Soleil Corkage Policy

Got a reply today from En Azul bin Zainal, GM at Soleil, on the corkage:

Dear Mr,. Brian,

Greeting from Soleil Restaurant !

Thank you for inquiring us for your upcoming dining plan, First of all, apologize for my late reply on your inquiries. As per your request, i attached our wine list for your reference, and as for the wine corkage, yes we do have wine corkage charge at RM100 for every 750ml wine or champagne opened. Please refer to the first page of wine menu for further details.

Please do not hesitate to contact me directly via this email or via my mobile at +60173394339 should you need further assistant.

Thank you

This is taken from the front page of the wine list:

SOLEIL’S Corkage Policy

Soleil Restaurant & Wine Bar brings a diversified range of quality wines to our customers at attractive take away prices. Hence, in the event the wine is consumed in the restaurant we implement a reasonable dine-in corkage which you will find under our Dine In prices to compliment the array of cuisines catered by our talented Chef, Evert Onderbeke.

Corkage fee for wines brought in externally will however, carry a charge of RM100 for every 750 ml volume.

Further, our customers will be entitled to a 10% discount off the takeaway price when you purchase at least 12 bottles from our wine list. And you will also enjoy corkage free while you dine with us and complimentary storage at our sister company SW Wine Depot.

Note: Please allow 3 days’ notice for wine to be transferred back to Soleil from the storage.

Looking at the wine list, there are indeed different prices for takeway wine and consumption at Soleil. In this context, it becomes clear - buy their wines at the takeout price, enjoy a bulk discount and storage and get to drink them here in the future at no corkage. Otherwise, BYO is RM100 a bottle or pay the Soleil premium for buy and drink there (which, looking at the differences between drink in and takeaway, appears to be a straight RM85 across the carte - so Lenglui did hear incorrectly on the RM120. Have to check her source).

The corkage policy does make business sense. Given the ownership link between SW Wine and Soleil, buying wines for storage and then consumption at Soleil becomes a perque for customer loyalty. And the wines selection (massively French weighted) is interesting and catering to a wide range of wine afficionadoes, and the prices not too unfair. So less of an Alamak than first feared and quite competitive compared to others in the same bracket. Have to check when the Baron is up for a tryout.