Restaurant customers who enjoy sipping wine during their meals no longer have to worry about polishing off the bottle due to a recent bill signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Thursday allowing people to take home their leftovers.

Bill 199, also known as the wine doggy-bag bill or "merlot to go," allows customers to take their leftover wine home as long as the bottle is resealed.

According to a press release from the Michigan Restaurant Association, diners are more likely to consume an entire bottle of wine at the restaurant in order to get the full value of the purchase.

Lansing resident Earl Stevens, who sold wine for 22 years to stores and restaurants, said it was about time a law like this was introduced.

"If you go into a restaurant, you're not going to go pay $40-50 on a bottle of wine if you can't get the value," Stevens said.

By consuming the entire bottle of wine, a major concern is that diners might drive home drunk, so the recorking law might prevent people from driving under the influence of alcohol.

"It will not eradicate drunk driving in no means, but it'll have a positive impact on drunk driving," said Andy Deloney, Director of Public Affairs at the Michigan Restaurant Association.

Liz Boyd, spokeswoman for Granholm said issues of drunken driving were addressed during the bill's passage.

"We do not believe it'll contribute to drunk driving; if anything, it will curb drunk driving," she said.

Some residents believe the impact will help drunken driving.

"It can help (drunken driving) because people won't feel they have to drink," Stevens said.

Restaurants might also gain more with the passing of this law.

"It's going to be great," said Erik Johnston, assistant manager of Dusty's Cellar, 1839 W. Grand River Ave., in Okemos. "It's going to improve (the sales of wine).

"(Customers) are more likely to purchase more expensive wine, so they can take it home and enjoy it the next day."

Boyd said the governor supports the Legislature.

"That legislation had unanimous approval in both the House and the Senate," she said.

Johnston, however, said the law is still pretty vague.

"A lot of wines have screw caps. The law states a full cork has to be put back into (the bottle), so can you put the cap back on if it's a screw cap," he said. "And champagne bottles have a different type of cork."

Restaurants do not have to let customers take the wine home, however.

"For wines that are corked, the wine just has to be corked to the lip of the bottle; and screw caps just screwed right back on," Deloney said. "The restaurant owner is not required to do this. If the wine bottle can't be resealed, then that would not be able to go out the door."

The law, which is effective immediately, has not been taken advantage of lately.

"We've only had a couple of bottles, about three or four, corked to go home," Johnston said.

Some local residents feel the law is a beneficial idea.

"I would like that, so you don't have to sit there and drink (the wine)," said East Lansing resident, Shirley Ballard. "I don't want to waste money."