I’ve lobbied for this at the two clubs we are members of.
One is a social club (no golf or athletic component) that has a great wine list (400+ bottles ranging from first growths and American cults to many wines for a weekday meal) but is 100-200% retail. They do have a half price wine night which is great if you want a nice meal out on Tuesday. They were all set to roll out a program similar to others mentioned here but our ABLE Commission got their britches in a bunch about another club’s program so the GM held off.
Our country club has a poor wine list and has fully resisted lockers as the management and board (100% member owned) are very conservative. Make too much money on booze to risk running afoul of the gun toting ABLE commissioners. But, I’ve worked out a deal with our F&B management team where they’ll bring in a limited amount (couples of cases) of wine I want and they’ll hold it in their climate controlled storage unit for me IF I’ll commit to make sure it’s sold within six months. Price is a 100% markup on wholesale (which ends up being around 20-30% of local retail) so they make a profit and are compensated for carry cost. What ends up happening is my friends at the club see what I’m drinking and ask for a bottle next time they’re out. I’ve given the club the go ahead to it like that since it is readily available pop and pour stuff. I’ve never had wine last past 90 days before they sell it all. It’s not my favorite workaround but it’s been good for us, my buddies that are members and the club.
I have a cigar locker at our social club and when entertaining it leaves a nice impression when you pull a nice stogie out for someone. I don’t even smoke. Keep it just for that purpose. Something about giving something to someone out of your own supply versus buying it in front of them is often very meaningful.
Sometimes you just want to go somewhere and have someone else cook. If BYOB isn’t an option a wine locker that makes economic sense is next best thing in my opinion.
So I’m both country club cases, what you purchase has to stay at the club? Would love to extend the right to members being able to buy for home being that we are member owned, but I get the limitations by law I’m guessing.
On the contrary, our club would be delighted to have me take home a bunch of wine I purchased from them, there is no problem (here, anyhow, apparently) with them selling retail. The problem, as I have periodically explained to them, is that I already have a house full of wine I own and like, and at generally better prices.
That said, since they are willing to source even single bottles of wine which might not be available in our immediate city, for many members this is a useful service.
Our club is now revisiting this. One of the few good things to come from COVID was the laws changed to allow for restaurants to sell wine to go without pulling the cork first. That has opened up the potential for a wine locker program.
As chairman of our house committee I’ve taken up this effort.
For those that have these at clubs or restaurants how much do you pay annually? What other benefits do you get?
Interestingly a few companies that sell these pre-built sell conditioned and non-conditioned versions. I would never think of buying the non-conditioned but I’m reading many places have just that because the wine put in most of these aren’t long term agers and many people apparently don’t care. Would you balk at a non-conditioned locker?
Yeah, it really sucks not being able to bring your own wine to a restaurant here in Texas. I’ve been approached about the lockers at various place and just can’t bring myself to do it cause its still so damn expensive and because it plays into the ongoing scam of keeping people from bringing their own wines which those places help perpetuate. Ultimately I just end up cooking at home a lot more than I would if I lived somewhere where I could bring wine out to a great meal. Hence, my BD purchase of Morgan Ranch Wagyu (which was awesome) and my big re-order from them since! But I would love to be able to have amazing restaurant experiences with actual great wines from my own cellar someday here in Texas . . . after not being able to do it since forever, I kinda feel like if its ever allowed, they they could hardly name a corkage price too high for me to pay at this point!
You might already be aware Jim, but there’s a few spots in AZ that allow BYOB. Most notably, Atlas Bistro and Ristorante Giuseppe - both in Scottsdale.
I love MN as I just pay corkage fees and done deal. I have never understood those who have a wine locker in MN as why would you pay to store wine at a restaurant? I have no problem paying $25 to bring my wine in as the restaurant gets $25.00, my server gets a generous tip and I don’t have to pay $80.00 for a crappy California wine.
Our club has a wall locker unit, non temp controlled. Each locker holds 12-18 bottles & is $120/yr. One must be a “wine club” member to get a locker, wine club is $150/yr which includes 12 tastings w/appetizers a year (it’s a screaming deal, imo).
Benefits:
No corkage on personal bottles brought into the club
Club Wine buyer will purchase wine for you at their cost plus 10%, which works out to about 15-20% off local retail. Only good for wines at their distributors. (This is also extended to Wine Club members who don’t have lockers).
Can drink purchased bottles at the club, or bring home (unopened).
F&B Manager will take a bottle out of your locker and stand up, decant, chill per request at any time of the day.
Did the math and one bottle of wine every 2 months at a meal at the club pays for the locker and the wine club. I obviously don’t keep anything in there to age it, for special occasions I’ll drop bottles off in the morning with instructions. I usually have a few bottles of Lytton Springs, Stoller Pinot, St. Supery & Dog Point SB in the locker at all times.
“No way in hell.” However, considering horrible corkage laws, I might have reacted too quickly.
Thank goodness MN legally has to allow corkage so no worries on needing to do a wine locker and get a better deal through a restaurant. If I had to pay inflated prices for wine in another state I would be drinking beer when I dined out. I get paying more for food that I can’t prepare for myself but wine is wine and I don’t need any one recommending a wine for me at 4 times the price.
pretty sure Texas has never allowed bringing wine in. State law is that the only way restaurants are allowed to allow it is if they don’t sell any hard liquor of their own. Strangely, you are allowed to bring wine in (assuming the restaurant allows it) into restaurants that only sell beer and wine or that sell no alcohol at all. So there are a few spots here and there where it is allowed but really, almost no place doesn’t sell their own liquor by the glass so its very very rare that its allowed. Now . . . have I ever heard of someone finding a way to do it through a relationship with a restaurant owner or such to get a special bottle in somehow on a special occasion . . . for sure. But it’s not actually allowed by law to do that.
Crazy question - what do you do if the restaurant goes under or if wines are improperly removed from your locker? I don’t really consider a restaurant equivalent to a bank* vault…
our bank branch decided to shut down, and called us up, giving us 90 days to get out of the safe deposit box. luckily we were in town, but a lot of people use vault services because they are indeed abroad or traveling for extended times…
I have a 24 bottle locker at WS in New York. You store your own wine and don’t pay corkage on the wines (they will also source wine for you). The wine service there is quite good and I find it to be a big plus (I send wine directly to them and they unpack, inventory and store in a temp and humidity controlled room; they will pull bottles and decant hours before you arrive or chill champagne for you).
I have a 24 bottle locker at WS in New York. You store your own wine and don’t pay corkage on the wines (they will also source wine for you). The wine service there is quite good and I find it to be a big plus (I send wine directly to them and they unpack, inventory and store in a temp and humidity controlled room; they will pull bottles and decant hours before you arrive or chill champagne for you).
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