Celebrating a special occasion at a restaurant, but want to open that bottle you've had saved in your cellar all these years?
Once upon a time, this situation would have put you at odds with the restaurateur, who, after all, is in the business of selling wine. But as diners become more enthusiastic about their wine choices, customers increasingly want to bring their own bottle. Nearly 550 restaurants in the metro area, out of 2,351 surveyed by www.gobyo.com, allow patrons to bring their own wine.
That's 23 percent of all restaurants and puts Atlanta seventh on the list of the 10 cities surveyed, ahead of Boston; Washington, D.C.; and Dallas. Leading the list at nearly 60 percent is San Francisco. We visited six area restaurants that allow guests to bring bottles. We talked with the owners about BYOB and requested a signature dish and a wine pairing that's not on their list.
Muss & Turner's
Eclectic Southern
Lunch and dinner Tuesdays-Saturdays
$15 corkage fee
1675 Cumberland Parkway S.E., Smyrna
770-434-1114
With a selection of 50-plus wines with everything from Washington State silvaner to Brazilian pinot noir (most in the $25-$45 range) co-owner Ryan Turner understands why people might want to bring in their own wine — or beer for that matter.
"Typically, the people who bring their own bottle want to have a great food and wine experience," Turner said. "A lot of times, they want to share the wine with me and/or the server .... It is not so much they want to negate the tab."
Signature dish: house-cured charcuterie plate with meats from River View Farms in Ranger.
Wine pairing: 2006 Linne Calodo, Sticks & Stones, Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah, Paso Robles, Calif.
Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails
Southern/New American
Open daily for dinner
$5 corkage fee
780 Mayfield Road, Alpharetta
770-817-0161
"Our job is to make our guests happy," said manager Jimmy Carter. "Ours is an experiential-type dining. Having them bring in the bottle of wine that's special to them is really what we're all about in building the experience."
In fact, Carter, who is a bit of a wine-hound, enjoys getting a taste of what his customers bring in, but there's also a practical side to tasting new wines. "We ask that they reserve the manager just a small taste just to see if it is something we might want to bring in the future if our guests are enjoying it."
Signature dish: blackened scallops with pimento-cheese grits topped with tomato and red onion salad tossed in ginger-basil vinaigrette
Wine pairing: 2008 Trivento Torrontés, Mendoza, Argentina
Parish
Cajun
Open daily for dinner
No charge for corkage
240 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta
404-681-4434
"We want [guests] to be happy and comfortable, and if that means bringing in their preferred bottle of wine, so be it," said manager and wine buyer Justin Amick. The drawback to no corkage fee, Amick said, is that many customers do not adhere to the unspoken guideline to tip their server as if they did buy a bottle from the restaurant.
"The servers are not as excited as I am about the zero corkage, but I like to see what wines they're bringing in, even if it is an inexpensive bottle," said Amick, who gets a better sense of what diners enjoy with Cajun food. "Not everybody is aware that they are not tipping on the sale of the wine, but on the service, like when special glassware is needed or if the wine needs to be decanted."
Signature dish: creole steak — filet mignon with Pernod creamed spinach, smoked tomato béarnaise and roasted tomato relish.
Wine pairing: 2005 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France.
Aria
American
Dinner Mondays-Saturdays
$25 corkage fee, limit one bottle
490 E. Paces Ferry Road, N.E., Atlanta
404-233-7673
Gerry Klaskala wants you to enjoy your time at his restaurant. If that means bringing a bottle that's special for you, that's fine with him. He wants you to know, however, that Aria's wine collection is also worthy of consideration.
"We put a lot of thought into selecting wines, choosing bottles that pair well with our food and that are not easily found around town," said Klaskala. "We think that our wine list is as important as the menu when it comes to our guests' experience."
Signature dish: lobster salad in a creamy tarragon vinaigrette with fennel, green apple and lime
Wine pairing: 2006 Didier Dagueneau, Pur Sang, Pouilly-Fumé, France
Gilbert's Cafe & Bar
Mediterranean
Open daily for dinner
$10 corkage fee
219 10th St. N.E., Atlanta
404-872-8012
Gilbert Yeremian and his brother, Sean, welcome guests with their own bottles, but most diners leave the wine selection to the brothers.
"We spend hundreds of hours working on our wine list," Gilbert Yeremian said. "We encourage our guests to bring their own wine if they have a special reason, but at the same time they know they're going to find something on our list that they like."
Gilbert's guests get a lot for the $10 corkage fee. "We are on the casual level, but if the wine is special or significant, I do have a second-tier of glassware that we are happy to bring out."
Signature dish: grilled lamb tenderloin with herb-roasted red potatoes and sautéed vegetables
Wine pairing: 1997 Opus One, Oakville, Calif.
Panahar
Bangladeshi
Open daily for dinner
No charge for corkage
375 Buford Highway N.E., Atlanta
404-633-6655
Since his restaurant does not serve beer or wine, Mirza Chowdhury encourages his guests to bring their own.
"It is about choice," said Chowdhury. "Even if there was a wine list here, I'm sure there would only be limited choices. This way they are drinking exactly what they like regardless of the cost."
About two-thirds of Panahar customers bring their own bottles, said Chowdhury, who often helps customers with their selections over the phone. "I like to suggest food-friendly reds, like malbec, or for whites a chilled gewürztraminer or a simple liebfraumilch goes with this type of food."
Panahar recorks unfinished bottles and puts them in sealed bags so patrons can secure it in their vehicle's trunk, per Georgia law.
Signature dish: fish dopiazza — a boneless fish fillet sautéed with ginger and garlic, topped with chopped cilantro and grilled onions
Wine pairing: 2006 Gascón Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina
Gil Kulers is a certified wine educator with the Society of Wine Educators and teaches in-home wine classes. You can reach him at gil.kulers@winekulers.com.
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