BYOB comes to BC restaurants

Photo: Trevor Rockliffe, File Photo

Cheers! Wine is enjoyed at a festival in Oliver, now it's legal to bring your favourite bottle to a restaurant, if the establishment offers the option.

You can now sip on your favourite wine at your favourite restaurant -- even if it's not on the wine list.

Photo: Trevor Rockliffe

Time to to uncork something new.

The BC government Thursday made it legal for you to bring your own bottle of wine to a participating licenced restaurant in the province.

While the move is supported by both the BC and Canadian restaurant and foodservices associations, participation by licenced restaurants is strictly voluntary.

"The government continues to introduce common-sense solutions such as the Bring Your Own Wine program. This gives industry the needed flexibility to get people out and dine more," says BC Restaurant and Foodservice Association CEO, Ian Tostenson.

"More business will result in positive economic impacts such as increased employment and downstream benefits to suppliers of the industry. This is a very innovative, flexible and common-sense policy.

Patrons will be required to have the wine served in the same manner as wine selected from the menu. Restaurants may charge a corkage fee for this service.

The government says, as in other provinces, there are no plans to broaden this beyond wine to include beer and spirits.