WooHoo! Corkage now legal in Maryland

So what are you waiting for? Take that special bottle to your favorite Maryland restaurant!

Maryland lawmakers may not have been able to solve the state’s budget woes in this year’s legislative session, but they did hand wine lovers another gift. A year after approving direct-to-consumer shipping from wineries, lawmakers approved a bill that will allow “corkage,” the practice of bringing your own wine to restaurants.

Governor Martin O’Malley (D) signed the bill into law April 10.

Allowing corkage will bring Maryland into line with the District of Columbia, which has allowed the practice for years, and Virginia, which legalized it last year (though implementation has been uneven).

The bill contains three conditions, none of which should be restrictive, says Adam Borden, president of Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws, a lobbying group that fought long and hard for both direct shipping and corkage.

• Underage or intoxicated persons should not be served, even their own wine (Duh!);
• A wine already on the restaurant’s wine list may not be brought in (a basic element of “corkage etiquette” widely practiced by wine lovers already); and
• Restaurants must obtain a permit from their local liquor board, at no cost.

Borden says that last proviso is likely to be “a check-off box on a restaurant’s liquor license” rather than a Trojan horse that would allow abstemious county authorities to block the practice.

“I don’t think liquor boards will want to mess with some arduous standard for issuing a permit,” Borden said in an e-mail.

That makes sense, especially since corkage will be used primarily by wine collectors seeking to enjoy a special bottle with food from a favorite chef. Although, if more people brought moderately priced, currently available wines, restaurants might see what their customers are enjoying and diversify their lists. Prices might come down, too. That would be a win-win for diners and restaurants – more wine business, and better prices and selection.

One restaurant welcoming the change is Volt, Top Chef Bryan Voltaggio’s high-end restaurant in Frederick.

“Volt is a destination restaurant for many of our guests and based on our nightly reservations, many choose to celebrate a big occasion with us,” says Volt’s wine director, Jill Zimorski. “If not being able to bring in a special bottle of wine from home would send them elsewhere, then I’m glad that is no longer an issue we have to contend with.”

Some things to remember: Restaurants will be able to allow you to bring wine in – they are not required to do so. Even after the law takes effect, it will be advisable to call ahead and ask whether the restaurant will welcome your wine and what fee they will charge for opening it and serving it to you. The Maryland bill does not specify a minimum or maximum fee.