Long-Side Branded Wooden Wine Crates

The majority of large original wine crates from Bordeaux are branded with the picture design on the front short side:

A long-side branded crate has the picture design on the long side of the crate:

The long side branded crate style is rare, and most of these crates are not from Bordeaux. Since Bordeaux follows a set of wine laws called the Appellation d'origine Controlee (AOC). All Bordeaux wine makers classed as 2nd - 5th Growths or Grand Cru have to follow the AOC, which governs grape and barrel types, processing and bottle sizes. This governing body is tasked with maintaining the rigid Bordeaux culture, brand and history. That means your going to see a good deal of similarities among Bordeaux wine crates such as a uniform size of crate and a specific place where the logo goes which is the front short side.

There is a Burgundy AOC and a similar rule structure in Italy (Mostly pertaining to the Chianti region). These rules and classifications are a way to maintain the old world standard of wine. Burgundy and Italy's rules aren't as rigid as Bordeaux's when it comes to bottle sizes and the look of their wine crates so they can be more creative. For instance, Italian vineyards primarily make 6 bottle medium wine boxes. I've seen 8 different Italian vineyards that made large 12 bottle wine crates. All of those large 12 bottle crates from Italy were branded with the vineyard's logo and design on all four sides.  

In the case of Bordeaux which makes primarily 12 bottle large crates I've seen only 5 long-side branded crates from un-designated vineyards. Your most likely to see long-side branded large crates from the French regions of Burgundy, Graves and Sauternes.

I'd estimate that there are 30 different vineyards from anywhere in the world that make large long-side branded 12 bottle wine crates. This presents a bit of a problem for people that have wine cellars with shelving that require long-side branded crates:

www.houzz.com

It's a great picture above, but only 1 of the long-side branded crates are from Bordeaux! The rest are from Italy, Australia, Chile and Spain. Below is a wine rack for wooden wine crates with brandings on the front short side:

www.thegreenhead.com

It's clear that there's alot more front side branded crates than long-side. All of the crates above are from the Bordeaux region and are nearly identical in size. This makes wine crate shelving projects alot smoother when your working with front side rather than long-side crates.

Nevertheless, long-side branded crates are unique and interesting. They're one of the most requested styles due to the fact that they cover a wide area, and often have remarkably ornate artwork on them

If your looking for long-side branded wine crates for your own wine cellar shelving visit Collector's Wine Crates and send me an e-mail to request our current stock. 

Patrick - 

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8 Shabby-Chic and Vintage Wine Crate Ideas

Large wooden wine crates are durable, stain-able and lots of fun to work with. One of the more poplar wine crate ideas is to stain them to appear distressed. It's shocking to see how well this idea compliments a modern home decor!

Imagine walking into your foyer to see a rustic style wine crate sitting next to your front door. There's a floral display inside of it, and your immediately captured by a nostalgic feel. Your brought back in time to the days of few distractions; where there weren't smart phones, e-mail or texts. Time went by a little slower, and you had a moment to look around and appreciate the look of your home.

This is the theme of the shabby-chic style and you can get that look for yourself. One way is to distress your original wooden wine crates. The most popular stain for DIY crate distressing is Walnut. The key is to make sure the crate is prepared for finish by sanding it first (We do this for you at Winepine). The next step is to lightly spread the finish onto the crate in a random fashion. You want an unusual pattern because wood naturally distresses in this way. Make sure to take appropriate precautions while staining, as fumes from some finishes are very strong.

There are other ways to achieve a shabby-chic vintage look with wine crates, and 8 of my favorite are below:

Vintage Wine Crate Kitchen Shelving - http://www.homelife.com.au/

Shabby-Industrial Wine Crate Vertical Credenza - www.casadiaria.blogspot.com

Distressed Walnut Wine Crate Pet Feeder - www.winepine.com

Old World Style Bar Shelves - www.restaurantandbardesignawards.com

Southwestern Style Farmhouse-Chic Jewelry and Handbag Foyer - www.cocokelley.com 

Rustic Walnut Stained Wine Crate Storage on Casters - www.thediyvillage.com

Cherry Stained Kitchen Island with Wine Crate Shelving - Kathleen Flanagan

Urban Industrial Style Side Table with Wine Crate Shelves - Winepine

The urban industrial side table is a client favorite as well as my own. We sanded the wine boxes for this project, but they weren't finished or distressed. The table itself came out beautifully vintage with a modern accent on it's own. The wine boxes in that picture are medium sized made to hold 6 wine bottles. 

If your looking to create your own industrial, rustic, vintage or farmhouse-chic look with original wine crates visit Winepine!

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Bouchard Pere & Fils Wooden Wine Crate

Bouchard Pere & Fils

Without a doubt, the Bouchard Pere & Fils is my favorite wooden wine crate from Burgundy. It's not just my favorite, as the crate is often requested by our clients.

It's no secret that most wine enthusiasts love Burgundy wines. There's an old saying in the US wine industry that you start in California and end in Burgundy. Napa Valley has been relentlessly trying to change this, and to some extent they have, but if your a lover of the old world wine ways than the saying will remain eternal.

The problem with most original Burgundian wine boxes and crates is that they aren't generally ideal for home or cellar decorations; unless all of your friends are equally as savvy a wine enthusiast. The majority have only writing on them with simple designs at best. Their labels are elegant but modest. Very much like their wines. That's all well and good, but personally I love an eye-catching design.

In comes Bouchard Pere & Fils. It's quite possibly the most highly detailed wine crate in all of France. On top of that it's large for 12 bottles, has an intricately engraved picture on the long side, and has a slide-top lid. For a Burgundy wine crate It's a genuine anomaly.

Country: France

Region: Burgundy

Sub-Region: Beaune-Graves

Established: 1731

Production: Produces a variety of Grand Cru and Premier Cru in tiny single vineyards

Grape: Makes both Pinot Noir red and Chardonnay whites

Crate design: Highly detailed and intricately engraved picture of the estate and castle on the large long side.

Rarity: Very. Due to minuscule productions on small single plots, there's only a handful of these special Grand Cru wine crates released every year.

Crate designation: Exclusive ($75.00)

Our opinion/history: One of Burgundy's highest respected and most ancient vineyard/wine merchant. The Beaune region was founded by Julius Caesar, and supposedly the Bouchard property was producing wines for Joan of Arc's army.

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