What Are Wine Crate Panels?

Wooden Wine Panels are the engraved sides of wine crate boxes, crates and cases.

We offer two types of Wine Panels: Collector's and Classic styles.

The difference between the two:

Collector's panels have the designs and pictures of the winery engraved on them, and are all pretty much the same size.

Classic panels are all different sizes, and have only winery lettering on them. There's two types of them:

-Border
-Winery Branded

Below is a picture of 13 Border panels. As you can see, they're thin and can be installed next to each other on a wall to create a picture frame look.




















Border panels are from flat 6 bottle cases. Here's a picture of the inside of one:

Average Border panel dimensions: 9" L X 4" H (Some are larger)


The other classic panel style are the Winery Branded. These are lightly decorated pieces that display winery lettering and importer numbers. They are ideal for French Provincial or vintage décor styles. They are simple yet elegant, and are around the same size as Collector's Panels (see below).

Average Winery Branded panels: 12" L X 6" H


Collector's panels are best sellers. They are attractive and highly unique. All have a design artwork or pictures engraved on them. Almost every major wine making country produces them, and you'll see a variety of decorative looks depending on which region or country they're from.

 

How are wine panels made:

Wine panels are the dismantled and removed sides of wine crates, wine boxes or wine cases. They are also known as wine box ends or wine crate faceplates.

The process of making them:

We first inspect the wine boxes, crates or wine cases before determining whether or not they work for panels. They need to be straight and in an excellent condition. Once the first inspection is complete, we remove the sides which become the first "draft" of panels.

Once the panels are removed, they are inspected again for condition and straightness. Looks can be deceiving, and you won't know if the panel will be bent until it's fully removed. Once the second inspection is complete, we begin the sanding process.

The video on how we sand wine panels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03xGvkb6GbA

Once the sanding process is completed, the panel will be in a better-than-new condition, with a smooth feel and texture. It will be ready for a first coat of any kind of wood stain or finish.

Planning

Wine crate panels can be applied to walls, ceilings, floors, tables and furniture. Where would you like to decorate with them? You first and foremost need to determine how large the space that your decorating is. Approx. two panels covers one square foot, so if you have 100 square feet to cover; your going to roughly need 200 panels to cover the space. Wine panels can vary a bit in size, so we recommend working with a woodworker/contractor for cuts and installation.

Installation

The recommended adhesive is liquid nails in a can. We recommend applying the liquid nails evenly across the back of the panel with a notched trawl. This application is very similar to tile installation, except your using liquid nails instead of grout. Once the adhesive is placed on the back of a panel, the panel can be placed onto the desired surface.

Finish

Any style of wood finish can be applied to wine panels. The vast majority of wine panels are made of solid, unfinished pine. You can use different color stains, or any type of polyurethane. They can also be weather-proofed if you'd like to do something nice on your deck, grill-bar or garden.

There are thousands of different wine panels so the possibilities are endless. You can even choose wine panels from specific countries such as all from Italy or a mix from everywhere!

For more, feel free to visit www.winepine.com or e-mail me directly: winepine@optonline.net

Patrick

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Why Should I Start a Wine Blog?

 

If you keep abreast of the national press, you might have noticed that column inches dedicated to wine are diminishing. Despite this though, the blogging world has erupted with novice wine writers who want to try their hand at waxing lyrical about their favourite tipple. And as long as you have access to the Internet and a passion to share your thoughts with the world, you could do it too.

 

Let’s take a look at why you might want to.

 

You could make some great new friends with similar interests

 

The blogging community tends to be closely knit, and many people have made lifelong friends through their writing online. In this respect, it’s a great way to expand your social circle and meet other people who are interested in the same sort of things as you.

 

It will increase your knowledge of the subject

 

Committing to a blog means that you’ll have to come up with new and exciting angles to write about. It can be tricky at first, but once you get into the swing of things, you’ll find that your knowledge improves vastly. You’re likely to come across new regions, new producers, and be constantly up to date with the latest happenings in the world of wine.

 

It could be the start of a career as a wine writer

 

Traditionally, routes into professional writing were limited. Unless you had a little black book full of contacts and an impressive qualification, you rarely stood a chance. Now though, more and more bloggers are forging careers for themselves in the world of paid writing. Some secure book deals, while some are noticed by other writers and secure themselves magazine or newspaper columns. If you have the talent, a blog is a great place to be seen.

 

You could pick up some amazing freebies

 

Okay, so you definitely shouldn’t be in it for the freebies, but they are a lovely little perk. Some producers might offer to send you free wine in exchange for a review on your blog, or you might get offered other bonuses such as wine glasses or books. As a side note though, always keep your integrity in mind. If you’re known for accepting free products in exchange for reviews, people will start to question the reliability of your writing.

 

You could make money

 

Even if you don’t fancy being a professional wine writer and you’re just doing it for fun, there are many ways to make a tidy income from your blog. Once you’ve established a good reputation and have lots of traffic, wine businesses may be interested in advertising with you, or you could get involved in affiliate programmes. The possibilities are almost endless, and could definitely fund your interest in wine!

 

You’ll learn plenty of transferable skills

 

Writing a blog will teach you many skills that can easily be transferred into the world of work. You’re likely to learn about web design, social media, email marketing, copywriting, promotion, and everything else that goes in between. Employers are really impressed by individuals with the motivation to write a blog, and it could put you ahead of the competition when you’re next seeking employment.

 

 

As you can see, there are many benefits to starting your own wine blog. And best of all, it’s really quite simple to get up and running. Using a content management system such as Wordpress is the best route, and you could be blogging in just a few hours.

 

Have you ever considered starting a wine blog? Has this article made you decide to take the plunge? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the world of wine writing!

 

 

This article was brought to you by Jane Smith on behalf of Gurasu. Gurasu specialises in fine crystal products for the more discerning customer, with ranges that include crystal vases, whisky tumblers and much more.  Click here to learn more about Gurasu.

Top 10 Most Colorful Wine Crates

Most Wine Crates have a natural and unfinished look. There's a few prominent vineyards that brand their wine crates with embossed colors, and they look fantastic!

1. Chateau Pavie 12 Bottle Wine Crate- Bordeaux region - St. Emilion sub-region (Slightly oversized, and has the green and red design on both sides)

 

2. Chateau Ste. Michele Exclusive 3 Bottle Wine Case - Seattle Washington (This piece was hand painted and signed by both the winemaker and artist on the inside cover)

3. Chateau D'aiguilhe 12 Bottle Wine Crate - Bordeaux region - Cotes De Castillon sub-region

 

4. Chateau Gracia Wine Panel- Bordeaux region - St. Emilion sub-region. This is one of my favorites. The center image is of two cherub angels, and has a multi-color background. 

 

5. Domaine De Marcoux 12 Bottle Wine Crate - Chateauneuf Du Pape region

 

 

6. Chateau D'aurilhac 12 Bottle Wine Crate - Bordeaux region - Haut-Medoc sub-region

 

 

7. Grey Goose 6 Bottle Wine Box - Not for wine, but Grey Goose unveiled this special piece 3 years ago and never did it again. The design is on both sides of the lid. Love it!

 

 

8. Chateau L'Hermitage 12 Bottle Wine Crate - Bordeaux region - St. Emilion sub-region.

 

 

9. Napanook 12 Bottle Wine Crate- Napa Valley region - Yountville city. This is a long side design, and the other long side of the crate has a different design but matching colors.

 

 

10. Brunello Di Montalcino 6 Bottle Wine Box - Italy - Brunello region 

 

 

Depending on the time of year and specific wine release dates, we often have colorful wine crates in stock. Visit www.winepine.com to contact us on current inventory!

 

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