Battle Ground restaurant promoting local wineries in unique way
Battle Ground’s South Pacific Café & Lounge introduced a $1 corkage fee for Clark County wines back in January. Viki Eierdam
South Pacific Café & Lounge, the laid back restaurant in Battle Ground known for their Tiki Hut Bar and extensive menu, has come up with a clever way to showcase local wineries.
When tasting at places like Moulton Falls Winery and English Estate Winery, patrons might have noticed the BYOB card. Bring your own bottle of Clark County wine to South Pacific to accompany your dinner and their staff will serve it to you table side for a nominal $1 corkage fee.
It’s standard practice in restaurants around the globe to charge a corkage fee when patrons bring in their own bottle and that fee can range from $10 to $20 and as much as $150 at some particularly high-end restaurants. The fee offsets or covers the cost of using the restaurant’s stemware, opening the wine, caring for it while it’s being enjoyed (I.e. if it’s a white, chilling it between pours) and washing and polishing the glasses after use.
Bring your own bottle of Clark County wine to South Pacific to accompany your dinner and their staff will server it to you table side for a nominal $1 corkage fee. Viki Eierdam
Considering all that’s involved, the $1 corkage fee for local wines at South Pacific just shows how passionate the owners are about promoting Clark County wines.
Launched in January, about 15 area wineries are carrying the card. Simply pick up one (or more) with your wine purchase and bring it and that locally-crafted wine with you the next time you dine at South Pacific.
It’s the hope of general manager, Kevin Taylor, to add a selection of local wines to the menu when it’s reworked in August to further support the growing wine scene but that is dependent on a few factors yet to be sorted out. In the meantime, the $1 corkage program is a fabulous idea that he’s hoping will catch on at other area eateries.
“I think it’s a cool idea that helps our wineries and our restaurant,” Taylor said.
I wholeheartedly agree!
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Viki
I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.