BYO Wine Etiquette

This is a good time to discuss proper etiquette when bringing your own bottle of wine to a restaurant. Because tonight I am going to one of my favorites - Paul Manno's in Chesterfield.
Obviously, restaurants make a good profit on their wine and other alcohol offerings, yet, most St. Louis restaurants are gracious enough to let their customers bring in their own wine in exchange for a "corkage" fee, typically between $10 and $25 per bottle, with $15 being about the average. This is what Manno's charges. I have no problem with corkage fees. After all, the waiter opens the bottle, pours the wine and provides the restaurant's glassware.
There are a few more things to remember though:
Call ahead and make sure the restaurant supports BYO. This will avoid an embarrassing situation for you and the restaurant.
If possible, check the restaurant's wine list to determine if the wine you're planning to bring is also on their list of wines. Manno's does not have a website, so that makes this piece of advice problematic for me. I do know they have an extensive Italian list, so I try to stick with domestic or French. You really don't want to be bringing in a bottle of wine that you can purchase at the restaurant. It's poor "BYO etiquette".
Next, try to buy a beverage from the restaurant. This could be a cocktail or glass of wine before dinner, or an after dinner liqueur with dessert and coffee.
Finally, always offer a taste of the wine you bring to your waiter and the restaurant manager or owner. They will usually decline, but not always - especially if it's later in the evening.
Remember these few tips, and you're sure to be welcomed with open arms from your favorite restaurant when you BYOW.
I don't know what wine I'm bringing tonight, but, I usually bring a Pinot Noir and a Cabernet based wine so I can have some flexibility in the food that I order. It also provides backup wine if one of the wines is "off" in some way.

Tom