On the Move

By Eagle staff
August 24, 2005

A weekly roundup of business news.

— Local restaurateurs have reacted positively to the new Florida law — affectionately dubbed the "Merlot to Go" law — that allows diners to take unfinished bottles of wine home with them.

Instead of lamenting possible lost sales, restaurateurs believe the law will discourage people from guzzling wine they've bought at a restaurant because they don't want to waste any of it.

In addition, restaurateurs say the Merlot to Go law will promote safety on the roads, because diners can enjoy a couple of glasses of wine and stay within drinking-and-driving limits.

"It will mostly apply to the higher-end wines," said Joseph Oliverio, president of the Marco Island Chapter of the Florida Restaurant Association. "Diners can make use of the wines by taking them home."

Association Secretary Robyn Mortellito said Aug. 16 that the relaxation in the law will prevent people from "guzzling," and that it is good from a public safety standpoint.

"People won't feel intimidated they'll have to drink a whole bottle of wine, and can then enjoy the rest in their own homes," Mortellito said. "We at the association thrive on the safe serving of alcoholic beverages."

Mortellito said she teaches a regular class on that issue called TIPS (training intervention procedures), which schools waitstaffers on how to take reasonable efforts to prevent people from drinking too much at restaurants.

Mortellito said the law also "will be good for couples who might like different types of wine. A man might like a red, and a woman a white, so they can buy the bottles and take them home."

She said the new law effectively doesn't force people to drink, but makes them drink sensibly.

One peculiar aspect, she said, is that waitstaff are supposed to seal the recorked bottles in a plastic bag and place them in the trunks of customers' cars.