On Thu, 2 Jun 2011 13:07:06 -0700 (PDT), lleichtman
> wrote:

>On Jun 2, 9:27*am, Ed Rasimus > wrote:
>> On Thu, 2 Jun 2011 07:21:14 -0700 (PDT), lleichtman
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>> > wrote:
>> >On Jun 2, 5:49 am, "st.helier" > wrote:
>> >> "lleichtman" wrote in message .....
>> >> >>On Jun 1, 12:03 pm, Earle Jones wrote:
>> >> >> Most good restaurants derive a good bit of their revenue from wine sales
>> >> >> and therefore charge a corkage fee for those customers who bring their
>> >> >> own wine.
>>
>> >> >> One waiter told me that their corkage fee was $15. He also said that
>> >> >> there was no corkage fee if the customer brought a screw-top bottle.
>>
>> >> >> But there is a $15 screwage fee.
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>> >> > I would gladly pay a corkage fee but it isn't allowed in the New
>> >> > Mexico so I'm stuck with whatever is on the wine list and often at 3
>> >> > times retail not wholesale.
>>
>> >> ???? Larry, I am confused???
>> >> What do you mean "it isn't allowed"
>> >> Are you saying that there is a law against BYO restaurants in New Mexico?
>> >> Therefore, if I decided to open a restaurant in Albuquerque, some lawmaker
>> >> could dictate whether or not I could let my customers bring their own wine
>> >> while I reserve the right to charge a corkage fee???
>> >> And I thought that the USA was the home of free-enterprise!!!!!
>>
>> >> --
>>
>> >> st.helier
>>
>> >Yep, State law prevents bringing your own bottle to a restaurant.
>> >Don't know why. I can't get any rational explanation. It protects
>> >restaurants but allows them to charge ridiculous prices. You can,
>> >however, walk out of the restaurant with an open bottle you bought!!
>>
>> Alcohol laws remain largely state-by-state, which can be very good or
>> very bad, depending upon the state. Over the last fifty years the
>> trend has been favorable and each election more areas go "wet" and
>> there is better availability.
>>
>> As I recall, when I lived in NM (long ago, galaxy far away), you could
>> "brown-bag" beer and wine if a restaurant did not have a liquor
>> license. If they did, however, then you had to buy their offerings.
>> There also were beer/wine licenses and full-service licenses.
>>
>> Total licenses for the state were fixed in number, so to open a new
>> facility with a license you had to find a license holder willing to
>> sell his license. Made for a very lucrative market and often the
>> license was worth multiple times what the entire business was worth.
>>
>> Worst state I ever lived in for alcohol laws was Alabama, but that was
>> thirty five years ago. Colorado was excellent except for no beer sales
>> in grocery stores on Sunday before noon. Texas is rapidly reaching
>> into the 20th century with few dry counties remaining and even Dallas
>> expanding the wet precincts last election.
>>
>> Federalism reigns and I still like it better than having the feds
>> involved.
>
>You can no longer brown bag beer or wine to any restaurant liquor
>license or not.

Well, I'll be in Santa Fe for a week, in about ten days. Inn of the
Anasazi and some very fine dining on the agenda. No brown bags in my
future.

Skipping the Compound and Geronimo this vist, but will do Anasazi,
Coyote Cafe (new management last year and back to the glory days!),
Ristra and 315 Wine Bar.

Anybody got other favorites?