In February, we told you about the proposed bill that would permit restaurants to recork unfinished bottles of wine -- essentially, a wine doggie bag bill. This week, Sen. Jud Gilbert's bill was signed into law, effective immediately.

Recorking will mean re-inserting a cork (presumably it doesn't have to be the one that same out of the bottle), down flush with the lip, or sliced off to be flush. The resulting package will still constitute an "open container" under Michigan law, so transporting it in a motor vehicle will require it being in the trunk or otherwise inaccessible to the driver. But as long as you can't take the odd swig while parallel parking, you can take that Gevrey Chambertin home to mother.

Restaurants and wine professionals are welcoming the act. Chaad Thomas, Wine Director at Paesano's in Ann Arbor, said, "Certainly the "Re-corking Bill" is a great thing for Michigan's consumers, restaurants, and economy. More wine will be sold as consumers realize that they now don't have to finish the bottle in order to get their money's worth, or risk running afoul of our Draconian alcohol laws."

He also expressed disappointment with Michigan Liquor Control Commission Chairperson Nida Samona's reaction to the US Supreme Court's ruling on direct shipments. Samona has said that she would rather seek to shut down intrastate commerce completely rather than follow the lead of the many other states that successfully regulate interstate direct-to-consumer wine sales.

"Hopefully," said Thomas, "the "Re-Corking Bill" heralds a more thoughtful and rational era of dialogue on alcohol regulation in Michigan."

To see the bill and its metadata, visit this link: Senate Bill 0199 2005.