Can I decant a bottle of wine before bringing it to a restaurant?

Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.

Dear Dr. Vinny,

Can I decant a bottle of wine before bringing it to a restaurant?

—Cindy, Chicago

Dear Cindy,

First off, remember that not every restaurant allows BYOB, for various reasons (including legal ones in some states, regions or countries). It’s best to treat corkage as a favor, and you should always call ahead and check on the restaurant’s policy. And yes, I mean pick up the phone and call—sometimes websites are wrong or outdated. If you do take advantage of corkage, it’s a nice gesture to order a bottle from the restaurant’s list, in addition to the one you brought, and to offer your server or sommelier a taste of your special wine.

This is certainly an area where you’d want to call ahead and get permission to bring a bottle that’s already been opened. I suspect some restaurants will frown on it—it’s one thing to bring your own bottle, but it’s another thing to not even let the restaurant staff open it themselves. What if you were sneaky and filled the bottle with moonshine, but the restaurant only has a beer and wine license? They could get into a lot of trouble, and there may be other liability issues they have to be concerned with. You can see how things could get complicated …

That said, I understand why you might want to decant your wine before bringing it to a special meal. Some wines benefit from longer exposure to air, and you might just want to make sure your bottle isn’t over the hill (or corked). In that case—and assuming you have the green light from the restaurant—decant your wine however long in advance you think is best, and pour it back into the bottle with a funnel. Stick the cork back in (it’s usually easier if you flip it upside down) or use a dedicated stopper to seal your decanted bottle, and your wine’s ready for transport.

If a restaurant won’t allow you to bring in a bottle that’s been opened, you could always ask your server to decant your wine as soon as you arrive. This will maximize its exposure to air by the time your main course is ready. While you’re waiting would be a great time to enjoy another bottle off the restaurant’s list to go with your appetizer.

I’ve never done this myself—and I don’t necessarily recommend attempting this trick!—but I know some sneaky wine lovers who even use a two-pronged wine opener (called an ah-so) to pull the cork. Unlike a corkscrew, an ah-so will leave the cork intact. Once they’ve decanted the wine, they push the cork back in as far as it will go, and the bottle looks like it’s never been opened.

—Dr. Vinny