Wine Bottle Protector Sleeves

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Are you a wine lover who enjoys bringing back a souvenir or two?  Or a business traveler who likes to bring back a gift for a spouse, partner, or colleague?  There are a number of wine travel bags on the market to help you transport that special gift. Wine bottle travel protectors increase the likelihood that the wine bottle you place in checked luggage will make it home safely and not spill all over the contents of your luggage.

Wine Bags for Travel

Most wine bottle bags are designed to protect wine bottles placed inside checked luggage.  These wine bottle protector sleeves are great for when you want to transport one or two bottles of wine in your luggage.

Wine bags keep wine bottles (and other bottles like craft beer bombers, artisanal vinegar, olive oils, and perfumes)  from breaking during rough luggage handling by providing some padding/protection for the wine bottle. They also help protect your packed items and the bottle’s label.  

We have reviewed several wine travel bags, including our favorite, the JetBag:

 
 

Before we continue with our review, a little about the KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you.  The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for using our affiliate links and supporting our independent blog!

Purpose of Single Bottle Wine Bags

Most wine sleeves are purchased for the following purposes:

  • Protecting wine bottles from breaking during air, cruise, and car travel

  • Protecting wine labels from getting scuffed or marked up in a suitcase

  • Protecting other packed items from stains in case the wine bottle does break or the bottle closure (e.g. cork or screw-cap) is compromised while flying

Single bottle wine bags don’t take up much space and are a great item to slip in the suitcase when traveling to a wine region.  Wine sleeves take up much less space in a checked bag when compared to a wooden bottle box coming from a winery.

Most travel wine bottle protectors are not very decorative.  If you’re looking for a more decorative and re-usable bag for gifting wine, check out our blog on re-usable wine gift bags.

It is possible to ship wine in a bottle bag. However, we would recommend using a single bottle shipping container like this one, which provides a little more structure than a wine bottle sleeve designed for air travel.

 
 

How to Select Wine Sleeves

When it comes down to it, there are two types of wine sleeves on the market: reusable or single-use wine sleeves.

How do I discern between a single-use or reusable wine bottle bag?  Single-use bags will have adhesive strips that enclose the wine bottle in the bag.  Reusable wine bottle bags will have plastic or Velcro sealing mechanisms.  

Almost all the wine bottle protectors we’ve used are constructed of plastic.  At the end of the day, disposable wine bottle protectors will cost the least. We have a strong preference for reusable wine sleeves so as to reduce landfill waste.  

Types of Wine Travel Bags

We’ve been using wine travel bags for over ten years, and we’ve experienced all different bag types, including the ones reviewed here.  Here are a few types of bags on the market:

Jet Bags - Absorbing Wine Sleeves

Our favorite wine bottle protector has several stand-out features. First, the bag has diaper-like material inside which provides both padding and absorption in case the enclosed bottle leaks or breaks during travel.  Secondly, the bag stands up when a wine bottle is inserted in the bag. Third, the bag has a handle whereas many other wine bags do not. Recently, JetBag has come out with an assortment of bags in addition to its flagship original.

 
 

Pros:

  • Sandwich-bag type closure is easy to open and close, even with one hand

  • Absorptive “diaper” material in case of breakage

  • Made in the USA

  • Available in attractive designs

Cons:

  • With repeated use over the years, the plastic seams may separate (though any slit on the side of the bag can be fixed using packing tape).

  • Extreme temperatures can compromise the bags

Inflatable Wine Bottle Protectors

Perhaps you prefer to have inflatable options for wine bottles, especially if your checked bag won’t be completely full.  The generous size of an inflated wine bottle protector will help reduce the likelihood that a bottle will break as the bottle is suspended in a “pillow.”

Inflatable wine bottle protectors come with a small hand-held syringe that inflates the protector.  While the wine bag is reusable, it does not deflate for storage. The bags hold air for months after inflating.

 
 

Pros:

  • Lightest weight wine bottle protectors

  • Less plastic than most other wine bottle protectors

  • Greatest cushioning to protect the bottle from impact

Cons:

  • They don’t “deflate” - once inflated they take up much more space than other wine bottle protectors

  • Requires bringing along air syringe when you travel, to inflate the wine bags.  If you forget the syringe at home, you can’t inflate the bag.

  • No liquid containment should the cork come out or the bottle break

Wine Wings Reusable Clear Wine Sleeves with Bubble Padding

If your cruise line or airline requires transparent bags, the Wine Wing reusable wine sleeves may be for you.  The exterior of these bags is the thickest of all the other bags reviewed. These bags were designed by an Australian pilot for his wine-loving wife.  

 
 

Pros:

  • Inner cushioning is attached to the thick plastic exterior layer, meaning that the bubble wrap won’t bunch up to the top of the bag when inserting a wine bottle

  • Transparent bag, which may be recommended or required for some cruise or airlines

  • Heavy-duty Velcro closure - easy to close

Cons:

  • No absorptive layer

FlyingTrav Discreet Wine Sleeves

While we’ve experienced very little theft from checked luggage over the years, there may be circumstances in which a little discretion comes in handy.  Perhaps that special bottle is a well-recognized luxury brand and you want to be discreet. Or you’ve purchased a bottle of wine and don’t want that special someone to see the bottle while you unpack.

 
 

Pros:

  • Solid white, cannot see into the bag from the outside - offers protection from prying eyes and sunlight

  • Pliable and attractive exterior protective layer - no rough edges

  • Two layers of bubble wrap (most wine bags utilizing bubble wrap have only one layer)

Cons:

  • Bubble wrap not attached to exterior protective layer - bubble wrap may bunch up. Simply hold the bubble wrap with one hand while inserting the bottle with the other to prevent bubble wrap bunching 

WineSkin Single-Use Wine Sleeves

WineSkin wine travel bags were the original wine sleeves. These wine sleeves are commonly found at wineries and airport shops that cater to air travelers.  We’ve also seen them in some wine bottle shops. While we prefer to purchase re-usable wine bottle bags, we have used them before and have been pleased with their performance.

 
 

Pros:

  • Lightweight

  • Tough vinyl exterior 

  • Good seal

Cons:

  • Not re-usable (designed for single use)

  • The double-adhesive seal can be a little tricky to manipulate for people with clumsy thumbs (which may be a result of a long wine tasting session)

Alternatives to Plastic Wine Sleeves

Prefer non-plastic options to wine sleeves?  In over 20 years of traveling with wine we’ve yet to have a wine bottle break. Ultimately, the secret to not having a bottle break is having a fully packed bag so that the bottle is not banging around inside a suitcase during transport. When we’ve forgotten to add a wine travel bag to our planned checked bag, we’ve used hiking socks to protect the bottle and label during transport. Socks like this Made In USA variety will serve the purpose well. Simply place the wine bottle into one sock and then place the second sock over the top of the bottle.

 
 

Wine Bottle Bag Conclusion

If you are a frequent air traveler or are looking forward to a trip to wine country, we really recommend investing in a few single wine bottle sleeves to protect the two or three special bottles you want to bring home with you, as well as the wine’s label and your packed clothes!

In almost 20 years of wine travel, both domestically and internationally, we know that one can never be certain that the wine point of sale will have wine travel bags available, so we suggest that you keep one or two inside your checked luggage bag just in case. Our favorite is still the reusable Jet Bag.

 
 

Happy travels and cheers, from KnowWines!

Creative Ways to Gift Wine

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You’ve identified the wine bottle you would like to gift, but are looking for a creative way to gift it without boring tissue paper, cellophane wrap, or a single-use paper bottle bags. Lucky for you, we’ve identified and developed over ten creative ways to give the best wine gifts! 

First a little about KnowWines blog. We are an Amazon.com affiliates and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links.  The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thanks for supporting our blog!

Gift Wine With a Pair of Socks

We love to gift wrap wine bottles with a pair of novelty graphic crew socks.  Simply insert the wine bottle into the first sock, then place the second sock over the top of the bottle.  Add a finishing touch like a raffia bow or decorative hat from a craft store to dress it up a bit.  

Some of our favorite food and drink novelty socks come from HotSox. These socks are super-comfy without being too thick. They really do feel like premium socks one would find at a high-end store like Nordstrom.

There’s a variety of novelty socks available online with humorous themes or hobbies to pair with your friends’ interests.  Don’t know what the gift-recipient is into? Simply default to these wine themed socks.

 
 

Stage Christmas Wine With LED Lights

If you’re looking for a fine wine gift presentation that’s more elegant, consider decorating an end table with a few wine items - decanter, glassware, corkscrew, and another empty wine bottle.  Then, place the gift wine in front of the festive decor. Check out our list of our 50 favorite wine accessories to accompany your fine wine gift.

 
 

You may also consider placing the wine in a single bottle wine holder and decorating around it. 

Books and Wine - Always a Perfect Pairing

If the wine lover in your life is also a book lover, we have the perfect gift! This handmade book-strap carrier by Hide & Drink comes with a handle that you can loop around wine.  It is constructed of full-grain leather and comes with a 101 year guarantee!

 
 

Not sure what book to get?  Check out our recommended wine books or this new release from fellow North Carolinian Elizabeth Schneider.

 
 

Gift Wrap Wine With a Scarf

Another two-for-one gift idea is wrapping a bottle of wine with a scarf.  There are a lot of options you can consider: vintage, re-gifting an unused scarf, or a white elephant scarf.  

Here’s a helpful video on how to gift wrap wine with a scarf.

Note that the scarf does not need to be small.  One could use a blanket sized scarf like the one below and simply fold it in half twice before following the video instructions.  

This burgundy, black and gold scarf would complement many red and white wines.

 
 

Gift Wine With a Luggage Tag

If the wine gift recipient travels frequently, placing a new luggage tag or two around the neck of the bottle may be a good way to connect their love of travel with wine. With so many luggage tag color options, one can select a tag that matches or contrasts the wine gift or complements the recipient’s luggage.  

 
 

Gift Wine In a Suitcase

Does your New Year’s resolution include cooking more at home, exploring a new cuisine, and trying some new wines?  Stop by your local wine bottle shop and have them select six or twelve wines that they’d recommend to try with the cuisine you’ll be exploring in the new year.  

Perhaps you also plan to travel to a wine region in 2020 and want to do a little wine homework.  Place those bottles in a VinGarde Valise and place the valise under the tree.

 
 

And if travel is in your new year, check out our blog on traveling with wine for more wine travel tips and tricks!

How to Gift Wine in a Gift Basket

While you could purchase a ready-made wine gift basket, it is often more personal to build the basket yourself, especially if the gift basket includes customized corporate items. Additionally, many off-the-shelf wine gift baskets include salty or sugary items with artificial preservatives. Making your own gift basket allows you to tailor the food items to the preferences of the recipient.  

When selecting a gift basket, we prefer to get our basket from a craft store or a thrift store.  We look for baskets with a sturdy upright carrying handle. Place a tea towel in the bottom of the basket. There are a number of funny tea towels available online. If the gift recipient is more conservative, this tea towel might be a good choice, especially for corporate clients.

With a tea towel in place, secure the wine to the basket in an upright position, and tie the neck of the bottle securely to the handle. Then arrange gift items around the wine centerpiece.  You may want to use double-sided tape to secure some items to each other to prevent contents from flying out of the basket or being crushed if the basket tips over.   

Gift Wine in Slippers

Keep your toes and your insides warm with this combination of wine-themed slippers and two bottles of wine. These applique slippers have grippy bottoms and the inside of the slippers are super soft!

 
 

Dress Up Your Wine in a Wine Outfits

While we prefer to gift items that will be re-used or re-gifted by recipients, we understand that sometimes you want to just have fun with dressing up wine bottles. These wine bottle outfits can be re-used year after year.   

Ugly Christmas Sweater

We’re big fans of an ugly holiday sweater party - why can’t wine partake as well?

 
 

Swedish Gnomes

And of course, there are wine outfits for gnome-loving wine enthusiasts!  

 
 

Holiday Formal Wear

Add a little formal whimsy to the corporate open bar.

 
 

What are some ways you have gifted wine?  Let us know in the comments box below.

Cheers!

The Very Best in Wine Cabinets

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At KnowWines, we’re wine collectors ourselves, and so we have the best interest of fellow wine collectors at heart. Whether you’re just getting started with your wine collection or have been curating a wine collection for a number of years, you’re going to need wine cabinets, coolers (like the popular Vinotemp or Eurocave), and shelving. Lucky for you, we’ve spent the last few years curating more than just wine. We’re also curating our top picks in all things wine related, from wine keys to wineries to (you guessed it) wine storage. In this weeks blog, we’re compiling our favorite reviews on how and where to store wine. Whether you’ve got a huge collection and a small space to store it, or a small collection and more room than you know what to do with, one of these blogs is likely to have a solution for you.

Please note, as you read, that KnowWines pays for all of the wines, wine accessories, and wine trips that we review on this blog. We are Amazon.com affiliates and we do receive a small commission if you purchase products, guides, or maps through our affiliate links. The commissions we receive help us pay for web hosting fees, the products we test, and other costs associated with running this site. So, thanks in advance for supporting our blog!

The Small Wine Fridge

Back in June, when we were anticipating hot temperatures and the pleasures of pulling chilled bottle of wine from our personal wine refrigerator, we reviewed four small wine fridge options. In that blog, we not only give detailed descriptions, including pros and cons, of the four wine refrigerators, we also provide an overview of wine assassins and provide a detailed list of what to look for in a quality fridge to suit your needs, from bottle size flexibility to noise, design aesthetic, and energy efficiency.

The EuroCave Wine Cabinet

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Since we’re on the topic of wine coolers, we can’t ignore the classic EuroCave. Our performance review on the EuroCave details our own experience with this wine cabinet (spoiler alert: it’s still going strong after five years!) and also discusses features and benefits of the cabinet. For those who are seriously considering a purchase of this wine cabinet, we also include several nitty-gritty details about how to clean, maintain, and save energy with the EuroCave Performance wine cabinet.

Wood Wine Racks

Wooden wine racks are a classic choice for storing your wine collection. The Wine Racks America Ponderosa Wood Wine Rack is a solid, attractive, and easy-to-assemble option, especially if you’re looking for an entire wine rack wall. As we discuss in our review of these wooden wine racks, this is an ideal choice for someone with a cellar, closet, walk-in wine cellar, cave, or off-site temperature-controlled wine storage locker who is seeking sturdy shelving for organizing and laying down wines for in-bottle aging.

DIY Wine Cabinets, with Crates

As we state in our review of Weinbox, these stackable, easy-to-label crates help wine collectors create a modular system for storing wine that allows them to easily add and remove wines from the storage location. Wine crates are an attractive option for maximizing storage units that are taller than they are wide, while still enabling for retrieval of wines through a molded “door” on the front and back of the wine crate. These beat cardboard wine boxes by a mile!

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Storing Wine When You’re On the Go

As someone who appreciates wine, you probably also enjoy sharing wine. And chances are, you’re not always going to be enjoying your wine within the confines of your own home. Sometimes, you want to bring a bottle (or two) to a friend’s house, on a picnic, or even on a special vacation. First of all, if you’re planning to fly with wine, read our article on how to check your wine when flying - we fill you in on all the travel guidelines for wine, plus share recommendations on the best luggage for safely transporting bottles. If you’re just traveling across town for a wine and cheese picnic, or perhaps heading to a party where you’ll gift the hostess with a nice bottle from your collection, read our review of the top reusable bags for wine.

Storing Corks

Finally, what do do with all those corks left over from opening your bottles of wine? If you wish to collect them, there are several chic and fun options available to you, and we review several of them in our Best Wine Cork Holders blog. Whether you want to save a few select corks or need a receptacle for every cork from every bottle of wine you open, this list will help you find what you’re looking for.

With the holidays fast approaching, these ideas for wine storage make great gifts for yourself or your wine-loving significant other. If you’re looking for a holiday gift that’s wine-related but a bit less of an investment, check out our ultimate gift guide for wine lovers.

Cheers!

Weinbox Wine Crate for Modular Storage of Wine

If you belong to a wine club and store your wine in your home, at some point you’ll want to optimize the modular storage of your wine.  All those wine shipments come in different sizes of boxes, and trying to stack odd-shaped cardboard wine boxes gets tricky and looks messy. After some online research, and taking a peek in other wine storage units, we came across the Weinbox.  

 
 
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What to Consider Before Getting Weinbox Wine Crates

Wine crates are a great way to reduce the footprint required to store wines in a large open space, like an open wine cellar or off-site storage lockers like Extra Space Storage.  These open areas, while temperature and humidity controlled, often lack shelving or other structures for storing heavy wines. Without planning, your storage space may end up looking like like this photo - definitely not ideal!

Wine collectors often need to choose between investing in wood storage shelves (see our article on Wine Racks America) or a modular system that allows them to add and remove wines from the storage location for consumption. Wine crates are an attractive option for maximizing storage units that are taller than they are wide, while still enabling for retrieval of wines through a molded “door” on the front and back of the wine crate.

 
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These wine crates are ideal for wine collectors and wine retailers who are storing wines in open areas or in interior closets. An ideal customer would reuse the crates as wines are consumed. Not every wine storage location (cellar, closet, off-site temperature-controlled storage) is amenable to wooden wine racks or a large wine maturation cabinet like Eurocave.

Wine crates like Weinbox are not ideal for wine collectors who have ample shelving or for wine collectors or retailers who are happy with storing their wines in cardboard boxes or wooden shelves. 

What is Weinbox?

The Weinbox (Wine is Wein in German) is an injection-molded plastic folding wine crate made in Germany by CABKA, a company that specializes in reinforced and long-lasting plastic products like pallets and industrial boxes - products that are designed for reuse and that are 100% recyclable upon the end of their use. CABKA saw the need for a wine bottle stacking system superior to awkward cardboard box stacking that is not always available with wooden wine rack systems.  

The Weinbox is a product that can help with the vertical stacking of a wine collection as a freestanding wine rack, especially in open vertical storage space without shelving. With its lean profile and molded handles, the Weinbox is also good for confidently carrying up to a case of wine between storage locations and up and down a flight of stairs.  

The Weinbox wine crate(s) are not intended for use as wine shipping crates. If you need to ship wines in a lay-flat box, we offer an option below.

Weinbox Wine Crate Features and Benefits

Horizontal Wine Bottle Storage with Minimal Bulk

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Ideally, wines with cork closures should be stored on their sides to keep the cork moist. A moist cork is important as dry corks allow oxygen into the wine bottle and cause the wine to oxidize. (We discuss this and other wine storage details in our wine refrigeration blog!). The Weinbox holds up to 12-750mL wine bottles in an orderly, horizontal arrangement. 

Each individual Wienbox wine crate measures 19 inches long x 10.5 inches wide x 9.75 inches tall (485mm x 266mm x 247mm). An empty Weinbox weighs approximately 3 lbs and 11 ounces. Four Weinboxes take up about the same space as one case of wine in a shipping box.

Weinbox Modular Storage is Dust Repellant

Over months and years, cardboard or wooden wine storage boxes and racks will accumulate dust. In three years, we’ve never had a problem with dust accumulating on the Weinbox crates.  

Flexible Bottle Size

Bordeaux, Alsace, Burgundy, Champagne, and oversized California wine bottles all fit in the box, and you can still get 12 bottles per box.  It is even possible to store three magnums (1.5 L) bottles in one Weinbox. We’ve been able to fit 18 Alsace wine bottles into one Weinbox.

We recommend that you try to keep like bottles with like bottles (in other words, don’t mix bottle sizes) for neat looking storage. We’ve also noticed, when driving with mismatched bottles in the wine crates, that they make a lot of noise when driving down the road!

Access Wines and Read Label Tags From Both Sides

If you are stacking cardboard shipping containers of wine in a vertical space, chances are the wine you want to consume is buried in the bottom box, and you can’t access it when needed. That’s never a fun situation.

With the Weinbox, individual bottles can be removed from the front or back of the crate (so you don’t need to unstack crates!). 

Or maybe you can’t even locate the bottle you want to drink because when the shipping box arrived, you put it in the wine cellar with a bunch of other ambiguous cardboard boxes. Without a good labeling system, it’s pretty hard to find that single bottle of wine. With the Weinbox, each crate can be labeled with A6 index cards, so you know exactly what’s inside. Individual Weinboxes labeled with index cards can be cross-referenced in spreadsheets or wine applications like Cellartracker.

 
 

Stackable Modular Wine Storage

An advantage of the Weinbox wine crate modular system is that crates can be stacked up to seven units high. Also, if you have a wine cellar or retail space, the wine crates can double as supports for an impromptu tasting table. Simply make two columns, each four crates high, place a board across the two columns, and voilà, you’re ready for a spontaneous tasting!   

Wine Crate Folds Flat for Storage

Most other racks on the market are not foldable, including wooden wine racks.  As you consume wine in your collection, you might not need all the wine crates at once. Weinbox crates can be disassembled in under two minutes. Disassembled, 63 crates stack only 2.5 feet high.  

How Robust are Weinbox Crates?

Weinbox wine crates have stood up well for us over three years of use. They are made of injection-molded plastic that is intended for industrial use - these crates are much stronger than other plastic crates intended for the home user that one finds at box stores like Target.

We have filled each of our Weinbox crates with 12 to 15 bottles of wine and then carried them up and down flights of stairs. We’ve driven on gravel roads and the interstate with full crates in the back of our crossover SUV, and we’ve moved them through a warehouse on hand trucks to our wine storage locker.  

How High can I Stack Weinbox Crates?

In our wine storage locker, we have stacked the Weinbox wine crates 7 crates high and 3 crates wide.  At this height (about 5.5 feet) it becomes difficult to hoist additional filled wine crates on top of the 7th layer of wine crates.  

Social Proof: Weinbox Wine Crate Reviews

We researched online reviews and videos to see if our experience with the Weinbox was the same as other users.

Most other user reviews were quite positive. These wine crates provided the modular and self-standing wine storage solution that they were looking for.

There were a few users who found the assembly a little tricky, like a complicated puzzle. However, after ten to fifteen minutes of troubleshooting, most were able to assemble each subsequent box in less than five minutes.  Our experience was similar: it took about five minutes to get the first one unpackaged and assembled, and the subsequent boxes each took about two minutes to assemble. 

Some users who filled their crates with oversized California wine bottles found that the crates bulged a little on the side.  We had the same experience. However, the bulging has not presented any problem in stacking the wine crates and has not caused any structural issue with the individual crate.

Alternatives to Weinbox Wine Crate

Storvino Bottle Storage System

The Storvino Bottle Storage system is made in the United States. Each unit holds six wine bottles and is stackable. When stacking, one can use the space on top of the top-most unit to store two or three wines. 

 
 

Pros:

  • Sturdy, made of industrial-strength injection molded plastic   

  • Made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic

Cons:

  • Tight fit for wider bottles like Champagne or Burgundy bottles, you might tear a label if you try to force a big bottle in the hole

  • No handles for transport

  • No label holder

Stakrax Stackable Modular Wine Bottle System

The Stakrax Stackable Modular Wine Bottle System is made in Australia and takes a slightly different approach that may suit your wine storage needs.  Each unit holds one wine. It might be a good solution if you have an especially narrow space or odd-shaped space you’d like to use for wine storage.

 
 

Pros:

  • Easy to assemble

  • Best for odd-shaped spaces where one needs to take a “Lego” approach to fit wines

  • Accommodates Champagne bottles

Cons:

  • Depending upon the configuration needed, you may need to purchase additional pieces to complete a storage unit

  • Some buyers mention that they’ve had units arrive to their store or home that are damaged, however it was easy to replace with customer support

Domaine Layflat Bottle Storage Wine Storage Boxes

The same company (Domaine Wine Storage) that is authorized to sell Weinboxes in the United States also sells cardboard boxes that lay flat. This could be a good solution if you are not thrilled with plastic solutions to modular wine storage.

One advantage of using this approach is that all the wine boxes match, making stacking (and moving) easier than utilizing the packaging that wine club shipments come in.

 
 

Pros:

  • Wine modular storage amenable to moving

  • Cardboard box prevents exposure to light 

Cons:

  • Inserts don’t accommodate all bottle types, they are designed for Burgundy and Champagne bottle shapes

  • Magnums (1.5L bottles) and exceptionally long Riesling bottles don’t fit

Weinbox Wine Crate Summary

We have been using Weinbox wine crates for three years and really like how they reduce the storage space of wine when compared to cardboard wine boxes. We appreciate that the product is made in Germany and is well constructed. The boxes can also be folded up to store flat. These wine crates have handles which makes it easy to transport wine up and downstairs. The index card system, in combination with the CellarTracker.com inventory system, has solved our wine inventory needs when storing wines at an off-site wine storage locker.

We hope that the Weinbox will serves your storage needs, and that you can finally recycle all those bulky cardboard boxes! Domaine Storage is the only authorized dealer in the US, so get your Weinbox here:

 
 

Cheers!

Wine Racks America Ponderosa Wood Wine Rack

So, you have space in a dark closet, basement, or cellar (lucky you!) and are looking for wooden wine racks that are economical, robust, customizable, and easy to put together.  Enter Wine Racks America, a company that makes wine racks for a variety of consumers and commercial applications.

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We purchased two Wine Racks America racks in 2013 and were pleased with their robustness and the ease of putting them together. We ended up staining them to fit in with our basement decor, and we still use them there today in our basement, especially for the storage of wines and craft beer bombers that we plan to consume or share in the coming months. 

Things to consider before buying Wine Racks America Wood Wine Racks

The best way to store wines is on their side, and preferably in a dark place away from light, vibration, extreme temperatures, and relative humidity above 50%.  If you have most of these conditions as well as a growing wine collection, you may consider wooden wine racks for storing wines on their sides.

Wine Racks America wooden wine racks are ideal for someone with a cellar, closet, walk-in wine cellar, cave, or off-site temperature-controlled wine storage locker who is seeking sturdy shelving for organizing and laying down wines for in-bottle aging.

Before purchasing a wooden wine rack, consider the following:

  • How much space is available for the rack?

  • Do you want the wine rack to mount on the wall or on the floor?

  • What color of finish or stain do you prefer in a wine rack?

  • How many bottles do you hope to accommodate?

  • Which specific wine bottles will you need to accommodate (e.g., mostly standard Bordeaux or Burgundy bottles or a range of bottle shapes and sizes)?

  • What do you want to store above the wine rack?

You may not be an ideal candidate for a wooden wine rack if the following statements are true about you:

  • You don’t like to assemble products.

  • You need the product right away (manufacture and delivery can take several days).

  • You do not want to sand the item before staining (if you purchase the unstained product).

Wine Rack Americas Ponderosa Pine Wine Racks

Wine Rack Americas has been making wooden (metal, glass, and other) wine racks in Salt Lake City, Utah since 2003. The wooden wine racks are handmade from both hard and soft woods and with or without a finish. They sell five different lines catering toward the wine enthusiast, the serious collector, and the wine retailer.  In this review, we will be covering the Wooden Ponderosa Wine Rack Deluxe.

This product is ideal for the home wine collector who is simply looking to lay down wine bottles in a closet or basement for under a year. Those looking for a more refined or finished product may want to contact Wine Racks America directly for more customized options.  

Pros:

  • Made out of solid wood

  • Available stained or unstained

  • Ships in a flat box

Cons:

  • Some assembly is required.

  • As a natural wood product, there might be some natural variation in the finished product.

  • If most of your collection is Chardonnay, and the bottle has a wider base, they might be a tight fit.

  • If most of your collection is 375 mL or narrower than a Riesling flute, then the bottles might not fit on the brace.

Features & benefits of the Ponderosa Pine Deluxe Wood Wine Rack

How to finish the wood wine rack

The Wine Racks America wood wine rack comes unfinished.  You can stain the unit before you assemble it, or you can choose from over a dozen different finish options.  

We opted to finish the rack ourselves. We simply sanded the entire rack unit, first with coarse sandpaper, and then fine sandpaper.  We spread out all the wood components in the yard (on the cardboard box the pieces arrived in). We purchased some stain from the local hardware store and stained two units within one hour. We let the wine rack pieces dry in the garage for one week prior to assembling.

Wine rack construction

The Wine Racks America Ponderosa Pine Deluxe Wine Rack is made in America (Utah).  It comes with a lifetime guarantee. The Ponderosa pine is a fine-grained pine tree with a pleasant smell.  It is easy to stain and does not splinter as much as other softer pine wood. The entire unit is made of wood - there is no laminate or composite material.  

This freestanding unit does not require bolting to the wall. However, if there are small children in the house who might climb on top of the unit, we would recommending fixing the unit to the wall with some long screws.  

Wine Racks Americas Racks fit all 750 mL bottles

Over the past several years we have stored various bottle sizes in this wood wine rack.  

Wine bottles with wider bases like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir do fit. However, the fit is a little snug.  We have found that the wood is flexible and forgiving, so with a little elbow grease, we’ve gotten in all the bottles.

Special 500 mL or 375 mL bottles often don’t fit, in that most will fall through the slats. We’ve placed these smaller bottles in our EuroCave or placed them at the bottom of the wine rack on the lowest shelf so that they don’t fall through the slats.  

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Weight of the wine rack, with and without wine

Assembled, the wine rack weighs 50 lbs. Of course, you’ll add weight for wine bottles in the rack - you can easily put up to 250 lbs of weight on the system. If you are located on the second floor (or higher) of a building and are uncertain about the quality of the flooring under you, you may want to consider setting up your wine rack perpendicular to the floor joists so that your floor does not sag due to the weight. 

Storage on top of wine rack

With this unit, yes, you can store other items on top of it (including another wine rack, if you fasten them together appropriately!). We store some glassware on top of ours, as well as a collection of carboys containing fermenting beer.  

Wine Racks America’s standard wood wine rack allows for growth

Unlike many other wood wine rack companies, Wine Racks America knows that wine enthusiasts have evolving needs. If your collection grows to a large size and you’re considering adding more units, rest assured that other products have uniform height or width to allow for later expansion. 

Wine Racks America Wood Rack social proof

We did a lot of research on how others felt about the on-demand wooden wine racks from Wine Racks America. Overall, the evidence was overwhelming that the racks work as expected, are sturdy, and hold the wines as intended.

Negative reviews focused on aesthetics: that the wine rack did not always look perfect and that a little cosmetic work (sanding, staining) needed to be done by the buyer to smooth out any rough spots.  Occasionally there were wood knots that were aesthetically unpleasing, especially to people used to the perfect look of laminated or synthetic products. However, it was noted that wood knots did not interfere with the structural integrity of the product.  

Alternatives to the Unstained Wine Rack

Still undecided on the right wood wine rack for you?  Here are a few alternatives

Wine Racks America Ponderosa Pine 64 Bottle Two-Tone Deluxe

The two-toned Ponderosa pine model is good for those who want a finished or furniture-looking wine storage system. This unit is almost identical structurally to the unfinished version. The rough edges have been smoothed out and there are a few choices of finish colors available.  Some assembly is still required.

Stackable Modular Wine Rack Stackable Storage Stand Display Shelves 

If your collection is mainly comprised of Bordeaux-style wine bottles (Merlot, Cabernet, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc), and you want a less expensive, more “palet lumber” look to your wine shelf, then this might be an option.  If you collect Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Champagne, you will likely not be happy with this wood wine rack.

This item will likely have more knots and be less aesthetically pleasing. However, if you just need some robust wood wine racks, this might fit your needs.  Since it is made up of a much softer type of wood than the other racks reviewed, it is going to show dings and scrapes more easily.

This wood wine rack looks very easy to put together.  Once you get this unit filled up, you might need to brace it with some more wood.  This might be a good wine rack for someone who enjoys wine who will be living in their home or condo for a couple of years and wanting to make a minimal investment in a recyclable wine rack. 

Wine Racks America Wood Wine Rack, our conclusion

We purchased our wine racks in 2013 and still use them today for storing value wines for weekday wines, large format (750 mL) beer bottles, and mead.  

The Wine Racks America wood wine racks enable the home wine enthusiast to store wine on a rack at a reasonable price in a location such as a basement or closet.  If the wine is going to be stored in an area with visibility, you might want to finish the wine rack yourself to give it a more polished look, or spring for the two-tone deluxe mode. 

Some less expensive options do exist out there to consider, especially if you are in temporary housing.  These units are typically easier to put together and less flexible to bottle size than Wine Racks America wood wine racks.  Wine Racks America seems to be focusing on the wine enthusiast and wine obsessed market, and not the low end of the wood wine rack market.  

If we needed another wine rack, especially for the storage of beer bombers, we would purchase the Ponderosa pine wine rack again.  

When you purchase a wine rack on Amazon.com through our link, it helps us to keep running our site and to continue to provide you with our reviews, tips, and guides. 

Thank you, and cheers, from KnowWines!



The Repour Wine Saver

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Wine preserver systems and gadgets are plentiful in the wine world. Most wine consumers are looking for a wine bottle saver that will allow them to open a bottle of wine and enjoy it over days, perhaps weeks.  Wine bars and wineries also seek out wine stoppers that allow them to open a slow-moving bottle of wine and serve it days or weeks later as part of expanding their wines-by-the-glass programs. 

This week, KnowWines researched, used, and reviewed the Repour bottle stopper as an alternative to inert gas systems or pumps for wines we knew we would finish in about a week.  We didn’t want to use up our Coravin cartridges on weekday wines, so we gave this product a try.

Things to consider before purchasing the Repour:

There are a few situations for which the Repour wine preserver is ideal, for both the home wine drinker and the staff of a wine bar or bottle shop.

For home consumers, the Repour is great for those who want to simply open a bottle of wine - regardless of enclosure type - and enjoy it over a period of a few days or weeks.  It is also a good product if you enjoy having a few different bottles of wine open, let’s say a Cava, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauternes. Historically, having all these different bottles of wine open, either on the counter or in the fridge, meant that these wines would go bad within a couple of days, resulting in a lot of bad wine being poured down the drain.  The Repour helps solve that problem.

In wine bars and wineries, the Repour wine preserver helps maintain a large number of open bottles. This is ideal for the wine bar or shop that doesn’t want to make large capital investments in serving stations like Enomatic. The Repour wine preserver is also good for wine bottle shops or restaurants who already have wine serving stations and want to serve dessert wines or wines with sediment.  Systems like Enomatic and Coravin can potentially aspirate solids into the dispensing mechanism through user error, causing them to plug up and require time-sucking maintenance.

While the Repour fits a broad spectrum of wine consumer and business needs, the Repour is not for:

  • Wine lovers wanting to check bottle aging months or years later on - they should consider Coravin

  • Cheap wines - the Repour might cost ⅓ the bottle of wine if it is really value juice

  • Storing open wine on the side - the Repour won’t work as designed and you may have a leaky mess

  • Locations where wine bottles are shuffled around a lot - someone may accidentally dislodge the stopper, rendering it ineffective

Those who have used pumps or Coravin and are looking for a simple, low-cost alternative to mid-priced wines becoming oxidized as they age on the counter or in the fridge may benefit from having a few Repour stoppers on hand.  Those Coravin syringes and cartridges can be saved for fine wines.

Finally, if you travel for work or vacation and want to enjoy a nice wine during the week without the hassle of packing inert gasses or pumps, consider keeping a Repour or two in your carry on luggage for emergency use.  The Repour also makes for a good thank you gift or stocking stuffer for wine lovers.

So, show me the Repour!

The Repour Wine Saver is a single-use wine preservation tool invented by chemist and wine lover Tom Lutz. Like many other wine consumers, he was tired of discarding partial bottles that contained wine that did not taste fresh a few days after opening.  

After about 18 months of research and product development, the product was featured on Kickstarter, received the funding target, and the rest is history.

The Repour wine saver is available on Amazon and through select wine retailers.  It is available in different package sizes: 4, 10, and 72 stoppers.

Repour Pros:

  • Lower cost per use than Coravin and other inert gas systems

  • Good for wines containing sediment 

  • Good for dessert wines 

  • Good for take-home bottles of fine wine from a restaurant

Repour Cons:

  • Single-use (you recycle or discard after use), so not ideal for cheap or value wines

  • Need to store the bottle upright

  • Don’t know when it is “used up”

How do I use Repour?

Open your wine and consume what you need.  When you are ready to close up the bottle, simply remove a single Repour unit from the box it arrived in, remove the adhesive seal from the Repour unit, and insert it in place of the cork or screwcap.  As you consume the wine over the course of a few days or weeks, simply re-insert the stopper after pouring. Once the bottle is complete, discard the stopper.  If your city or county recycles plastic and metal, then please recycle the stopper

Since the Repour device is so effective, you may need to aerate each pour if the wine aromas are muted. Aerate by simply swirling the wine in the glass.

Finally, don’t be afraid to firmly push the Repour into the bottle. If a good seal is not made, then oxygen will still get into the wine.  

How does Repour Work?

Let’s go back to high school chemistry! Air is comprised of about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. Nitrogen is fairly unreactive. Oxygen, on the other hand, is a double-edged sword. While it is a giver of life, it is also an active element in aging and degradation. The introduction and removal of oxygen from vineyard to cellar to bottle is controlled by growers and winemakers to deliver a specific style of wine.  

As wine consumers, we battle oxygen the moment we open a bottle of wine. While a little aeration upfront (either through decanting or swirling) might be needed to open a wine, oxygen starts to attack the wine within minutes or hours, resulting in tired tasting wine.  Some indications of oxidized wines that often lead to wine getting discarded after oxidation are loss of fruit aromas and flavors, browning of white wine, oranging or browning of red wines. As oxidation continues, the wine can start to get some gamey and vinegar aromas and flavors (commonly referred to as “bad” wine).

The Repour stopper, which include an FDA approved non-toxic oxygen absorber inside the stopper, was designed by a chemist and entrepreneur who knew well the experience of pouring bad wine down the sink. He was also familiar with oxidation as well as Dalton’s law and Henry’s law. The outcome of this research was the development of a stopper containing metals that “rust” as they are oxidized - instead of the wine getting oxidized. Need a refresher? Geek out on these short science videos:

What wines are best to use with Repour?

With a tapered insert, the Repour stopper can be placed in any type of wine bottle. It can be used with sparkling wines, white wines, red wines, fortified wines, and sweet wines. 

The stopper can also be used regardless of the original closure. It does not matter if the original bottle stopper was a screwcap, a natural cork, a synthetic cork, or a glass cork.  

Is my open wine bottle worth the Repour?

Every consumer, bottle shop owner or wine bar will likely have a different opinion on how to determine if a bottle is “Repour Worthy.” One should consider how much wine they are typically pouring down the drain after two or three days of opening. 

We personally use the Repour when the wine is over $15 per bottle, there is over ⅔ of the bottle left, and we’d like to enjoy the wine over a period of a week or two.

Can I re-use the Repour?

We’ve never re-used a Repour stopper. However, after doing some online research we found several different strategies consumers have used to maximize the use of the stopper.

If you insert the Repour on day one and consume the rest of the wine on day two, you may be able to reuse the stopper by rinsing the emptied bottle, filling the bottle almost full of water, then firmly inserting the used Repour into the bottle. I would reuse a Repour on bottles in the $20 to $40 USD range, especially if I aimed to use up the wine in a couple of days. If it was a more expensive bottle, I’d use a new Repour. If the Repour was in a bottle for several days or weeks, I would likely not consider reusing the Repour stopper and recycle or discard it.  

There are a lot of different strategies to consider. Have some fun experimenting with the product (and with Henry’s and Dalton’s laws!). The worst that could happen is that a bottle of wine gets oxidized. 

Testing the Repour

We first used the Repour stopper on a bottle of Champagne that retailed for about $45 USD. We opened the wine on a Wednesday night and poured a couple of glasses. We inserted the stopper and placed the wine in the refrigerator. We did notice that the height of the stopper and bottle exceeded the shelf height in the refrigerator, so we adjusted the height of the fridge shelf to accommodate the bottle plus stopper. We drank some Champagne each day (one glass each - difficult work!). On Sunday (over 72 hours later) we finished the bottle. We were quite surprised each time we removed the Repour that the wine was still bubbly and the aromas were still fresh. I also found the Repour easier to insert than other Champagne stoppers.

Next, we used the Repour stopper with a 2011 Napa Chardonnay. Two other dining companions helped us consume ⅔ the bottle on a Friday night. We inserted the stopper after the meal and placed the wine into the refrigerator. Six days later we drank the last couple of glasses. On the first sip, the wine did not have much flavor.  After letting the wine sit for about 10 minutes after swirling, it tasted just fine. I did notice that the wine was a little muted (not as intense) but did not have any of the oxidative aromas or vinegar flavor that one typically encounters after storing a white wine in the refrigerator for about a week.  

Finally, we tried the Repour stopper on a 750 mL bottle of 1998 Sauternes. Sweet wines are difficult for wine bars to serve in Enomatic stations, as the stickiness can gum up the lines. We enjoyed the wine over 11 days and did not notice any reduction in aromas or flavors using Repour. We stored the wine in the refrigerator between pours.

In the coming weeks, we will open a $25 Bordeaux wine and let it sit on the counter with the Repour and taste over a few days. We will report back here on how that goes!

Similar Wine Preserver Systems

Like the inventor of RePour, we’ve also tried various wine preservation systems. Here’s a rundown of products that compete with Repour in this space. These different types of systems have one or more niches that they fill. We’ve yet to find a holistic solution for all possible wine preservation scenarios.

Private Preserve Wine Preservation System 

Essentially this is inert gas one sprays into an opened bottle of wine, followed by quickly forcing the original stopper into the top of the bottle.  

Pros:

  • Multiple uses per can

  • Pennies per use, so good for cheap and value wines

Cons: 

  • Not easy to travel with

  • Need to store wine bottle upright

  • Takes a little skill to get the procedure right

Vacu-Vin Stainless Steel Stopper

If you know you will finish your wine in less than seven days, then you may want to consider this stainless steel vacuum system. The system comes with a stopper that you insert into the bottle, then you attach the pump and pump until you hear a click. If you have more than one bottle open at a time, you will need to purchase additional stoppers.

Pros:  

  • Easy to use

  • Lasts for 5 - 10 years

Cons:  

  • Not as portable as single Repour

Fantes Champagne Stopper, Made in Italy

For sparkling wines and Champagne, this stopper has been the standard - made in Italy for over 100 years!

Pros:  

  • No gas cartridges to purchase

  • Reusable

  • Easy to use and store

Cons:  

  • With a lot of use, the sealing mechanism can wear, resulting in reduced carbonation and aroma intensity so check the seal that it is working well

Our summary of the Repour stopper

We enjoyed researching, trying and testing the Repour stoppers that we purchased online for a few weeks. This item is good for consumers who like or need to open bottles of wine and consume them in a couple of days or weeks.

We consider the Repour a good item for the home consumer to have on hand for premium wines, and we will be pouring less wine down the sink in the future! We also liked the ease of use - simply remove a foil adhesive and press the Repour stopper into the top of the bottle! We like the option to store wine in the refrigerator or on the counter. 

The Repour is not for consumers or sommeliers who want to try fine wine now and sample it again in six months or a year. The Coravin might be more of interest if tasting across several months is your desire.   

When you purchase the Repour wine saver on Amazon through our link, it helps us to keep running our site and to continue to provide you with our reviews, tips, and guides. Thank you!

And Cheers, from KnowWines!

EuroCave Performance Review

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The EuroCave wine cabinet is a big investment, and we know that fellow consumers want to be certain they are making the right choice.  In our experience, it is common to find product reviews immediately following delivery and installation, with the excitement of the purchase still fresh in their minds. Here, we’re pleased to be providing a review after five years of EuroCave use (we purchased two EuroCave Performance 283 units in 2014).

At the time of purchase, we couldn’t find a lot of online information on EuroCaves. However, we’d been to Europe a few times and had seen the EuroCave in wine bars and restaurants. Their design and quietness stood out to us.

As our wine collection grew, we had to choose between storing wine in the basement at ambient temperature in our Wine Racks Americas wooden wine racks or take the plunge and purchase a large wine maturation cabinet.  Looking back, we wish we’d committed to a EuroCave much earlier!

The EuroCave Performance 259 Built-In Wine Cellar:

Who is EuroCave?

EuroCave Group is an innovative French company with over 40 years in the wine cabinet business. The EuroCave brand came into being in 1976, just after the invention of the wine cabinet in 1975. EuroCave saw that wine lovers and collectors had a desire to store wines somewhere other than an actual cave for improved storage conditions.

EuroCave Group has four brands, two of which are targeted for the home consumer:

  • EuroCave: Sold and distributed throughout Europe and globally. This brand includes wine cabinets, wine cellar conditioners, and storage systems. These units typically have 5-year warranties.

  • ArteVino: Large wine maturation cabinets sold and distributed to select large online retailers and select big-box stores in both France and the United States. These units typically have 2-year warranties.

With over 20 patents in wine cabinets, partners with a university in France on wine maturation research. They also have strong distribution in large wine consuming countries like France, United States, Australia, and Asia.

What is a EuroCave?

In the United States, people use “EuroCave” colloquially to refer to the gold standard of wine maturation cabinets. These same units can also be maintained to keep wine at serving temperature - slightly higher than during wine maturation. The temperature setting depends upon your desire - bottle aging or serving!

Physically, EuroCave wine maturation units are comprised of a cabinet body, control panel, lighting, glass door, bracing, storage shelves and racks, humidity cartridges, breathing hole, adjustable feet, temperature sensors, hygrometer, and hinges.

The EuroCave provides temperature, humidity, air circulation, vibration, and a light-controlled environment to mimic the natural cave-like environment ideal for bottle aging. Read more about the impacts on these environmental impacts in our review of the best small wine refrigerators.

The name EuroCave is typically considered a premium, long-lasting, durable goods producer. Premium durable goods for the home often contain the same components as a EuroCave: metal-versus-plastic components, luxurious look and feel, quiet operation, above-average mechanics like compressors, and seamless integration of cabinet components.  

Large EuroCave maturation cabinets like the EuroCave 283 are likely not a fit for wine collectors who have small collections under 50 bottles, who drink most of the wine that they purchase within a year, and who are living in small spaces.  The EuroCave is also not suitably installed in areas that are poorly ventilated, prone to flooding, have uneven floors, or sustain temperatures spiking above 35 C (95 F) or dipping below 12 C (54 F).  

Pros of the EuroCave Performance

  • Robust walls, wooden shelves

  • Wood-framed metal rolling racks with plastic individual bottle cradles

  • Very quiet compressor (“library quiet”)

  • Easy to make minor repairs by oneself

  • Sleek, modern look 

  • 5-year warranty

  • Less expensive than building a stone-walled cellar

Cons of the EuroCave 283

  • Difficult (not impossible) to move (they weigh over 200 pounds)

  • It’s difficult to know the exact number of wine bottles you can get in the unit due to the variability in bottle sizes common in the wine trade 

Features and Benefits of The EuroCave Performance

The EuroCave Performance  minimizes the environmental impact to wine in the six areas of concern for wine collectors (temperature, humidity, UV light, vibration, air circulation, and storage). Here’s why we love the EuroCave Performance, in relation to those areas of concern. The EuroCave Performance:

  • Maintains a constant temperature.

  • Maintains a consistent humidity level inside the chamber between 50% and 75%.

  • Uses tempered glass to protect wine from UV light.

  • Has anti-vibration technology to reduce vibration.

  • Circulates fresh air to reduce the likelihood of mold, acting as a natural cellar.

  • Convenient shelving system reduces need to move the bottles around too much.

EuroCave Temperature Setting

After using two EuroCave 283s for the past five years, we have experienced no issues with temperature fluctuation. Setting the temperature is very easy.  It is adjustable, but we leave ours set at the default temperature of 12C (54 F). 

The best way to reduce the chances of temperature fluctuation is to install the cabinet in an area that does not see a lot of temperature fluctuation. This EuroCave should reside in a space that is between 12 C and 35 C as ambient temperature.   

Of note, the EuroCaves are one-temperature cabinets.  If one chooses, they could easily convert the wine cabinet to be a wine serving cabinet, meaning one could adjust the temperature to 18 C for serving a red wine directly from it for a big party.

What ambient temperatures are required for the EuroCave?

In order for the cabinet to operate properly, the ideal ambient temperature of the room should be 12 C to 35 C.  We would not recommend installing a EuroCave in a garage in most climates due to these risks. Large appliances in extreme temperatures simply do not last very long.  

Where is the EuroCave made?

The EuroCave is made in France in two locations:  Fourmie and Pont de Chéruy.

What are EuroCave walls made of?

The EuroCave Performance 283 walls are constructed of aluminum.  Some models include a body stiffener, which is essentially a metal brace reinforcing the side walls.  

What accessories come with the EuroCave?

The Performance EuroCave comes with an open door alarm, sensor fault alarm, temperature alarm, charcoal filter alarm, digital setting and selection keys, button to adjust light mode, a humidity display, and temperature display, standby key, and hot and cold circuit indicators.

When purchasing, one has the ability to select, with some constraints, the number of rolling shelves and wooden racks.  

User instructions also came in six languages with plenty of black and white photos and descriptions of components and descriptions of what the different display items mean.

There is also a EuroCave App.  I did not choose to use the App as I already had an inventory in the CellarTracker App and like other features of CellarTracker.

What maintenance is required on the EuroCave?

The maintenance has been minimal with our two units.  

The user’s manual indicates it is important to replace the charcoal filter each year.  We have been religiously replacing this filter because did find stories in online chat rooms of users who did not change the filter only to discover that the EuroCave became moldy. Think of this filter as the lungs of the EuroCave!

One downside of these filters is their cost.  There are very few retailers who sell these universal charcoal filters in the US.  Honestly, what needs replaced each year is the charcoal in the filter. If you have the tools and access to some aquarium charcoal, you might be able to replace the charcoal within the cartridge annually.  

If you purchase a EuroCave in person or over the phone, consider asking the retailer to throw in a few of these universal filters.  Additionally, check the online prices during the winter holidays and stock up to save.  

Once a week we check the temperature and humidity in our caves.  We live in North Carolina, where low humidity is only a problem in January or February.  There is a tray at the bottom of the unit within which water can be added to increase relative humidity.  You can add about two ounces of water a day until the humidity rises to 60 to 70%.

If the interior humidity of the EuroCave becomes too high (maybe you accidentally added too much water to this tray or the room the EuroCave is in has become humid), you can temporarily insert some fragrance free DampRid into the unit to correct the humidity, preventing mold from growing in the cave and the wine labels from getting too moist. 

During our five years of ownership, the only non-scheduled maintenance issue we’ve had on our Performance EuroCaves was the replacement of a control module as the LED lights were not fully functioning.  The EuroCave continued to function but the lights were dim. EuroCave customer support was great. They explained the repair process and offered to send a repair person out, but since we are somewhat handy, they shipped us the part for free with instructions and a voucher for a future purchase at a wine retailer.  The repair was as straightforward as they described. The EuroCaves have functioned flawlessly since.

How do I tighten a EuroCave Shelf?

One common “newbie” compliant on the EuroCave shelving is that, once the unit is fully loaded, the rolling trays don’t move as smoothly as they did when the cabinet was empty. The weight of the bottles can put a shelf out of alignment due to settling.  

To fix this problem (which has happened to us only twice), simply remove the bottles from the offending shelf and tighten the screws. This task was fairly straightforward and required only a screwdriver.

How to conserve energy with the EuroCave?

Single temperature units are the most energy-efficient if you are waffling between a single temp and dual temp unit.

To maintain the lowest energy consumption (0.8 kWh per day), minimize the amount of time the door is open.  Keep the cabinet in an area in the middle of the allowable temperature range (12C to 35 C) and check that the door seal is making a tight seal and is in good condition.

At what temperature should the EuroCave be maintained?

If your intention is to store wine in the EuroCave like one would in a cellar for 2 - 20+ years, then set the temperature between 10 and 14 C (maturing temperature).

If your intention is to use the EuroCave as storage of red wines for consumption within 2 years or so, then you can set the temperature from 16 to 20 C (serving temperature). 

We personally keep our cellar at 12 C (54 F) ideal for cellaring a wide range of wines. 

How to Arrange Bottles in a EuroCave Wine Cooler

As with all wine coolers, getting a precise bottle count per cabinet is a difficult task!  This requires some strategy to maximize all that precious cellar space.

With our two units, I took this approach: I dedicated one cabinet to white wines and “all others” and the other cabinet to Bordeaux / Napa.  In the “white + other” cabinet, I assigned Riesling bottles to the top half of the cabinet (the flute bottle shape is long and narrow) and Burgundy-style bottles to the bottom half of the cabinet.  The “Bordeaux/Napa” cabinet holds fewer bottles due to the nesting ability of Bordeaux style bottles.  

Of course, another approach might be warranted for your wine collection.  Our suggestion is simply not to mix all the bottles as it will make it difficult to find the bottles you are looking for!

EuroCave Performance Alternatives

So, you like what you’ve read about the EuroCave 283 Performance. However, you are looking for other cabinets in the EuroCave family at a lower price point. Consider this high-quality alternative:

Why Invest in a EuroCave Wine Cooler?

After living with two EuroCave Performance Wine Coolers for five years, we would still make the same purchase.  They are true “library quiet” and require little maintenance. Maintenance includes replacing a simple filter once per year and visually checking the cabinets about once per week to monitor for humidity or temperature change.  As with any large appliance, wiping down the unit with warm water for cleanliness and vacuuming the coils to reduce dust build-up will extend the life and maintain performance. The units are sleek and attractive. After a small learning curve, adjusting the racks and tightening the rolling trays is easy for even the most non-mechanical person.  

We hope you find just the right wine cellar for your wine storage needs.

Cheers!

Over 50 Gifts for Wine Lovers

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Autumn is coming to a close, and that means that we’re on the fast track to fall and winter festivity. So, in preparation for the 2020 holiday season, we’ve rounded up the best wine gifts for the wine connoisseurs, wine enthusiasts, and sommeliers on your gift list.

You won’t find trendy trinkets, wine t-shirts, or silly slogans on this list. Instead, you’ll find timeless items that wine lovers will truly love (and that we have personally used - and loved! - ourselves).

Use the links below to search by category:

Wine Preservation Gifts

Coravin Model Eleven Fully Automatic Wine Preservation System 

This is the ultimate gift for the wine collector who has been coveting the Coravin, has a passion for all things wireless, and is a total gadget fanatic.  Enjoy wine by the glass without removing the cork! This bundle also has accessories for screw-cap wines.  

Coravin Model 2 Premium Wine Preservation System

Know a wine lover who has everything, but still want to be able to pay you rent after you buy their present? Here’s the Model Eleven’s little sister, the Model 2.  Enjoy wine by the glass without removing the cork, and without all the frills of the Model Eleven.  

Eurocave WineArt Preservation System

This attractive wine preservation system is ideal for the wine connoisseur who opens one or two bottles a week and intends to consume the wine in under seven days. This system is designed to sit on countertops and fits under most cabinetry, helping to eliminate the risk of partially consumed wine bottles being hidden in the refrigerator and forgotten.  

Wine Saver Vacuum Pump Preserver

Great for the wine enthusiast on a limited budget, with limited space for bulky wine preservation systems. This system stores nicely in a kitchen drawer and is also good for holidays when many bottles may be partially consumed.

Wine Folly Champagne Stopper Made in Italy

Can’t finish that bottle of bubbly in one evening?  No worries, use this heavy made-in-Italy Champagne stopper, refrigerate it, and you’ll still have fizz two days later (or more)! Works for other sparkling wines as well and is a thoughtful gift for Mimosa lovers.

Repour Wine Saver - Wine Saver, Stopper

Don’t care for all the gadgets, and simply want a good stopper? This Repour Wine Saver, used by a growing number of wine bars, is good if you want to minimize oxidation and plan to finish that bottle in three or more days.  

In-Home Wine Dispenser - Just Like Wine Bars

Now you can have the look and ease of a fine wine bar in the comfort of your home. For that partner that sees an Enomatic at the wine bar and wants to take it home, here’s the solution!

Wine Storage Gifts

Best Large Wine Cabinet

Check out our review on living with a Eurocave wine cabinet for over five years (coming soon!).  We personally own a Eurocave 283, but also love the Artevino, which is a little smaller, storing approximately 200 bottles.

Best Small Wine Refrigerator

Check out our review on the best small wine refrigerators , and see our top pick here:

Made in America Wine Racks

Already have a cool, dark place to store wine?  Here’s our favorite wood wine rack by Wine Racks America. Store 72 wines in your closet, basement or wine cave.

Metal Wall Wine Rack

No cellar? No problem. Display a few wines you will consume in the coming weeks right on your wall.  Good gift for wine lovers in townhomes and apartments.

Wine Glassware Gifts

Gabriel Gold Glas Universal Wine Glass

Check out our Gabriel Glas Gold article for a full review.  This is our favorite feather-light go-to glass.

Zalto Universal Glass

Ideal for those who love the thought of fine rimmed bows and delicate stemware, but want a more robust feel in their hands without sacrificing a great bowl.  

Gabriel Glas Decanter

We just love the look and feel of this mouth-blown, Austrian crystal, lead-free decanter. It is easier to clean than some other artistic decanters on the market.

Everyday Decanter - Le Chateau Wine Decanter

This lead-free crystal decanter is a good step up from big-box store decanters. Price point is good for home parties where one mis-step could lead to broken glassware on your floor or in your sink. 

Wine Service Gifts

Waterford Crystal Wine Bottle Coaster

This is a nice gift for anyone wanting to own one piece of Waterford. It adds a splash of elegance, and is a good paperweight when not holding a bottle of wine.

Stainless Steel Wine Bottle Coaster 4-pack

We use these frequently in North Carolina when cool white wines start to sweat after being removed from the refrigerator. Keep your table looking nice with this coaster 4-pack.

Champagne Wine Bucket with Stand

Regardless of your wine preference, this bucket and stand pair is great for keeping sparkling and white wines (as well as craft beer bombers) cool on hot summer evenings. With a combined weight of 6 pounds, it can prop open patio doors, and with its stainless steel construction, if you accidentally leave it outside overnight it will not rust. Instead, it becomes the Best. Birdbath. Ever.

Vacu-Vin Wine and Champagne Cooler  

No space for a Champagne wine bucket? No problem. These re-usable and foldable wine sleeves cool down warm wines quickly. Simply store them in the freezer between uses.

American Metalcraft Wine Service Tray

These stainless serving trays can be used to transport wine bottles and glassware, as well as food between tables or food stations.  

Serviette (aka White Cloth Restaurant Napkin)

Sommeliers use these simple white cloths to cover the service tray (to prevent bottle and glassware slippage while walking) as well as to wipe bottles and stop drips during pouring.  

Wine Tasting Gifts

KnowWines Wine Tasting Class

Get a group together and organize a wine tasting to explore new tastes as well as build community. Contact us for an in-person class.  We can customize classes to fit your needs.

Not in North Carolina? No problem. Contact your local wine bottle shop or wine bar to see if they offer classes on site or can send someone (and some wines!) to your home.

Wine Tasting Grid Mat

Setting up your own wine tasting?  These wine tasting grids double as placemats.  Also check out our blog on how to do a wine tasting in your home.

Blind Tasting Wines

This wine subscription aims to present to you wines to explore with their identities covered.  Taste with friends or family and see who guesses the best. Once you unveil the wine, you can learn more about it in enclosed envelope.

Wine Glass Cleaning Supply Gifts

So your wine loving friend already has a kitchen or dining room full of wine accessories.  For the neat-nik in your life, a thoughtful collection of cleaning supplies in a gift basket might do the trick.

Riedel Microfiber Polishing Cloth

After five years of home glass-polishing use, ours are still going strong. 

Crystal Glass Cleaning Sponge with Handle

There are so many different types of glass cleaning sponges on the market. What makes this one stand out is the scratch/free brush and the bamboo handle that allows you to stand it up to dry. 

Polident

Can’t get that red wine stain out of glassware? Let it soak overnight with Polident.

Decanter Cleaning Brush and Beads

Decanter brushes and beads get in all the nooks and crannies where typical brushes cannot go.  

Decanter Stand

Once your decanter is washed, it can be dried and stored on this decanter stand with rubberized ring that prevents scratching of the decanter neck and body.

Wine Travel Gifts

North Carolina Wine Trails

Plan a weekend getaway exploring North Carolina’s gorgeous wine trails.

Napa and Sonoma

Plan the ultimate West Coast wine adventure using our detailed guide to Napa and Sonoma.

Bordeaux

Treat yourself to a beautiful trip in Bordeaux with our guide for women traveling solo in that region.

Rhone

Become a Rhone Ranger and gift your partner a journey to this beautiful, rustic region.

Virginia

Virginia is for lovers! So what could be more romantic than a Virginia wine trip for two?

Wine Gift Bags

Two Wine Carrying Bag

Read our blog reusable wine bags for more ideas in this category. (But, spoiler alert: this is our top pick!):

Wine suitcase

Traveling to wine country and need to bring back bottles in checked luggage? Check out our blog to learn more about traveling with and packing wine. And for your gifting needs, here’s our favorite wine luggage:

Wine Bag for Wine Sales Person

Have a friend or family member in the wine business who could use a high quality bag for carrying samples?  This is the wine bag we personally use when teaching wine classes.  

Wine Stocking Stuffers

Wine Stain Remover

If you happen to spill some wine on your clothes, the carpet, or your friend’s jacket, this Made-in-Texas product really does work on fresh wine spills!  It is available in a 4.8-ounce bottle for home use and single-use packages for dining out and travel.

Wine Opener

Check out our review of wine openers.  Here’s our top pick for gift giving, for quick reference:

Wine Charms

In 2019 we reviewed wine charms. One of our favorites, Simply Charmed, also makes holiday-themed magnetic wine charms:

Yeti wine tumbler

Whether you need to keep wine cool in the summer or your gluhwine warm during the holidays, we found this excellent Yeti tumbler can meet both needs.  

Free and Low Cost Wine Gifts

Subscription to a Wine Podcast

Have a friend who doesn’t know how to download wine podcasts?  Spend an hour at a wine bar with them and get them set up! Some of our favorite wine podcasts are Wine for Normal People, Vinepair, and Guild of Sommeliers.

Wine Games

Download some FREE wine word search games to alleviate cabin fever or to pass time in the car or airport!

Wine Tasting

Learn about local wine tasting events, both free and with fees, through this great site.

Wine Magazine Subscriptions

Decanter

This leading wine magazine from the UK offers a European perspective on wines and is often regarded as the world’s leading magazine on wines. The magazine covers many areas, including vintages, winemakers, destinations, farming practices, and industry news, as well as wine ratings.  

Wine Spectator

The leading wine lifestyle magazine in the United States with a US consumer focus. Short stories and features on winemakers, wine regions, and wine collectors. Also includes wine reviews.  

Wine Spectator
Shanken Communications
Buy on Amazon

Wine Gift Books

Snob-Free Wine Book 

By podcaster and Raleigh, NC resident Elisabeth Schneider, this book is great for GenXers and your favorite sceptic.

New Wine Book

The perfect wine book for a visual learner.

Becoming a Sommelier

Go behind the scenes with Somm Rosie Schaap, author of Drinking With Men: A Memior.

World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition

Just in time for the holidays, an update to the beloved Wine Atlas. 230 maps!

And that’s a (gift) wrap!

We look forward to adding to the 50+ items on this list as new, high-quality products become available. What will you be gifting to that special wine lover in your life this season? Let us know in the comment section below!

And yes, several of these links are affiliate links.  What that means is that we get a small commission from some sellers at no additional cost to you.  These commissions allow us to buy and try products and give you some insight on these products from the perspective of a fellow wine lover.  

Happy shopping!

















































































Single Wine Bottle Holders

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Many wine enthusiasts like single wine bottle holders because they provide an attractive conversation piece on the countertop or table while their guests are enjoying wine.  There are many types of single wine bottle holders available from artisans and from online retailers. 

We’ve scoured the internet and found the very best, up-to-date wine holders, any one of which may be a good addition to your dining space or a nice gift for a wine-loving friend.

Why would I want a single wine bottle holder?

A single wine bottle holder is a decorative way to show off a prized bottle of wine.  The wine bottle holder might be minimalistic - intended to display the fine wine. Or, you may prefer a bolder wine holder - a conversation piece beside the cheese tray.

Wine bottle holders, which can be constructed from wood, wire, plastic, or all of the above, have become very popular home decor items.  Also, a wine bottle holder can be an easy, quick gift for the wine lover who “has it all.”

How do I choose a wine bottle holder?

Whether you are purchasing the wine bottle holder as a gift or for your own home, there are a few things to consider.

Construction

Wine bottle displays can be constructed from wood, wire, plastic, wire, resin or a combination all of the above.  

Aesthetic

Since wine bottle holders are home decor, the design aesthetic is a big focus.  Consider who will be using the wine bottle holder. Do they intend to use the product seasonally or throughout the year? Do they like funny/quirky things or are they more traditional?

Space

If the apartment dweller or homeowner has limited space, then a large single wine bottle holder might take up too much space.  They may prefer a wall-mounted item.  

Quality

Since these items fall into the kitchen home decor category, they are typically low to moderately priced.  One-of-a-kind wine bottle holders can be premium priced. However, since those items are very specific we limit our reviews to items that are mass-produced but not low quality.   

Do I need a wine bottle holder?

No, a wine bottle holder is not a necessity for a wine collector.  Its purpose is to show off a bottle of wine or to serve as a conversation piece in its own right.  Most often, single wine bottle holders serve as a unique piece of art reflecting the style and aesthetic of the wine owner. There’s not a single, go-to brand of wine bottle holder.  

Precautions to consider

The wine bottle holder exposes the wine bottle to light, heat, and vibration, all of which can affect the wine. For more on long-term storage of wine, check out our wine storage article.  

If you are gifting a single wine bottle holder, acknowledge that minimalists may find them cluttering.
Best wine bottle holders

And the best single wine bottle holders are ….

Best Wooden Wine Bottle Holder

This hardwood wine bottle holder would be a good bet for anyone whose design style you’re not sure of. It does not look or feel cheap and would make a good gift for someone who would like to show off a single Napa Cabernet Sauvignon to guests. This is our pick for that conservative or traditional wine enthusiast in your life.
Pros:

  • Unique gravity-defying shape - does not look like every other wine bottle holder on the market

  • Dark finish and minimalist design complement many home decor styles

  • Comes in a nice box for easy wrapping - no need to wrap an awkward shape

Cons:

  • Free accompanying bottle stopper seems like an odd freebie (but hey, it’s free!)

Best Metal Wine Bottle Holder

We love this simple, stainless steel wine bottle holder as our favorite metal wine bottle holder.  If you (or the gift recipient) want to showcase the wine instead of the bottle holder itself, this might be a good selection.  

Pros:

  • No design elements near the neck of the wine bottle - so it can acomodate 750 mL bottles of various sizes and lengths

  • Matches most stainless steel kitchen appliances

  • Rust resistant - if you entertain outside and accidentally leave it outdoors a few times, it won’t rust

Cons:

  • Might look a little too simple or industrial for those who would prefer a little more character in their wine bottle holder

Best Floating Wine Bottle Holder (in Cowboy Up! Or Ships Ahoy!)

Yes, you can have the best of both worlds - minimalist design that won’t detract from a great bottle of wine AND a topic of discussion at your next party.  

Pro:

  • Makes guests look twice

  • Design is not obtrusive

Con:

  • Only available in white

  • Might get tipped over in a crowded or busy space

Best Wall Mounted Wine Bottle Holder

Many wall mounted wine bottle holders detract from the wine bottle.  Our top pick lets the label do all the talking.   

Pros:

  • Minimalist design - you see the wine bottle not the holder

  • Can be used at room temperature (in a kitchen) or in a wine cellar 

  • Easy to install

Cons:

  • The holder does stick out of the wall a little bit - you will not want to mount one right next to a doorway

Best Animal Wine Bottle Holder

There are so many animal wine bottle holders available online, it was so hard to pick one!  If you don’t know what type of animal a gift recipient likes, an octopus is a good compromise (they’re quite intelligent, and fun to look at, too!).  This wine holder is also a great gift for nautical themed condos or beach homes - or Kraken lovers.  This guy’s tentacles don’t get in the way of the top of the bottle, so it can acomodates a variety of bottle lengths and sizes.  

Pros:

  • Some of the animal wine bottle holders have the bottle aimed at the animal’s mouth.  While this may elicit a chuckle, some people consider it a little on the silly side. Also, those designs might not fit all bottle types.  This one allows for more flexibility in bottle size.

Cons:

  • Don’t store the wine for long in an upright position as the cork will dry out!

Best Unique Wine Bottle Holder (Perfect for Halloween!)

Worried about having a lifeless party?  Why not liven it up with this Undead single bottle wine holder? This is a perfect gift for fans of The Walking Dead or Santa Clarita Diet (or for anyone who loves Halloween).

Pros:

  • Weighing in at a little over three pounds, this resin wine holder is a sturdy piece

  • Very detailed gore on the zombie neck, face and arms

Cons:

  • Does not hold odd wine bottle sizes or odd liquor bottle sizes

Best Wine Holder for Boxed Wine

Who says boxed wine doesn’t deserve a spotlight. We say, “No wine left behind!”

Entertaining a crowd?  Need to take wine to the beach or pool where glass is a no-no? Discard that carboard box and place that bag of wine inside this stylish wood box!  The way this wood box is designed, you can actually get all the wine out of the bag (in some cardboard boxes it is tricky to get all the wine out).

The best part about wine in a bag is that if you don’t finish it all, it will keep for many days.  While much of boxed wine here in the US is nameless plonk in a box, there is an increasing number of good value wine being placed in these containers.  

Pro Tip: Purchase more than one for a party and then use one for wine and the other for any other spirited cocktail under 80 proof.  

Pros:  

  • Good for weddings or big parties when you want to avoid unsightly cardboard boxes

  • Home winemaker?  Fill the bag with your own creation and label with the free accompanying chalk

  • Accompanying bags can be filled with bottled wine as well

Cons:

  • A little bulky - you’ll need to find a place to store it when not in use

And the winner is…

The floating lasso bottle holder!

We like that this wine holder showcased the wine, yet was intriguing enough to be a topic of discussion at an indoor or outdoor party.  Also, the white color complements or contrasts a lot of trendy decor and surfaces.  It would fit right at home in a range of decor styles - beach, cowboy chic, or rustic modern.  

Good luck choosing the wine bottle holder that’s just right for your entertaining or gifting needs!

Cheers!

Gabriel Glas Gold Crystal Wine Glass

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There are a lot of choices out there when it comes to crystal wine glasses, and it can be overwhelming for wine enthusiasts who are concerned with having “the right” glassware. A common problem is having no specific strategy for purchasing glassware and thus ending up with a mismatched, motley collection.

The Gabriel Glas Gold crystal wine glass did not exist when we started purchasing crystal glassware at KnowWines, but we wish it had.! The Gabriel Glas Gold is our go-to wine glass when enjoying fine wine. If you are looking for one universal wine glass, the Gabriel Glas Gold universal wine glass may be the one for you.  

Things to consider before buying Gabriel Glas Gold

Here’s something to consider: purchasing many different sets of fine glassware to fill perceived niches, like “varietal specific glassware,” for example, is generally a waste of money.  At the other end of the spectrum, cheap glassware can be disappointing when trying to enjoy a fine wine.

The ideal customer for the Gabriel Glas Gold is someone interested in a universal fine wine crystal glassware with the primary purpose of enjoying a fine wine as a solo enthusiast, as a couple, or with a few key fellow wine lovers. Before buying fine crystal glassware, consider how much you want to spend, aesthetics of the glass, the balance of the glass in your hand, and finally, its construction.

The Gabriel Glas Gold

 
 

The Gabriel Glas Gold is mouth-blown crystal stemware.  Unlike other fine wine glassware on the market, the Gabriel Glas Gold is constructed of a single piece of mouth-blown glass and is not molded.

The promise of Gabriel Glas is that it is the only wine glass you will need for unbelievable wine enjoyment and for use with any grape varietal. Compared to the market leaders, Gabriel Glas Gold is more decadent and lighter weight.  

The product is for

  • People looking for a universal crystal wine glass for fine wine drinking

  • People looking for a fine wine glass that is hand blown and not molded - eliminating stress points found on much other glassware

  • People looking for a fine wine glass that feels like the extension of one’s own hand

The product is not for

  • People (or their guests) who break glassware easily

  • People looking for variety-specific glassware

  • People looking for cheap glassware for entertaining

Gabriel Glas Gold Features & Benefits

This wine glass is also good for people who want one of the lightest, most delicate feeling wine glasses.

When considering fine crystal glassware, consider pleasurability, construction, cost, shape, universality, durability, and ease of cleaning (and make sure it is lead free!).

What’s the pleasure quotient for Gabriel Glas Gold?

We remember the exact moment when we first experienced the Gabriel Glas Gold. It was in a wine shop cellar in St. Emilion, France.  We were part of a wine tour, and we stayed behind to continue tasting at ETS Wine Shop.

The shape of the glass caught our eye.  We’ve seen a lot of wine glasses, but this one looked particularly sexy and appealing.  When we asked to hold the glass, we could not believe how light it was. Then, the wine shop employee had us taste a white Burgundy wine (at the 20 Euro price point) from two well-known and widely-distributed brands of wine glasses, as well as the Gabriel Glas Gold.  The Gabriel Glas Gold greatly enhanced the aromas of the wine and the delicate feel of the glass enhanced the overall experience. We felt that the wine, in a Gabriel Glas Gold glass, tasted much finer than a 20 Euro white Burgundy. The glasses were so lightweight, in fact, that they seemed to have a little flex to them. Needless to say, everyone who participated in that little tasting went home with boxes of Gabriel Glas Gold wine glasses.  

Why does the shape of the Gabriel Glas Gold matter?

The shape of this wine glass is optimized for inserting your nose into the glass (unlike some glassware, which causes you to contort your neck for this purpose). Getting your nose in the glass is important to appreciate the aromas collecting in the bowl.

In addition to the opening of the bowl, the next thing to pay attention to is the lip.  Wine tasting is often a more pleasant experience with a thin lip because there is less interference between the wine and your mouth.

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Crystal glassware is also preferred when it comes to wine tasting as it has the clearest transparency with which to admire the wine in the glass.  With some molded glassware, you can see where the glassware was sitting in the mold.  

The balance of the glassware in your hand also matters. Heavier glassware can feel tired in your hand.  It is also sexy to hold a glass of wine and feel like you are just holding the wine in your hands, not a heavy container.  This decadent feeling in the hand makes it easier to swirl wines in the glass.  The bowl of the Gabriel Glas Gold glass is a generous 95 mm wide at the widest point.   

Is the Gabriel Glas Gold a Good Value?

For full disclosure, we have to admit that, in the crystal wine glass world, this is a premium glass, especially since it is handmade and imported from Austria.  Like any other luxury purchase, you should consider how often you will be using the item. If this will be your go-to wine glass for years, it’s a great investment when looking at per use cost. That cheap glass sitting in the back of the cabinet is not a good value if it is not getting used!

What are the benefits of mouth-blown glassware?

Handblown glassware differs from molded glassware in that it is almost always constructed of one piece of glass. 

Much commercial glassware is comprised of three parts - the bowl, the stem, and the base.  Three-part construction can be problematic in that stress points are created at the connection between the glass bowl and stem, and again where the stem meets the base.  If you have ever had a wine glass break off at the junction of the bowl and the stem - or at the junction of the stem and the base - then it was likely a molded construction. The Gabriel Glas Gold glass is also lead-free.  

How does one clean Gabriel Glas Gold glassware?

The maker says that Gabriel Glas can be washed in the dishwasher.  While we’ve never washed this glassware in the dishwasher we would not be afraid to.

Typically, though, we wash the glassware in the sink using hot water, a thin washcloth, and fragrance-free dish detergent.  Upon removing the glass from the sink, we quickly rinse the glass and then dry it off with a microfiber cloth and polish it.

 
 

We store our Gabriel Glas in our closed cabinet (alongside the other lonely glassware that doesn’t get as much use as it once did!).  

If we forget to clean the glass and need to remove any difficult to remove wine deposit, we first use dental appliance cleaner and then clean normally.

 
 

How Durable is the Gabriel Glas?

We’ve used this glassware for two years at least weekly, and we’ve yet to have a single glass break or chip.  We’ve even placed the Gabriel Glas wine glass inside its original box and taken the box to the beach to enjoy the glassware and special wines with friends.   

Gabriel Glas Social Proof

We did a fair amount of online research after two years of pain-free glassware enjoyment. We found that many users shared the same sentiments.  

Other users mention that the glassware is pricy but also one of the best wine drinking experiences.  An increasing number of sommeliers at fine restaurants are spokespeople for the Gabriel Glas.

Some users report breaking a glass shortly after use.  We’ve seen no complaints online regarding quality, only user clumsiness.  For those who are afraid to handwash, dishwashing is recommended.  

Gabriel Glas Gold Alternatives

Not ready to splurge on the Gabriel Glas Gold?  There are a few other glasses available that provide similar experiences with a little difference.  

StandArt by Gabriel Glas

So, you’ve read this review and checked out other online reviews that rave about the Gabriel Glas Gold. However, the price is a little steep.  Gabriel does offer a molded glass called the StandArt with the same shape but a slightly heavier feel (145 grams per glass compared to 95 grams per glass).

 
 

Zalto DenkArt

Several other online reviewers mention the Zalto glassware as a close second to the Gabriel Glas Gold, with a lower price point. We also own this glassware and enjoy it with heavier red wines if the Gabriel Glas Gold is dirty or occupied with another wine. Also, some might feel less less likely to break this glass when washing. If you like your glassware lead-free, dishwasher safe, but want a more widely distributed glass, the Zalto may be for you.  

 
 

Bella Vino

Still want a lead-free, mouth-blown wine glass that’s made in Europe (this time Switzerland)? Another alternative is the Bella Vino crystal wine glass. In addition to a lower price point, this glass also comes with a limited warranty.  We recommend this one in case you are very clumsy with glassware, or have particularly clumsy guests (hey, accidents happen!).

 
 

Gabriel Glas Gold Conclusions

Clearly, we are quite partial to our Gabriel Glas Gold glassware.  It is the sexiest universal crystal wineglass on the market, in our opinion.  

This wine glass is a good option for those enjoying fine wines, as many other crystal glasses on the market are heavier and their weight distracts from the wine drinking experience.  

These wine glasses are good for gift giving as any style of wine can be enjoyed.  There are different set sizes available (1, 2, 6). We also like the story behind the brand and the fact that they are made in Austria by artisans.  

The Gabriel Glas has been durable in the past two years of use.  It is easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher. We’re surprised that we haven’t broken one! We’ve received many positive comments on the Gabriel Glas when tasting with friends. It’s not going to look like every other piece of glassware on the market.

Check out this wineglass if you are seeking to upgrade your glassware, replace a collection of mismatched glassware, or are seeking a fine wine glass for that special wedding, anniversary, or promotion present. (And for other great wine gifts, check out our ultimate guide to gifts for wine lovers!).

Cheers!   

Your Personalized Wine Journal

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While there are a variety of wine tasting journals available on the market, most don’t allow for much personalization. We have a couple of favorite wine apps on our iPhone, however taking written notes on wines using a fine journal and a nice pen is relaxing and mindful (or should we say wineful?) Keeping a personalized wine journal is a great hobby for wine enthusiasts. And wine journals (and accessories!) are a great gift for the wine lover who has it all!

Why a Wine Tasting Journal?

A wine tasting journal is simply a place for recording observations and key aspects of the tasting experience to reflect upon later.  They can be used and enjoyed by wine journals can be used and enjoyed by wine novices, serious enthusiasts, and wine professionals alike. 

Students preparing for an exam through the Court of Master Sommeliers or Wine and Spirit Education trust take detailed notes on wines both to practice tasting notes and to commit to memory key points that will help them in theory or tasting exams. Studies show that writing things down is much more impactful than typing into a smartphone or laptop. 

Why not use a Wine Tasting App?

If you’re just getting started in taking wine tasting notes or want to take some quick tasting notes on the go, then yes, the apps available at vivino.com and cellartracker.com are great.  

But there’s just something to be said for pen and paper. If you’re like the rest of us, when you take out the iPhone to take tasting notes, it won’t take much for you to wander from your intent, either reading other users notes or going off the App and checking the weather forecast. Many people who prefer to take notes in a journal are looking for a chance to unplug and to discreetly take notes without the glow of a smartphone.

About Traditional Wine Tasting Journals

Traditional wine tasting journals are made by a variety of publishing houses and wine bloggers.  Many wine lovers find that these “out of the box” wine journals have both positive and negative aspects.  Below are some examples of traditional wine tasting journals.

The Moleskine Passion Journal:

The Write it Down Wine Journal:

Positive points about traditional wine tasting journals:

  • Great templates for enthusiasts to enter in wine names, vintage, price, aromas and flavors, and general topics like where it was consumed, with whom and with what food

  • Wine tasting terms for beginners 

  • Wine references, like vintage ratings, maps and classic producers.  

Downsides to traditional wine tasting journals:

  • Unattractive cover design (e.g. dated, poor photo, corny phrase)

  • Heavy (e.g. leather, can’t take it with you on wine travels)

  • Looks too much like a wine journal (not discreet - you’ll be ‘that person’ in the tasting room)

  • Wine pairing basics or other ‘notes’ that are not of interest, adding bulk/waste to the journal 

  • Ink bleeding through on ‘cheap’ paper

  • Not enough space to affix wine labels

In case traditional wine tasting journals leave you feeling like you are “painting by the numbers,” this blog outlines a DIY wine journal package and methodology you may find useful. 

The Customizable Wine Tasting Journal Package

Let’s look at the components of a personalized wine tasting journal. 

The Leuchtturn Journal

We have been big fans of Leuchtturn 1917 journals since our first trip to Germany over 20 years ago.  

Here’s what we love about this journal:

  • There are bullets instead of lines.  These bullets allow writers to draw, write, or paste in their content without the visual deterrent of lines or the emptiness of a blank page

  • It has an index, and you can customize it!  We’re amazed that many wine journals don’t come with the option to create an index before jumping right into the note-taking.  

  • The journal lays flat - many leather wine journals don’t.  This creates a nice looking spine after year(s) of use. We like how ours looks on a bookshelf!

  • There’s a classy label one can affix to the front of the journal when you’re done using it.

  • There’s a sturdy envelope in the back of the journal to hold winery brochures, menus, wine label remover sheets, and maps until one gets the chance to affix the info into the journal.  

  • The journals are robust.  We’ve used one journal for a year during regional and global travel, on a boat, and bouncing around in a bag.  

  • The jornal is thin and slips in neatly next to one’s laptop or large tablet (8.85 x 12.4 inches).

  • These journals cost less than typical leather journals.

The Staedtler Pen

No one likes writing with a cheap pen, especially when taking tasting notes.  You want a pen with a fine tip that writes smoothly and is a pleasure to hold.  

The Staedtler Pen

These pens are ergonomic with a triangular shape and are very light in the hand.  The ink dries more quickly than gel pens. They don’t smear, bleed or feather.

The only downside we’ve noticed is that sometimes the lighter colors are not as ‘bright’ on paper as some would like.  We’ve noticed over the years that we use the black pen and the darker colors the most.

The Wine Label Lift 

Some wine enthusiasts love to keep wine labels for future reference (as sometimes it can be hard to remember the details of wine(s) the next day!). As you’ll see in our blog on wine label removal, this can can be done by removing the wine label from the bottle or simply taking a good photo of the label.  We do this either through taking photos of the wine labels or actually going through the motions of removing the wine label from the bottle.   

Our preferred method for removing wine labels is utilizing a wine label lift. These are simply adhesive films that one adheres to the bottle then removes - extracting the label from the bottle.  The label can then be inserted into the journal easily. While they don’t work 100% of the time, there are some tips/tricks online for increasing the likelihood of success when removing a label from the wine bottle. 

We really like that these wine label removers slip easily into the envelope in the back of the journal for storage until needed. Once the label is removed from the bottle, the journaler has the option of adhering it to the wine journal as a memento.

Document Edges for Maps, Menus, and Winery Information

In addition to the wine labels themselves, some wine enthusiasts love to collect momentos from the meal, tasting, trip, or bar where the wine was consumed.  For those purposes we love these document edges in classic colors for adhering such momentos to the journal.

Like the wine label removers, these adhesive corner pieces can also slip into the back of the journal for future use.

If You’re Gifting the Wine Journal Package

If you’re gifting the wine journal package, traditional gift wrap will work just fine. However, if you know a wine lover with a milestone birthday, anniversary or promotion, you may want to consider gifting the journal and accessories with a wine book or simply a bottle of wine. To make the gift extra special,  place the journal and accessories in this covetable premium leather wine bag.

Additional Resources for the Personalized Wine Journal

If you or your wine tasting journal recipient is fairly new to making entries in a wine journal, here are a few resources for different approaches to recording tasting notes:

Court of Master Sommeliers: For those who watched the SOMM movies and want to learn the deductive tasting grid demonstrated in the movies, this is the place to go to find the free grid pdf.  

Wine and Spirit Educational Trust: For those who prefer a more analytical approach to wine tasting, the WSET has courses available to wine enthusiasts and wine professionals, where one can learn the WSET systematic approach to tasting.

Also check out our article on the Wine Tasting Grid and how to set up a wine tasting in your home.

Finally, if you join a wine club or wine subscription, these services will often send attractive, informational cards that detail the qualities of your favorite wines. These make great wine journal entries!

You can be as simple or as elaborate as you like in your wine taking notes, including as many or as few details as you wish.  

Additional Accessories for the Personalized Wine Journal

Here are a few more items that wine enthusiasts might enjoy with their personalized journal:

Wine Aroma Wheel

With over 800 aromatic compounds to explore, Dr. Ann Noble, winemaker and professor emeretis of U.C. Davis, came up with this wine aroma wheel that’s been used for decades.   

Bullet Journal 

The popular bullet journal methodology helped us escape from the rigidity of templated journals.

Maximizing the Personalized Wine Tasting Journal Experience

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For wine lovers, journaling about the experience of each bottle is an invaluable resource for study and exam prep. It does not all need to be serious though!  Sometimes one simply wants to keep their unique tasting experiences separate from other journals.  Benefits of enthusiast documentation include watching your tastes and preferences grow and change.  

There are disadvantages to pre-printed wine journals - format, design and flexibility are limited.  The simplicity of a Personalized Wine Tasting Journal means that the journal will never go out of style.  At the core it is about the content and what you want to document for yourself or to share with fellow wine lovers.  

Happy journaling!

Cheers!






















Top Five Wine Glass Charms

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When hosting a party with more than just a few guests, accidental co-mingling of glasses often occurs.  Gross! Metal remedies for this unsanitary problem have existed for a while, but are distracting, boring and dated.  Here, we review our five favorite (and more modern) wine charm sets for differentiating wine glasses at your next party.

What are wine charms?

Since many wine lovers own enough matching glassware to host a party and party-goers often forget where they set their glasses, clever entrepreneurs have come up with ways to tell wine glasses apart without detracting from the drinking experience.

A wine charm is simply any type of plastic, metal, or material to discern one wine glass from another.  Wine charms may also serve a secondary objective - decorating glasses in alignment with a party theme.

Early wine charms were often constructed out of metal - wire hoops that slip around the wine stem. While these allow for some creativity, it can be annoying to have a metal earring-like objects flopping around on the wine stem during each sip.

Do I really need wine charms?

From diligent research, we’ve found that the increased likelihood of wines becoming separated from their owners and being accidentally consumed by others is positively correlated with increased time at the party and the volume of wine consumed by the participant.  

While wine charms add a dose of whimsy and serve a practical objective (keeping drinks associated with guests!), not every wine party needs wine charms.  In fact, wine charms are viewed by many as just fun wine glass accessories.

If your wine party is focused on blind tasting where each person has multiple matching glasses in front of them, discreet wine charms may help to organize the wines being tasted.  However, simply marking the wine glass base with a washable or ethanol removable marker or Sharpie might be the best route, as wine charms may be too distracting for the purpose of serious wine tasting.

If your wine consuming guests will sit in primarily the same spot throughout the event or evening, then you might not need wine charms.  Wine charms become more useful when the party includes various attendees carrying their glasses from food station to food station or throughout a home or backyard over the course of a few hours. 

Where can I buy wine charms?

One can find a limited selection of wine charms at wine bottle shops or party supply stores.  However if you live some distance from such stores or fear they might not have a good selection, consider purchasing wine charms from online retailers.  

How do I personalize wine charms?

With the variety of pens on the market, it has become fairly easy to customize or personalize silicone-based wine charms for your parties.  Some wine charms come with instructions and their own pens for personalization. Others are personalized by color, shape, or individualized text.

How do I select and use a wine charm?

Does your party have a particular theme?  Will your party be co-ed or be only men or women?  Keeping the wine charms in line with your selected party theme is a consideration.  Alternatively, you might be looking for multi-purpose wine charms that you can have on hand for any impromptu wine party.  

Here are a few more considerations:

  • Will your party participants like to see something fun or risqué or are they more socially conservative? 

  • Will you use wine charms on stemless glassware or on fine wine glassware with stems? Some wine charms “hug” a wine glass stem and logically won’t work for a stemless glass.  

  • Do you want to re-use the wine charms many times or are you looking for a wine charm form limited use?  Note that re-usability was the desired outcome in this review.  

  • How thick are your wine glass stems? If your glassware has a thin or thick stem, and you choose a wine charm that encircles the wine stem, pay attention to how snug the wine charm is on the wine glass stem.  Wine charms that are too loose on a thin wine glass stem can fall off during the party, presenting a tripping hazard or choking hazard. Pets or small children might accidentally eat them off the ground.  

  • Do you want the wine charm to be adhesive or magnetic?  When using an adhesive, keep in mind that cheap ones may not be easy to remove from the glass.  While researching adhesive wine charms, we made sure to select a ‘clingy’ version with many positive reviews regarding any residue being left behind.  If adhesives concern you, magnetic wine charms might be a better fit. Also, magnetic charms are often reusable. Cling wine charms are another option with limited reusability (especially if they accidentally end up in the dishwasher!).

  • Does the wine charm need to be large enough to facilitate customization or personalization with a marker?  If you wish to personalize your wine charms, you will want to consider if the wine charm has enough surface area for printing the name or initials of the guest. Otherwise, personalization will be limited to the array of color choices available from the manufacturer, and guests will just need to pick a color.

Five wine charms for your party needs - without the wires and noise

Many wine charms available in box stores and some wine bottle shops are simple wire rings with a dangling trinket.  While these may appeal to the Pandora bracelet crowd, we wanted to investigate options that were less dangly, more universal, and more fun!

Best Pool Party Wine Charms

NPW Drinking Buddies Cocktail/Wine Glass Markers

Also available are the Bosom Buddies, of course:

These two-inch scantily clad action figures hang off your glass, gazing into the pool of liquid in your wine glass.  They are available in banana-hammock wearing men, bikini-wearing well-endowed women. We’ve seen a diverse array of skin tones in this product line. However, online options seem limited at the moment.  There’s even a water-into-wine Jesus action figure for parties of biblical proportion!  

Pros:

  • Fun conversation starters

  • Great office prank or white elephant gift

  • Works well on thin-rimmed glasses

  • As they attach to the glass rim, thickness of wine glass stem doesn’t matter

  • You can personalize the swimming trunks with a fine-tip Sharpie or Magic Marker

Cons:

  • The action figures might not be able to grasp thicker rimmed wine or martini glasses

  • We wish more skin and hair color tones were available online (perhaps they were out of stock?)

  • Keep away from pets and small children (choking hazard)

Best Wine Charms for Stemless Glasses

Simply Charmed Swarovski Crystal Magnetic Wine Glass Charms Set of 12 Glass Markers 

These magnetic wine charms are the most elegant of the wine charms we reviewed. They don’t require a glass stem, so are ideal for stemless glasses.

We were a little skeptical… magnets?  The magnetic wine glass charms arrived in a classy white box with a clear lid.  Twelve wine charms were attached to cardstock inside the box. When we removed a wine charm from the cardstock, we were pleasantly surprised at how strong the magnetics were.

To install, simply place one magnet on the outside of a stemless or traditional wineglass near the rim.  Place the second magnet on the inside of the glass behind the crystal.  

The magnetic wine charm worked like a charm across glassware of different thicknesses like unbreakable wine glasses, as well as on plastic cups.  

Pros:

  • Classic, elegant, timeless, attractive, innovative

  • Good for gift-giving, especially for hostess gifts

  • Take up little space in your kitchen drawer

  • Strong magnet - stronger than expected, heck they even survived a dishwasher run

Cons

  • Some users report the “stones” separating from the magnets after many uses

  • Might be difficult to apply for people with limited manual dexterity (or long fingernails!) due to small size

Best Wine charms for Fine Wine Glasses with Stems

Looking for something a little more casual?  These silicon wine glass charms slip around the stem of your favorite champagne or wine glass.

With the magnetic wine charms, we were a little nervous testing it on my thinnest-rimmed wine glasses, so these would be good for people who are careful with their glassware! The non-adhesive construction is perfect for entertaining with fine wine glassware.  

We liked that there were 12 different colors, and also that there was enough space to personalize with a fine tip Sharpie.

Pros:

  • Easy to slip on and off

  • Reusable, food-safe silicon

  • Classic colors

Cons:

  • With ultra-thin stemmed wine glasses, they might slip off.  Good with thicker-stemmed wine glasses.

  • Keep away from pets

Best Static Cling Wine Glass Tags (with the Best Sense of Humor)

These static cling wine glass tags come in a variety of themes suitable for cat lovers, dog fans, and several party themes.  Guests can choose from a variety of sayings (“You’ve got to be kitten me!”). We liked their ‘cling’ nature - no adhesive!

Pros:

  • Works on plastic and glass

  • Reusable as long as they stay clean

Cons:

  • A few online reviewers mention accidentally receiving the wrong static clings (e.g. ordered “cat” and received “Christmas”)

And Our Top Wine Charm Prize Is…

The Simply Charmed Swarovski Crystal Magnetic Wine Glass Charms, Set of 12 Glass Markers 

The wine charms did not move around during use, so we were not nervous about having them around children or pets.  We liked that this wine charm set had 12 different colors, allowing some personalization for guests. Also, we liked the simple touch of ‘bling’ from an aesthetic viewpoint. Another bonus was the small size and ability to work with all glass types. (This brand also carries holiday-themed charms, which we review in our ultimate gift guide for wine lovers!).

Of all the wine charms reviewed, we concluded that it was the one we would re-use the most.  The wine charms are easy to store in a small box no larger than a necklace box. 

Eager to know your top wine charm choice! Let us know in the comments below!

Cheers!

Shark Week Themed Wine Party

Shark Week Shenanigans

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July of each year means…. Shark Week!  You’ve had enough time to recover from the 4th of July and school will be back in session soon. We know you’re looking for the perfect excuse to host a party in that summer stretch between 4th of July and Labor Day.

So, why not host a Shark Week party and combine your love of wine and all things sharks? The wines covered in this shark party blog have Maritime or Mediterranean influences, with wine styles ranging from fine sparkling to refreshing whites to intense reds. We’ve also thrown in a few fun discoveries like Tasmanian sparkling wines and popular favorites like New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. 

Last, we’ll cover wine accessories - from shark wine glasses to shark cheese platters to nautical - to make your Shark Week celebration fun and with a hint of beachy elegance, perfect for summer parties! 

When is Shark Week 2019?

Shark Week 2019 runs from July 28 to August 4 on the Discovery Channel. Now in its 31st year, the Discovery Channel annual tradition of week-long programming featuring at least 20 hours of new shark-themed programming each year.

Coastal Wines Perfect for Sharky Celebrations

Wines in coastal regions typically have Maritime or Mediterranean climates.

Maritime climates don’t experience a lot of change in temperatures.  They also don’t have rainfall in just one season - the rainfall is spread throughout the growing season.  As a result, the growing season can go for quite some time into the autumn, with grape harvests well into October for Northern Hemisphere grapes.  Cooler temps often mean that wines from these regions are lower in alcohol, higher in acidity, and more restrained in fruit aromas and tastes, as these grapes often struggle to reach physiological maturity before harvest.

Mediterranean climates also don’t have a lot of temperature fluctuations, except in summer months. These months can be warm and dry - quite often hot. With long, hot growing seasons, wines from these regions can be higher in alcohol and lower in acidity with fruit forward aromas and tastes as the grapes have an increased likelihood of reaching physiological maturity before harvest. 

Why not celebrate Shark Week by selecting party wines from lands close to famous shark-infested waters? Read on for our favorite selections.

Shark Week Wines

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Sonoma Coast AVA

This American Viticulture Area is home to some of California’s best cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  One will also find some Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. With around 2000 acres of vineyards, there are actually few wineries in the Sonoma Coast AVA.  The fruit is typically purchased and then conveyed to wineries in Sonoma Valley or elsewhere for vinification and bottling.

Sonoma Coast has a Mediterranean climate with Maritime influences.  Also, there’s quite a lot of diversity in soil types and the topography of the region lends itself to many microclimates.  As a result, there’s not a “typical” Sonoma Coast style. When exploring the Sonoma Coast wines, we rely on up-to-date information from local wine bottle shop owners in selecting these cool climate Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.  

In addition to vineyards, Sonoma Coast is also home to dairy herds and over 30 artisan cheese producers.  Check out this guide for selecting some Sonoma cheeses for your Shark Week cheese plate!

Just off the Sonoma Coast, in the cool salty waters, find the Red Triangle.  This region is where about 40% of great white shark attacks occur in the United States (yikes!). One could imagine that these sharks are on the prowl for a crisp Chardonnay to pair with some Bodega Bay oysters, however these magnificent creatures are more likely the search for tasty marine animals that frequent the area (as well as the occasional unaware San Francisco day-tripping surfer).

Tasmania

Tasmania, with its Maritime climate, is a recognized producer of sparkling wines as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Tasmania is home to over 200 wineries, many of them small and independently owned. Tasmania produces less than 1% of wines coming from Australia, however it has a very good reputation as a producer of fine sparkling wines.  These sparkling wines are exported in small quantities and are available at various on-line wine retailers and by special order at many independent wine bottle shops.  

While there are over 140 shark species in Australia waters, most don’t pose a danger to swimmers with the exception of great whites, bronze whalers, and the rare tiger and bull shark.  For those wanting to learn more about the history of sharks in Tasmania, the book White Pointer South is regarded as one of the best illustrated books on sharks. It has detailed information about sharks and a history of shark and man together in the Southern Hemisphere. 

New Zealand

Sauvignon Blanc is quite popular these days.  In fact, its popularity has led to the doubling of vineyard production between 2003 and 2010, with Sauvignon Blanc making up more than 50% of new plantings.

The Marlborough region of New Zealand is home base to the style of Sauvignon Blanc that put New Zealand on the map.  This style of Sauvingnon Blanc is known for its strong grassy, herbal aromas, as well as those of gooseberry and lemongrass.  

Since winemaking is fairly new in New Zealand, this region was able to implement many of the most modern viticulture and winemaking techniques.  One of these innovations is the use of screwcaps. The use of screwcaps for these wines enables the pure flavors and aromas of these wines to be transported thousands of miles to their raving fans (plus, they’re convenient for wine consumers!).

Most of New Zealand’s wine regions are within 80 miles of the ocean and the climate is Maritime.  These oceans are home to over 70 shark species including Shark Week favorite, the Mako Shark.

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Spain

Wine has been produced in Spain since at least Roman times.  Spanish wines are increasing in popularity here in the United States due to their lower price point (value) and a growing interest in younger generations of Americans wanting to try grape varieties indigenous to Spain.  Since the mid-1980s, a lot of money has been invested in Spain to bring modern viticulture and winemaking practices to the region.

Two regions of Spain for American wine lovers to explore are the Rias Baixas in Northwest Spain and the Priorato in Northeast Spain.  These regions have Maritime and Mediterranean climates, respectively.

 “Green” Rias Baixas is home to Albarino, which is growing in popularity  in the USA as a wine to drink with mild fish and shellfish.

At the other end of the spectrum are the wines from Priorat.  The Priorat is a rugged hilly region of Northeast Spain where significant investment has been made in the past 30 years.  These dark colored wines, made typically from Grenache, Carinena, and Cabernet Sauvignon possess high levels of alcohol and tanin and have raisin-like aromas and flavors.  

In the Mediterranean, there are almost 50 species of sharks.  The species dangerous to humans inlcude the tiger shark, the bull shark, and the great white shark.  While there are a large number of species, the shark population in the Mediterranean Sea around Spain is quite small due to over-fishing.  

Shark Week Party Accessories

If you’re going to have a Shark Week party, you may as well go all out! Check out these shark themed entertaining accessories.

Shark Wine Glasses

At KnowWines, we prefer a thin-rimmed crystal universal wineglass.  However, we’re not above tasteful nautical decor for Shark Week! Note that you may want to avoid stemless glasses, as Shark Week is in the hottest part of summer - stemless wine glasses held in the hand typically raise the temperature of a wine quickly, which can make many wines taste flabby. 

We like these Made in USA shark bait wine glasses as they have discreet etching and the bowl is a nice shape.  Alternatively, one could use these glasses for serving sangrias or water. 

Shark Wine Glass Markers

Already have glassware and looking for just a little something for your shark-themed event?  Consider these Shark Wine Glass Markers so that guests can tell their wine glasses apart as the afternoon or evening progresses. 

Shark Attack Snack Bowl

This fun and festive snack bowl holds 20 ounces of your favorite shark week snacks.

Shark Glass Bottle Stopper

This handmade glass shark bottle stopper makes a nice hostess gift for Shark Week parties.

Shark Wine Bottle Holder

The perfect hostess gift for Shark Week Fin-atics and fun for displaying at your own party, too!

Shark Salt and Pepper Shakers

Looking to add a little bite to a shark-themed party? Here you go:

Shark Week Cheese and Fruit Platter

This beachy-elegant cheese platter can be used time and again. 

Have a Jaw-some Shark Party

We love the idea of a Shark Week-Themed wine party. After all, why not learn more about wines from coastal regions while also learning about sharks?  

So, if you are looking for a mid-summer excuse to throw a shark themed party, we hope you enjoyed our shark-themed accessory recommendations. 

And just so you’re extra prepared, here’s more from KnowWines on how to throw an amazing wine party.

We hope you have a great Shark Week!

Cheers!

Top Nine Wine Books by Women

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There are so many books that can aid you in learning about wine!  

Spend any time around wine lovers and experts and you will quickly find that most are avid readers. In studying for any of the wine certifications through entities such as WSET (Wine and Spirit Educational Trust), CMS (Court of Master Sommeliers), Wine Guild, and Certified Specialist of Wine, one will find that a lot of reading is involved.

It is no surprise, moreover, that many of these books are written by women - 8 out of 10 bottles of wine consumed in home are purchased by women! 

Each book on an aspect of wine has different ideas and different goals for the reader. When picking out wine books, there are many things to consider. 

This blog will help you differentiate typical types of wine books and help you decide which is best - and most interesting - for you.

Wine 101 Books

All wine novices, wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and sommeliers all started at the same place … the beginning!  But not all beginning wine books are the same. Some encourage us to memorize specific regions, while others focus on discerning aromas and flavors and demystifying “wine speak.” Some encourage us to explore the world of wine with abandon, while others suggest we focus on the classics. Some are text-heavy while others appeal with images and tables. 

Best Wine 101 Book for the Visual Learner

Wine Folly:  Magnum Edition

If you learn best through maps, eye-pleasing graphics, and smaller snippets of text, then Wine Folly:  Magnum Edition is the best wine book for you. This book was awarded the 2019 James Beard Foundation Book Award for Beverage. Wine Folly co-founders are Madeline Puckette (sommelier) and Juston Hammack (digital strategist). If you are a fan of the Somm movie series, you may have seen Madeline in Somm: Into the Bottle.

The book begins with a short overview of wine basics presented with graphics and images.  Basics covered include wine labels, types of wine, how to taste wine, how to choose wine, how wine is made, and how to pair wines. It then shifts into an overview of the major grape varieties and wines of the world, with charts and diagrams outlining their geographic distribution, acreage and what smells and tastes to expect. The book recommends wines to explore from each region.  

 

Best Wine 101 Book When You are Crunched For Time

The 24-Hour Wine Expert

Jancis Robinson, the most respected wine critic in the world and well known for authoring and co-authoring some of the heftiest wine books, distills over four decades of wine knowledge into this petite book. 

We love this easy-to-read overview written, with humor, in plain English. The book introduces key concepts then gets right down to the business of choosing the right bottle, matching wine and food to the occasion, and seeking out wine values. After explaining how to handle wine, the book covers the most common grapes and wine regions.

Fun and concise, this book answers many beginner wine questions and may leave you wanting to learn more about wine after following the suggested exercises. You can also check out Jancis in The Somm Series.

 

Wine Consumer Review Books

Not everyone who shops for good wine values is interested in learning a lot about wine. I get it. I love grilled veggies, but I’m not that into outdoor grills. If I need to buy a new grill, I’d consult a consumer review publication or do some online research to find the best grill at a certain price.

General wine review books focus on getting you the best value for your dollar on wines you see year-in year-out in large wine retailers like Total Wine, Target, and Wal-Mart.

For the more wine savvy, other annual publications focused on getting you the best value in a given vintage or vintage + growing region. These books are aimed at emerging or serious collectors placing orders online or through a local wine shop, or at those purchasing wines at restaurants.  

Best Wine Consumer Review Book

Good, Better, Best Wines

If you are looking for a good, cheap wine under $15 that’s available almost anywhere you shop, then this book is great to have on your e-reader App as you browse the aisles.  

Canadian wine judge and wine columnist Carolyn Evans Hammond covers the best $5 to $15 wines distributed throughout the United States and Canada. She covers Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Red Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Rosé, sparkling wines, and other great inexpensive red and white wines.     

Harried shoppers will enjoy this book’s simplicity - Carolyn lists “Good, Better, Best” with an image of each bottle to make shopping a breeze. She also makes recommendations for those looking for a super low-priced Tuesday night wine as well as dessert wines and party wines.  The book ends with best hidden gems.

In addition to checking out Carolyn’s book, see our recommendations for wine shopping at the grocery store.

 

Wine Books About the Pleasures of Wine

Let’s face it, we consume wine for pleasure.

People who enjoy wine derive different pleasures from its consumption, which can include

  • The rituals surrounding wine service in fine dining

  • Relaxing with a complex glass of wine in your favorite chair

  • Exploring the pairing of wine with different food flavors and cuisines

  • Gifting or sharing a coveted bottle with family, clients, or friends 

  • Seeking out and finding underdog wines

  • ...and much more

These books encompass several aspects of the world of wine. The best combine culture, travel, gastronomy, and poetry.  

Best Pleasures of Wine Book for Short Story Lovers

Wine in Words

Wall Street Journal Wine Columnist Lettie Teague shares mini-essays on many wine topics including wine myths, wine culture, and wine exploration. We’re a big fan of Lettie’s wine advice, including “Drink what you don’t know.”

Lettie has been writing about wine for years and the stories in these essays dispense knowledge while gently poking fun at wine insiders.  





 
The Art of Eating
By Joan Reardon, M.F.K. Fisher
Buy on Amazon

Best Pleasures of Wine Book for Foodies

Art of Eating

This book is a compilation of some of the most sensuous books on food and wine. Sixty years have passed since these works were written and they continue to delight readers.

If you want to go back to a time before busyness, microwaves, fast food, and food blogs, then get a taste of M.F.K Fisher’s food and wine writing. His dark humor is a reprieve from today’s “look at me” wine and food social media gastronomy content.

 

Wine Reference Books

Sommeliers and wine lovers collect books in much the same way we collect wine. Book collecting is a pleasure, as well as a necessity, for those in the business. Most wine certification programs require prospective sommeliers to read literature produced or recommended by the certifying body.  Wine reference books can be heavy tomes (some weigh in at more than six pounds!) which makes e-reader versions better on the back.  

Some of the books in this genre focus on breadth of coverage for wine servers, while others go in depth on topics like soils, production practices, wine chemistry, or wine region. 

Best, Most Comprehensive Wine Reference Book

Oxford Companion Wine

From “amphora” to “Zinfandel,” this is the wine reference book for serious enthusiasts and those studying for various wine certifications. Comprised primarily of definitions, maps, and images, it also includes topics such as the following: wine regions, history, viticulture, winemaking, grape varieties, famous wine people, and labeling and tasting terms. The book won the James Beard Award and many others.

 

Best Wine Reference Book for Tasting a World of Wine

The Wine Bible

Hey, it’s not called The Wine Bible nothing. 

Karen MacNeil’s wine tome checks in at over 1000 pages, so we find Kindle the easiest way to carry around all this wine knowledge. This book is the accumulation of years of tasting and wine education since she got her start in the male-dominated wine world of the 1980s. Where many wine books either skim the surface or go very in depth, Karen’s Wine Bible touches on a breadth of topics for both beginners and intermediate-stage wine lovers.

Its many maps, photos, travel stops, wine flavor profiles, and wine pairing suggestions make this the best wine book for travel to wine regions when you know just a little about wine. This book is good for analytical types who prefer text, tables, and diagrams that are clear and efficient. If you are looking for more infographics and less text, some of the other wine books we recommend here might be a better fit.   

 

Wine Essays and Wine Trends

Essays on trends in wine have emerged as a popular kind of wine writing over the past 10 years. These books often cover hot topics like sommelier and restaurant culture as well as vineyard and cellar practices.  

Best Unpretentious Wine Book of Wine Essays

Wine All the Time

Marissa writes about drinking in the real world, four-letter words and all.

Her journey started with drinking all the “two buck Chuck” wines of the world. Then she made a video series called Wine Time. After working as Mindy Kaling’s assistant for four years, Marissa landed a book deal and a role as Bon Appetit contributor.  

Between all the jokes and LOL moments, Marissa dispenses with some good beginner wine information.

 

Best Journalist-Infiltrates-Wine-Connoisseurship-Culture Book of Wine Essays

Cork Dork

Those wanting a front row seat to “rock-star” sommelier culture will enjoy this book. It reveals the lengths that somms and serious students of wine will go in pursuit of certifications. 

Journalist Bianca Bosker takes an investigative reporter approach to learning the world of wine in New York City. Fans of Kitchen Confidential and other “foodie” books may really enjoy this look into the world of the wine-obsessed.  

 

In Conclusion

As you can see, there are many different types of wine books meeting different needs. And we’ve only taken a closer look at wine books written or co-written by women!

Regardless of your wine reading intention, we hope you have enjoyed our recommendations of some of our favorites!

Cheers!






































How to Check Wine When You Fly

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KnowWines has flown with wine bottles, beer bombers, liquor, and wine cases domestically (US) and internationally since 2000. Out of about 1000 bottles, we’ve had only one small beer bottle break! Here we give you the lowdown on 20 years of flying with booze (on any budget!).

Before we dive in, here are some reasons you might fly with wine:

  • Souvenir from business trip

  • Momento from a vacation

  • Traveling to a location with poor wine selection

  • Moving your household domestically and/or internationally

Planning to Travel with Wine

Before booking your airfare, here are a few things to consider:

  • Traveling one way with wine?  Use stackable luggage to reduce luggage fees.

  • Concerned about luggage weight on return flight? When flying domestically on an economy or premium economy ticket, the luggage weight limit is likely 50 lbs (if you go over this, there are additional fees).  If you are flying business or first class, the baggage allowance is typically 70 lbs per bag. Consider upgrading on your return flight for a larger luggage allowance.

  • Traveling with wine when it is over 70 F at your origin, connection, and destination?  Consider shipping as your wine might get “cooked” on the tarmac.

  • Do wines fly free? Some airlines like Southwest Airlines always have two free checked bags allowance. Other airlines, like Alaska Airlines, have Wines Fly Free promotion for Mileage Plan™ members only. In this promotion, one case (12 bottles) flies free in a cardboard box. Check with your airline for freebies and restrictions!

Start with a Hard-Sided Suitcase

You’ll be placing any wine you’re taking home from your wine country experiences in your checked bag (along with any other liquid over 100 mL or 3.4 ounces). The first step in protecting the wine bottle is the construction of your suitcase.

We strongly recommend a hard-sided suitcase. Why? When there is a luggage showdown in the belly of an airplane, a soft--sided bag versus golf clubs, golf clubs will likely win. Not good news for your wine!

If you are planning to travel regularly with six or more bottles of wine, consider investing in one of these VinGard Valise suitcases.  We’ve had ours for three years and love it. We also frequently loan it out to wine-loving friends.

 
 

Another option available online and at wineries are wine boxes with wheels and handles. Our experience is that these are much better than transporting a standard box of wine, but they are not as convenient as they could be. In general, they do the trick to get wine home safe and sound, but they have limitations. For a solo traveler they can be tricky to handle. Also, the wheels and strap combination are tricky - it’s a lot like adding an unwilling 50 lb toddler to your luggage! If you have a partner or driver who can help you maneuver luggage and the box (or are using a luggage cart) they are a great option.   

How to Keep Wine Cool When It’s Hot

Once you have arrived in wine country, check the forecast. If temperatures are over 70 F, you will need to find a way to keep your wines cool while you drive between destinations.  

Take a frozen food bag with you in your checked bag, or pick one up at a grocery store at your wine destination. This type of insulated bag with robust handles and foldability is great to take with you in the rental car if you plan to purchase a few wines each day.

Prevent your labels from getting wet by placing ice in a ziploc bag and wrapping that bag with newspaper or a towel from the hotel or AirBnB. Don’t place wine in the trunk of the car unless it is in a cooler. We love these two gallon freezer bags and always keep them with us in our suitcase for wine travel and any other travel needs.

So, you’ve kept your precious selections cool in the car. Don’t let them go to ruin on the airport tarmac! If the weather in your departing or connecting city will be over 70 F, have your wines shipped.  

Will Wine Freeze During Travel?

Flying with wine when it is cold?  A bottle of wine will not freeze until it is about 15 or 20 degrees F, and it will take a little while for wine to freeze, especially if it is insulated by your clothes in a suitcase or in a box containing styrofoam.  

However, if your travels take you to extremely cold climates, you may want to have it shipped professionally.  If you do travel to someplace like Alaska with a few bottles of wine and your luggage is delayed a day and or two, check the cork when it arrives to determine whether or not the wine has been compromised.  If the cork is pushed out a little bit then the wine likely froze during transit.

How Much Does a Bottle of Wine Weigh?

Wine bottles vary in size and weight, and unless your AirBnB or hotel room comes with a scale, estimating the weight can be tricky.  Bottles vary in size and weight due to a variety of factors, including marketing purposes or traditions in the region of origin.

As a rule of thumb, wine bottles weigh between 2  and 4 pounds. However, we know that when it comes to luggage fees, every ounce counts!  

Here are some wine bottle sizes and wine bottle weights you will come across.  I include some craft beer bombers, liquor examples for comparison.

  • A half bottle (or demi) of Riesling at 375 mL weighs 1 lb 9 ounces (708 grams)

  • A bottle of Whiskey at 700 mL weighs 2 lbs 9 ounces (1162 grams)

  • A Bordeaux-style bottle at 750 mL weighs 2 lb 10 ounces (1190 grams)

  • A bottle of Riesling at 750 mL weighs 2 lb 12 ounces (1247 grams)

  • A Belgian Beer bomber at 750 mL can weigh 3 lbs 6 ounces (1531 grams)

  • A bottle of Pinot Noir or Chardonnay in a Burgundy bottle at 750 mL can weigh 3 lbs 9 ounces (1616 grams)

  • A bottle of luxury cult Cabernet Sauvignon at 750 mL can weigh 4 lbs 5 oz (1956 grams)

 
How Much Does a Bottle of Wine Weigh.jpg
 

Invest in Wine Bottle Bags

One of the best wine travel hacks is to travel with wine bottle bags. They don’t take up space when empty, many are reusable, and most weigh under 2 ounces. The best wine bottle bags are reusable, and can accommodate liquor and beer bombers as well.  We’ve also used them to transport non-alcoholic bottles like olive oil and vinegar. Things we look for in a good wine bottle bag are a non-adhesive seal (reusable), a cushion of some sort, absorbent pads, material that is not transparent, and no sharp edges.  

We’ve used wine bottle bags for over ten years and find that you can get about three years of use out of them if you are traveling three to six times per year.  You can get some more life out of them if they separate at the seams by taping the edges with clear packing tape.

Here is our favorite wine travel bag.    

When Traveling, Don’t Buy Wine You Can Buy at Home

Don’t mess with flying with or shipping wine if you can get the same wine at home! In the tasting room, always ask, “Can I get this specific wine at home?”.  Most tasting room staff are happy to look up the availability of a wine in your country, state, or city.

Wines you should buy at the winery and consider taking home with you:

  • Wines you love and can only get at the winery

  • Wine you love that is sold at a discount at the winery

  • Wine that is not distributed to your state, or is only available in very small quantities or in a city far from your home

  • Wine from older vintages that may not be available at your hometown wine bottle shop

Economy Wine Carrier

No extra funds for luxury luggage or wine bottle bags?  No wine shipper near where you are traveling? Didn’t plan on buying a wine and came unprepared?  Never fear.

Simply place a couple of socks around the bottle and insert it into any bag (trash bag, Ziploc bag, hotel laundry bag).  With the remaining space in the bag, fill it with absorbent material like underwear, diapers, or clothing to provide some shock absorption.

Packing the Suitcase

Whether you are using wine bags or socks, we take the same approach to packing wines in our checked bags. Here’s our step-by-step guide:

  • Lay your empty suitcase on the floor, bed or other level surface.

  • Line the perimeter of the suitcase with shoes and other bulky items.

  • Place wines in the center of the suitcase.

  • Place clothing/soft material around the neck of the bottle.

  • Make sure the bottle won’t move around in the suitcase freely.  Loose wine in luggage is how the neck can get snapped.

Checking the Bag

Your bottles are safely secured inside your luggage and you are on your way to the airport.  Here are some tips based our previous experiences traveling with wine.

Rental Car Logistics

Traveling with a friend? Have them drop you off at the check-in station so that you don’t have to juggle heavy luggage on the rental car shuttle.

Traveling alone with a rental car?  I’ve had luck tipping the rental car return agent to drop me off in my rental car.  This option might not be available if the rental car return is very busy.

We don’t know how much it helps, but we always ask for a fragile sticker at the airport to put on the bag.  

Insurance

Check with your credit card and airline for insurance options. Some airlines will cover wine up to a certain value when it is checked in a cardboard box with styrofoam, however most will not.  

Fragile Sticker

I’ve noticed no difference in how my luggage has been handled when someone places a Fragile sticker on my bag.  However, that bright sticker can bring some temporary psychological relief during a hectic time!

Don’t Drink Your Wine As Soon As You Get Home

Once you get the wine home, your wine may suffer from temporary bottle shock (or bottle sickness).  This means that the wine might temporarily taste muted. Let the wine sit on its side for a week or two and it should return back to normal.  

While we don’t necessarily know what causes bottle shock, we do know that there are a lot of complex components in wine that can be negatively impacted by heat and shaking.  

Bottle shock does not occur with all wines. A younger wine might recover quickly, while an older wine or wines heavy in sediment might take longer to recover from bottle shock.

Know the Rules and Pack Cash or Check when Flying Internationally

When flying domestically and into the United States, TSA rules do not limit the amount of wine you can check, with one exception: if your wine has more than 24% alcohol. Since most wines have less than 24% alcohol, this is not a problem with the TSA.  

Some states do have regulations on the amount of wine you can bring in to the state for personal use.  It’s best practice to check your state law online especially if you live in a “control state.”

If you are flying into a “dry” country, or country that limits alcohol import due to religious regions, check with that country’s equivalent to TSA for rules and regulations.  

We always declare wines when we are traveling internationally.  Simply declare the items on your customs form (paper or electronic) or at the Global Entry kiosk.  Enter the amount of goods. If the amount is under the exception, the customs agent will wave you through.  Sometimes the customs agent will not charge you if the amount is near the exception. If it is over the exception, they will calculate the charge and you can pay with US currency or with a personal check.  The charge is typically about 4%, so for $1000 in wine this could be $40.

Shipping Wine

So you’ve found a great wine while traveling.  Ask the winery about their shipment options, as they can vary significantly between wineries.  Costs may vary due to the distance the wine needs to travel, whether the wine is being shipped to a home or business, how many wines are in the shipment, and the rate negotiated with the shipper. Most wineries will ship directly to you when temperatures are cooler, or will use refrigeration during hot months.

If you’ve purchased bottles from several different wineries and want to ship those, use a wine shipper like the ones listed below for temperature controlled shipping options:

If you’re worried your wine may not have been shipped properly, here’s an article to help you determine if your wine is bad.

Summary

We hope you find that collecting wine and bringing it home from your travels is a fun and rewarding adventure. It’s provided us great pleasure, especially the part when we share our finds with friends and family.

Cheers!











Top 5 Reusable Gift Bags for Wine

You’ve found the perfect bottle of wine for a housewarming gift, promotion present, or hostess offering. Don’t settle for that flimsy, disposable gift bag. Present the bottle in a gift bag that the wine-loving recipient will use again or proudly re-gift! Better yet, get two — give one away and keep one for yourself.  We’ve reviewed loads of gift bags for giving wine as a special present. This article details our top picks.

Why Use a Gift Bag for Wine?

The purpose of a gift bag is to show the recipient that you not only put some thought into the selected wine, but also that you cared enough to pair the packaging to the recipient’s style. Often, the selection available for wine gift bags does not match the style of the wine or personality of the recipient. For example, you don’t want punny wine sayings “It’s time to wine down!”) plastered on a bag containing a Bourgogne Grand Cru. Another consideration is that many paper gift bags simply end up in the trash heap without being re-used.

A higher-end, reusable wine bag not only impresses the giftee and makes the wine seem more special, it also serves as a discreet way to carry that special bottle. This is convenient in the event that you plan to bring the gift into an open office setting without making it obvious to your colleagues that you are gifting a bottle of wine.

Finally, the wine bag can serve as more than just a festive ornament. You may want to consider a wine bag that keeps the wine cool while you travel a long distance, or even help the recipient go the distance by selecting a wine bag that attaches to their bike!

Decide How Many Bottles

Is more always better? Not always. Our research found that wine gift bags overwhelmingly hold just one bottle of wine, which aligns with how we typically gift wine.  

Still, you may want to consider a two-wine gift bag if you think the recipient likes to start a meal with a sparkling or white wine and transition to a red wine for the meal. Or perhaps you want to offer one dinner wine and one wine that works well with dessert. A two-wine bag is also great when you want to carry one wine and one 750 mL bottle of sparkling water. Some two-wine bags can even hold magnums (1.5 L bottles). Wine bags can also be used to gift craft beer bombers and many whiskey and craft spirit bottles.   

What is the Best Wine Gift Bag for the Recipient?

Consider the recipient and their interests and hobbies. If you are unsure, take a look at their social media platforms, like Instagram or Pinterest. Their posts should give you a good idea of their style, interests, and perhaps even color preferences.  

Here are some questions to consider when selecting a bag for the recipient:

What colors does the recipient like?

Is the recipient up on trends or more traditional? Are they minimalist or extravagant?

Where will the recipient use the bag?

Will they use it indoors, outdoors, or both?

Might they use the bag for travel?  

Is the recipient a leather lover or would they prefer vegan materials?  

Keeping these considerations in mind, we found the following five bags to be our favorites.

Wine Tote by Viski

 
 

After just one look, we wanted to be seen carrying this classy bag to our favorite beach restaurant. We love the minimalist design. This gift bag differs from a lot of bags in that it does not look like a lunch bag. Also, the faux leather makes it a good selection for vegan friends.     

Pros: We liked the easy-to-clean faux leather. The modern design is refreshing. The magnetic stainless steel closure gives it a luxurious appearance.

Cons: There is no strap, and the metal closure might not be comfortable for carrying a long distance.    

Premium Insulated Wine Carrier Bag by OPUX

 
 

This wine bag looks like it came from of a high-end outdoor provisioning store. Riding on the current athleisure trend, it mixes sport, outdoors, and travel. The robust strap makes it ideal to carry some distance, and the brighter color options make it appealing for pool parties and housewarming gifts. The construction has some padding to help keep wines an appropriate temperature, however not so much as to make it bulky. The free corkscrew is a nice addition.

Pros: There’s an included divider to prevent bottles from clinking against each other. The bag comes in a wide selection of bright and dark colors. It is not heavy and can be reused as a lunch cooler. Great design for concealing  wine. The removable strap and standard handle make it easy to cover. There’s a small loop inside the lid for storing the corkscrew. The pocket does not have a zipper, making it handy to slip in a map, small booklet, or card for the recipient.     

Cons: Don’t fill bag with ice directly as melted water will leak out. Best for standard wine bottles as it is hard to get oversized, tall, or odd-shaped bottles in the bag.

Shintop Jute Wine Bags

 
 

This bag is our pick for bulk gift giving, let’s say for a bridal party or for a handful of favorite clients. Perhaps you would also like the option to personalize the bag for the recipient. This is also our pick for covering up wine bottles when hosting blind tastings. The Shintop Jute Wine Bag can also be used for storage or regifting items in addition to wine.    

Pros: We like that this eco-friendly bag is composed of burlap from natural jute. Unlike rough box store craft burlap, this burlap is silky and has no foul odors.  

Cons: While each bag comes with an attractive drawstring, the bag is not convenient for carrying to restaurant.

Fyxation Leather Bicycle Wine Carrier

 
 

If your wine gift recipient uses a bike for running errands — and those errands include picking up a wine or a beer bomber — this leather minimalist holder fits the bill. It’s perfect for wine country tours as well! Please bike responsibly!

Pros: Trendy and impressive. Made in USA of high quality full-grained leather.  

Cons:  Can be difficult for some users to figure out how to get a wine bottle in the carrier when it is attached to the bike. Use caution when inserting the bottle so you don’t rip the bottle label.  Not vegan. Higher price point than other options.

Kato Insulated Wine Carrier Tote

 
 

This bag is perfect if you don’t have time to do research on the recipient’s preferences and simply want a clean, timeless look. Any recipient will appreciate an easy-to-carry bag, especially if it comes with a free corkscrew!

Pros: We liked that the bag has three layers — durable polyester, foam, and aluminum. The divider keeps bottles from bumping against each other. The strap is removable and has a metal buckle. The bag features sturdy handles and a small zippered pouch on the outside to store a corkscrew.

Cons: Some users report that the item does not include the corkscrew as indicated at time of purchase. It’s triple layer construction also means that if it is squished during delivery, it can take some time for it to return to its normal shape. This might put gifters in a bind if the item does not go back to its original shape between unpackaging and gifting. Like all the other bags reviewed, this one is not leak proof.

Conclusion

When it comes to wine gift bags, there are a lot of options out there. These are just a few of the great gift bags currently available. We like that these gift bag options are reusable, unlike the flimsy, disposable wine gift bags you find in grocery stores.

For us, the winner was the Premium Insulated Wine Carrier Bag by OPUX. In fact, we snagged one of these ourselves for a hostess gift. We like the durability and the range of colors. The black and grey options are timeless, and the brighter colors are great for those who like bold colors. The bag keeps wine cool while transporting to parties, and packs well in checked luggage. When not in use for carrying wine, it doubles as a weekday lunch bag.

Finally, if you multiple wine lovers on your shopping list, check out our ultimate guide to gifts for wine lovers!

Cheers!