you`re ever in Phoenix Anna`s restaurant has a retail store adjacient to the restaurant. Food is good too. Was one of Curmys` favorites here in the valley.Winoweenie