As of September 20, 2006, Ohioans have been able to re-cork and take unfinished bottles of wine home with them from restaurants and wineries. This new law will enable wine drinkers to finish their wine at home at another time, instead of feeling like they must finish a bottle that they paid for and then driving home. I don't know how many times Gary and I have simply ordered glasses of wine instead of ordering an entire bottle. At many wineries, two glasses of wine costs just as much (and sometimes more) than a full bottle of wine. We often felt like we were wasting money, but didn't want to drink a whole bottle. Now everyone can have their wine...and drink it too.

The first time we came across this type of law was last year in Pennsylvania. We were visiting Christian W. Klay Winery and had attended a murder mystery dinner there. Before we left, we went into the retail store to buy a bottle of wine to take back to our hotel with us. Sharon Klay was behind the counter...and she asked if we would like the bottle opened before we left. We told her that would be alright, because we were staying at a nearby hotel and we had walked to the winery. She told us that it would be alright even if we were driving. In Pennsylvania we were allowed to take open wine with us as long as it was re-corked. 

Since then, we have encountered two more states with similar laws. Virginia also let us re-cork wine and take it with us...as well as New York. In New York, the bottle must not only be re-corked, but placed in a sealed bag. Bully Hill Vineyards did this for us after we had a meal there and wanted to take our unfinished bottle with us. The bottle was placed in a bag, which folded over at the top with an adhesive seal. This helps prove that you were never driving with an open container. The new Ohio law states that the cork must be resealed with a label or tape and placed in the locked trunk of a car. If the vehicle doesn't have a trunk, the bottle must be placed in the back seat out of the reach of the driver.

The new Ohio "Merlot-To-Go" law certainly makes a lot of sense. The main purpose is to prevent over-consumption...but it also helps customers buy wine in the most cost-effective manner, which is by the bottle. So go ahead Ohio...you can now take it with you.