(MercuryNews) - Admittedly, bringing wine to a restaurant is an unusual practice. You wouldn't carry in, say, a steak and ask the chef to prepare it. Nor do you bring in beer or spirits. Just wine.

Corkage comes into play when you BYOB. It's the fee that covers the costs of wine glassware maintenance (buying, cleaning, storing) and the server's time uncorking the bottle (legally, you cannot open it yourself). Corkage fees also help establishments recoup money you might have spent ordering from the wine list. Fees run the gamut from $5 or $10 at your local bistro to $150 at Yountville's French Laundry -- although the average is $20 to $30.

Many restaurants put considerable time, effort and passion into creating wine lists, selecting varietals and styles to pair with the chef's menu. By choosing a bottle from the list, you may discover a new wine to enjoy. Handled properly, though, corkage can be a great way to drink what you want to drink when you dine out, especially if you have a special bottle you've saved for celebrating a birthday or anniversary.

Here are tips to make the experience go smoothly.

Call before you go: Inquire about the corkage fee details before you walk in the door. Some restaurants limit you to one or two bottles. Others allow more than one wine if you also purchase a bottle off their list. And a few restaurants do not allow BYOB of any kind

Don't quibble about the cork: Corkage is charged for screw-cap as well as cork-topped bottles, and most fees apply to regular 750-mL bottles. Restaurants may charge double for magnums.

Check the list: When you call about corkage fees, ask if your wine is on the restaurant's wine list. If it is, choose another bottle from your home stash. It's tacky to bring in a bottle that the restaurant already sells. Your safest bets are special bottles -- older vintages or wines you bought abroad while on vacation.

Don't bring cheap wine: It's just not cool to bring a $10 wine. Instead of adding a $20 corkage fee to that $10 bottle, you probably could find a nice, interesting bottle on the wine list for $28 to $35.

Transport the wine discreetly. This is not the time for brown bags. Bring the wine in a fabric bottle bag or nice wine carrier instead. If it's a white, rosé or sparkling wine, chill it at home first.

Offer a taste: Common wine etiquette dictates offering your server or sommelier a taste of your wine. Don't expect, though, to get the corkage fee waived with this gesture.