Some restos illegally selling wine
David McMillan of Joe Beef has challenged other restaurant owners to do a little civil disobedience by selling bottles of wine without food. A lot of higher-end places are sitting on cellars full of wine they can’t legally sell, since the wine is supposed to be sold only along with a sit‑down meal, and nobody can come in and sit down.
Bill Binns 22:48 on 2020-12-10 Permalink
I’m not really a wine guy but do they really think a significant number of people are going to visit a restaurant they can’t eat at to buy a bottle of wine to go? Is the SAQ really that bad?
Kevin 22:57 on 2020-12-10 Permalink
I’ve bought several bottles of wine with my takeout this year.
denpanosekai 23:11 on 2020-12-10 Permalink
Bill: SAQ is super horrible this year. I don’t really care, I’m a beer guy, but driving around I always see massive lineups at the SAQ, especially the one at Atwater (as per article)
walkerp 23:13 on 2020-12-10 Permalink
Can restaurants order wines that you can’t get at the SAQ? If you were a wine person, that would be quite enticing, I would think.
Kate 23:49 on 2020-12-10 Permalink
walkerp, yes, they can. Some restaurants pride themselves on it.
GC 09:35 on 2020-12-11 Permalink
Also, some of us are happy to buy one with our takeout, as a way of supporting the restaurant.
DeWolf 10:07 on 2020-12-11 Permalink
As Kate said, many restaurants have private imports that aren’t sold at the SAQ. That’s true for both beer and wine. And the markup for takeout is usually a lot lower than for dining in, so you aren’t paying much more than retail price. If you like natural wine, wine from obscure regions, or beer that isn’t available through the usual distribution channels (eg Cantillon gueuze or Auval beer from Gaspé), it’s nice to have the option to buy it from a local restaurant.
It’s not just restaurants, either. Paquebot is a really good café that has transformed itself into a kind of dépanneur since we went into red zone. They have a very interesting selection of wine and beer that you can buy alongside frozen meals.
Kate 12:45 on 2020-12-11 Permalink
the markup for takeout is usually a lot lower than for dining in
That’s interesting to know. It wasn’t mentioned in the article.
Blork 12:59 on 2020-12-11 Permalink
It’s a nice idea. Personally, I’m not that fussy about wine so I’m happy enough with standard SAQ orders. We go through two or three bottles a week chez nous, so I’m happy to keep it under $20 a bottle.
That said, I haven’t been inside an SAQ since February. I get it delivered, which is magical AF. The online selection is pretty limited, but they do have a number of items from my “favorites” list so I’m fine with that. And it’s worth the extra $1 a bottle to have it brought right to the door. For some reason it’s always the same driver, and I think he has no teeth because his voice is this soft lispy thing that’s hard to make out, and now he’s wearing a mask too, so that’s always good for a laff.
Meezly 13:09 on 2020-12-11 Permalink
@DeWolf, thanks for the tip about Paquebot, good to know!
Ephraim 13:56 on 2020-12-11 Permalink
Is it really that difficult to sell a sandwich along with the wine and then let them offer the sandwich to the homeless?
Michael Black 14:02 on 2020-12-11 Permalink
David McMillan said in his opinion piece that it’s not as simple as ordering pretzels.
steph 14:15 on 2020-12-11 Permalink
Are we so far from the days of the established resto-bar etiquette – You have to order a side of pickles with your drink, but you never get your pickles and no one ever fussed.
Kate 17:01 on 2020-12-11 Permalink
steph, it used to be a dish of olives or chips at Else’s.
This story from Eater almost three years ago claims that the law was changed so you don’t have to eat any more if you order a drink. If true, then what law is Joe Beef flouting? Allowing the wine to be taken out unopened?
DeWolf 20:44 on 2020-12-11 Permalink
The law was changed but apparently only for in-room dining, not takeout.
DeWolf 20:49 on 2020-12-11 Permalink
Meanwhile in Ontario, restaurants and bars are allowed to sell premixed cocktails for takeout, which still isn’t allowed here. I like to make cocktails and have way too much booze at home, but even so, there are some things you just can’t get as an amateur in Quebec. Falernum is one example – it’s only available at the exclusive restaurant SAQ and you can’t make a lot of tiki cocktails without it. It would be nice to occasionally have a drink that’s out of the ordinary while also supporting local bars.