Oenophiles will see it as an awakening - an opportunity to enhance their fine dining experiences without being restricted to the wine lists offered by their restaurants of choice.

Others will see it as an opportunity to go out for dinner and enjoy a bottle of decent wine without having to pay an arm and a leg for it at restaurant prices- although proposed corkage fees - which may run up as high as $50 - may hike the costs substantially beyond liquor store prices.

Understandably, wine merchants are pretty happy about the announcement last week by Fort Langley-Aldergrove MLA Rich Coleman, who doubles as minister in charge of the province's Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, that ordinary folks will be allowed to bring their own bottle of wine to an approved restaurant and have it served with their dinner, instead of having to pick an available wine at the table.

After all, the move is expected to increase wine sales, and why wouldn't that please the wine merchants?

For a lot of folks, it won't make much difference. They'll still just buy their occasional bottle of wine at their restaurant- if they drink wine at all.

Beer and liquor producers may feel left out in the cold, but surely, they are seeing this as a positive step towards a day when the rules binding them will be relaxed, too.

Some folks will be upset by Coleman's announcement. They will see it as promoting change to the societal attitude towards alcohol in general.

They will be worried about people driving around with bottles of wine.

They will be concerned that it will become easier for people to drink and drive.

And thoughts that it may be one step closer to a more relaxed attitude towards other forms of alcoholic beverage consumption - coupled with the BC Liberal government's insistence on privatizing much of the liquor distribution system - won't make them feel any less uneasy.

- B.G.