Saturday, March 23, 2013

Guide of Original 6 Bottle Wine Boxes

Three 6 bottle wine boxes with lids and inserts (The inserts are removable, made of cardboard and shaped like bottles)


Average dimensions: 13" L X 11" W X 7" H


The above is from Campo Eliseo, which is a Spanish vineyard in the region of Toro. The front side of the box is the longest part. This is the 13" side. Most 6 bottle wine boxes are branded on this side.

Where do they come from? 

6 Bottle wine boxes are generally made by wineries in Napa Valley, Italy and Spain, but some French wineries; especially in Burgundy make them as well. Very few come out of Bordeaux.

What bottle sizes do they hold?

Most hold 750ML sized bottles. The only other type of 6 bottle wine box holds magnum sized bottles, and ironically most of these sized wine boxes are made in Bordeaux.

They aren't half the size of a 12 bottle crate, which is an unusual fact. A 12 bottle wine crate averages         19 1/2" L X 13" W X 7" H. The average 6 bottle wine box is around seven inches smaller. This is because the sides of a 6 bottle add space to the crate, and the bottle lengths don't change. So a 12 bottle isn't really substantially larger than a 6 bottle.

What are they used for? (Beside wine of course)

Shelving units in a wine cellar, kitchen cabinets, small planters, wine cellar or bedroom end tables, CD or book storage and much more. They are very strong and durable, and they are designed to hold a good deal of weight,

What are they made of?

They're generally made of solid pine, but a handful are made with ply. The average wood thickness is 1/2", but some may be slightly thinner or thicker. We inspect and prepare them all to a nice smooth-to-the-touch texture. The first coat of any style finish is ready out of the box (No pun intended).

What kind of finish can I use on them?

Any wood finish works well. Semi-gloss or high-gloss polyurethane tends to make them look like glass. A wood stain comes in a variety of colors, and you can make them look very different. Below is a great example:


Isn't this gorgeous? Yes, those are actual wine boxes that were stained to a deep walnut finish. The kitchen floors are marble, and the cabinets are all wine boxes.

Where can I get them?

Visit www.winepine.com and ask to speak with Patrick!






Friday, March 15, 2013

9 Questions We Get Asked Regularly

1. Do you ship internationally?

Yes and no. We ship to Canada frequently, and sometimes Mexico. Everywhere else is very expensive to ship to. We have no problem shipping internationally, but it's a large shipping cost to our clients.

For instance: We get a great deal of potential clients from Australia. On average it costs approx $50 per pound to ship to Australia from NY. Alot of times shipping is more expensive than the wine crate itself!

2. How many wine crate panels does it take to cover my wall?

Approx. 2 panels covers one square foot. This is a tried-and-true system we came up with several years We generally do reduce that number for large orders to prevent any overages. ago. Wine panels do vary in size, but this sizing strategy generally works very well. 

As an example: Your wall is 10 feet long by 10 feet wide. 

10 X 10 = 100 square feet

You'd need approx 200 panels to cover the wall, but if you called me I would recommend that we go with 175 to be on the safe side. Worst case we can rush out any additional panels that may be needed to complete the project.

3. Where are you located?

We have two locations: One in Rye NY and the other is in Portchester NY. They happen to be 5 minutes away from one another!

4. How do you ship?

Most orders ship through FedEx. They're great for large heavy pieces, and FedEx offers us excellent discounts based on the amount we ship. We pass these discounts to our clients. For very large orders we work with a commercial freight company that has cost-effective options based on where we ship. Large orders (50+ crates) are shipped on pallets.

5. How did you come up with this business?

We started as 3 partners who had a fondness for wine. One of the partners was working at an exclusive wine company and had access to lots of wine crates. The 3 of us met at various wine tastings and became friends. One day we were talking about how interesting and unique some of the designs on wine crates were, and an idea was born.

6. What kind of selections do you offer?

We usually have thousands of crates on hand, but our inventory shifts daily. Because wine crates are very unique, and alot of selections are based on variable factors (the season, wine futures and timing of when vintages are released etc.) It's extremely difficult for us to create a list of our stock on a regular basis. We do our best to fulfill orders of specific pieces though.

7. Do you personalize wine crates?

We personalize wine crates that are custom-made for you. We're unable to customize original wine crates because they already have a logo on them.

8. What can you personalize on a wine box or crate?

Our custom work is done through laser engraving. Just about any type of logo, monogram, artwork or design can be engraved on your wine crate. Generally photos don't work very well, but we've had success with them. The conditions need to be right however (All white backround, professional lighting etc.)

9. What's the process for custom wine crates and boxes?

The first thing we do is find out which sized wine crate, box or case your interested in. We then request an EPS formatted image. EPS allows us to re-size the image without losing resolution. JPEG and MPEG images are static and can't be effectively re-sized. Once we engrave your design on wood we send you a picture of it. Once it's approved we move forward on the crate.

For more details visit us at www.winepine.com

Patrick -




Friday, March 8, 2013

Guest Post: Wine Cellar Innovations - Once Upon a Pine


Once Upon A Pine

We’re familiar with pine trees and such but how familiar are we with its commercial uses? We may not be aware of this, but Pine is actually one of most commercially important wood species. Specifically, it is classified as softwood and is most notable for its role during the Christmas season. But Christmas trees notwithstanding, Pine has quite a reputation with high-value carpentry items such as furniture, window frames, paneling, floors and roofing. But for today, we’re going to explore another significant commercial use of Pine, particularly in relation to wine and wine cellars.

One of the best wine storage solutions…

Now when it comes to wines, any connoisseur would tell you that every bottle should be kept in a most secured form of wine storage. Otherwise, you will not be able to maintain the wine’s peak taste. In addition, if you’re planning to transport wine bottles, you have to ensure that they are stored in a completely safe packaging. Wooden wine crates or boxes seem to be the most popular choice when it comes to this. Basically, you need to ensure that these crates or boxes are sturdy enough to hold those heavy wine bottles and keep them from breaking especially during long travels.
Wineries that manufacture expensive vintages are especially careful about the kind of wine crates or boxes they use for their high value bottles. If you need to make a shipment, it’s your responsibility after all to make sure that the products reach their destination safe and sound. Something as delicate as a wine bottle has to be accounted for accordingly. This is where Pine wine crates or boxes are most convenient. Pine is highly durable yet easy to manufacture compared to hardwood species. Wine crates or boxes crafted from Pine are easily sturdy and resistant against warping, shrinking, or checking. In addition, the different varieties of this wood specie offer so many options in terms of color and grain pattern for an attractive, custom appearance.

…from wine crates and boxes to wine cellars!

Wine crates and boxes notwithstanding, Pine is also an excellent wood choice for other custom wine cellar products. A good example would be original wooden wine panels and of course, wine racks for custom wine cellars. One of the varieties of this wood that is considered as one of the top choices for custom wine cellars is Rustic Pine. True to its namesake, Rustic Pine is defined by a soft, creamy color enhanced by subtle streaks and structurally sound knots. The effect is a rustic appearance for crates, boxes, panels, racks, and furniture.

The supply of Pine in general is huge and Rustic Pine is no exception. Thus, this is one wood choice than can provide the best value by price per bottle. Because it’s a knotty grade of wood, Rustic Pine can give a bigger yield at a contrastingly lower cost compared to a clear grade of wood. Moreover, Pine in general caries a wide variety of grain patterns that show up particularly well with the right stains and finishes. Grain patterns in Rustic Pine seem to be better accentuated by darker stain and finish options than natural ones. When you wish to have a wine or wine cellar product customized, having Pine as a wood choice is definitely a sound one.

And of course, un-harvested Pine is just naturally beautiful. Parks, gardens, and other scenic spots usually carry Pine trees by the dozen. The fragrance of the wood is also a memory worth keeping. There is this quote “The pine stays green in winter; wisdom in hardship.” Indeed, out of all the wood species, Pine has proven itself to be one of the most enduring throughout the changing seasons. For our wines and wine cellars, strength, stability, and beauty in keeping every bottle at its best taste condition can all be told in a single tale of once upon a Pine.

www.winecellarinnovations.com

Thursday, March 7, 2013

The 5 Single Bottle Wine Crate Sizes



The above picture is a generalized overview of most wine bottle sizes. Some wineries do change they're bottle lengths, widths and styles, but on average the above picture is accurate.

There are essentially only 5 sizes for wine crates, Magnum being the most commonly made size. This is followed by Double magnum, Jeroboam Imperial and Single bottle (750ML).

Where are the single bottle 750ML crates? This bottle size is the most common made by wineries. They don't often make single bottle 750ML crates because they're small enough to be packaged together in 6 and 12 bottle cases. The other bottle sizes are so large that they need they're own crate.

Average dimensions of these single bottle crates:

Single Bottle: 13" L X 13" W W X 3" H

Magnum: 14" L X 4" W X 4" H

Double Magnum: 15" L X 5" W X 5" H

Jeroboam: 17" L X 6" W X 6" H

Imperial: 20" L X 8" W X 8" H

Except for magnums, we generally have to custom-make crates for larger bottles. Most of the Jeroboams and Imperials are rarely made by wineries. Generally they're reserved for private collectors or given as gifts to top selling stores. You may find these crates in the windows of very fine wine shops. They're really big!

Patrick
www.winepine.com