The Merlot To Go law has been in effect since July. At least one enterprising company has created a special bag to put the open container of wine into, which will protect the public as well as the restaurateur.

Participating members of the Marco Island Restaurant Association planned to have these Wine Doggy Bags available today, Sept. 1.

Basically the Merlot To Go law states that the consumers can take home their partially consumed bottle of wine if the restaurant recorks it and puts the bottle in a sealed bag. Someone from the restaurant who can legally handle alcohol then places the bag in the trunk of the car, and the bottle is not opened until the customer reaches home.

Robyn Mortellito of the Marco Island Restaurant Association explained
"Finally someone is thinking," she said. "The Florida Restaurant Association (FRA) was encouraging this law for some time and is glad to see it. This is the best thing the legislature could have done."

Customers can now choose to purchase a more expensive bottle of wine with their meals and slowly enjoy the wine, not feeling compelled to consume the entire contents of the bottle in one sitting. And the patrons can feel that they are getting their money's worth and not leave behind a partial bottle of wine.
Restaurants hope to sell more wine by the bottle and can introduce up-scale and new wines to consumers who wish to try something different than what they can buy by the glass.

According to Mortellito, instructor for Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS), a 150-pound male drinking a five-ounce glass of wine in one hour will have the blood alcohol level of .05. Two glasses in an hour brings the level to .10. The legal limit for blood alcohol content is .08. Since people vary in weight and tolerance to alcohol, the rush to finish off the bottle could lead to intoxication. TIPS is a training certification program used by restaurants to educate their staffs about serving alcohol in a responsible manner.

Restaurateurs hope that people will take advantage of the new law and take some of their wine home rather than drinking in excess at the restaurant. The participating Marco restaurateurs offer the Merlot To Go bags to provide a service to their customers and prevent something from happening to them after they leave the restaurant.

"This is something the restaurants can do for the community," Mortellito said.
The Wine Doggy Bags are clear plastic and will have a sticker on them listing the names of the participating restaurants on Marco Island. There is a pull strip that is removed when the bottle is placed into the bag. Once the bag is sealed it cannot be opened without destroying the bag. This is a safety protection for both the restaurant and the consumer.

Mortellito had samples of the doggy bags earlier this summer and used them at Verdi's.

"People loved them. They were so excited," Mortellito said.

©Marco Island Sun Times 2005

Jake, Robyn Mortellito's dog, doesn't seem to mind that this doggy bag is for people and not doggies.