As the nation continues to recover economically from the worst effects of COVID-19, some of the folks who always made a living from wine are instituting changes to the way they operate.

The alterations we are now facing include a series of dilemmas for diners as well as headaches for those who own restaurants, many of which had to be shuttered for months or years or had to radically alter the business models to include home delivery and takeout.

The worst-hit segment of the restaurant trade were places that had already purchased young wines that they intended to sell while they were still fresh and lively. Some of those wines never were sold. Many deteriorated.

Moreover, as some office-based businesses switched to work-at-home scenarios, the demand for office space changed. Some businesses stayed with work-from-home employees, reducing their office space needs.

(This put pressure on the real estate market. People in many fields were affected negatively by overall changes in profits and losses, which also altered how accountants had to view tax issues.)

Obviously, the pandemic had wide-ranging consequences for almost all of society. And as restaurants began to reopen, many changes appeared that will alter the way diners face new templates.

So, although it’s easy to empathize with restaurant owners who suffered significant losses, it also is likely that some diners will be irritated by the new wine list programs we have begun to see.

Diners now face a triple whammy from many reopening restaurants:

First, many restaurants now say they won’t stock as many wines as they once did. In one case, an East Coast fine dining establishment that once carried 50 wines on its wine list reportedly said it will shrink that list to about 25 wines, all of which will be younger.

Secondly, as restaurant costs have risen for basic foodstuffs, delivery, rent and employees’ salaries, and other benefits, wine list prices have begun to rise from an already egregious state. I’ve begun to see restaurants charge three times retail. Twice retail used to be normal, and I believed fair.

And the third area of a policy change from pre-COVID-19 times is that in many upscale restaurants, corkage charges are rising significantly. An article in the San Francisco Chronicle a few weeks ago named six upscale restaurants that now charge $50 per bottle for anyone who brings in their own bottle of wine.

I see this as counterproductive because it makes a leap into an area that restaurants think won’t backfire. I believe it will. Increasing corkage charges on busy weekends, but not on slower weekdays, seems to be a better tactic.

A small cafe in Sonoma County went in the other direction a few months ago, offering zero corkage to any diner who brings in his or her own wine, without a limit. The policy has energized a few people to dine there on midweek nights when patronage is slower.

Not many people have taken advantage of his zero-corkage policy, but the few who have (mainly wine industry types) have become regulars because it allows them to explore three or four different wines, leaving leftovers for the staff.

Also, many years ago in San Diego, a clever restaurateur had a policy of offering zero corkage to anyone who brought in a bottle of wine from his or her birth year, even on nights that didn’t represent a birthday.

In addition to higher fees in restaurants, several municipalities now have asked restaurants to include a 2 percent or 3 percent fee on every bill to accommodate for protection of its employees. On top of 8 percent to 10 percent sales tax and the anticipated 20 percent gratuity, diners now are looking at charges higher than they ever paid in the past.

As much as I love dining out, the prudent thing for me to do is to have a special bottle of wine at home, which entails few of the costs mentioned above.

Takeout, anyone?

Wine of the Week: 2022 Balletto Rose of Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($20)—This dramatic dry rose strikes a beautiful balance between crispness and succulence, with the main aim to be to serve it with food. The aroma has a classic citrusy note along with a faint hint of raspberry, and though best when slightly chilled, it actually takes on some subtle red wine elements at room temperature.