On Thu 07 Jul 2005 05:23:46a, Nathalie Chiva wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On Wed, 06 Jul 2005 17:25:10 GMT, "Peter Aitken"
> > wrote:
>
>>That's not true at all, and you should know better. Bringing your own
>>wine and paying a corkage fee is accepted practice at many restaurants
>>all over the world.
>
> Well, then, "all other the world" definitely does not include France,
> Switzerland and Italy. Never saw any restaurant in those 3 countries
> which accepted that you bring your own wine - so much so that I had
> trouvle understanding the concept when I encountered it in the US. The
> only exception is stuff like wedding parties: You can arrange with the
> place where the party is to to bring your own wine and then you pay
> corkage.
>
> Nathalie in Switzerland
>

Could it have originated as a result of prohibition in the US? After the
repeal of prohibition by the Federal Government, individual state and
county governments created their own laws regarding the sale and
consumption of alcoholic beverages. IINM, some states/counties still do.
For example, some eating establishments may not sell booze, but they are
allowed to accomodate the patron who brings their own. In some areas
there were no bars, but there were "clubs" where you could keep your own
personal bottle or stock of booze and have it served to you. In some
areas this may even still exist. (Not suggesting that the restaurant in
question fell into this category.)

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974


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