How we prepare, refurbish and sand all of our wine crates and boxes
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
How to Read a Wine Crate (French)
Most wooden wine boxes and crates have the engraved logo of the winery that made them.
A very common question we receive is: How can I tell where my wine box or crate is from?
1. The first indication is size. A 12 bottle crate (shown below) is almost always from France. Very few other countries produce this size. There are a few Italian wineries like Ruffino, and some California wineries such as Far Niente that make them, but overall 12 bottle crates are almost exclusively French.
2. The above picture is an example of four 12 bottle wine crates from France. All four are from three different regions:
The Moulin Saint Georges and Lafaurie-Peyraguey are from Bordeaux
Domaine De La Janasse is from Rhone
Louis Jadot is from Burgundy.
There are also sub-regions inside of regions. Sub-regions are loosely familiar to cities inside of states. Manhattan for example is a city inside of New York State. The same applies for sub-regions inside of Bordeaux or Burgundy. St. Emilion for example is a sub-region of Bordeaux.
The sub-region isn't always on a crate from France, but if you see a sub-region it's from France. The Lafaurie-Peyraguey is from the sub-region of Sauternes. The Domaine De La Janasse is from the Chateauneuf Du Pape (House of the Pope) sub-region of Rhone. The Louis Jadot doesn't display a sub-region on the front. It's actually displayed on the long sides of the crate. This is another place to look for info.
The word Chateau means mansion in French, so when you see the word Chateau it's from France.
3. Another tell-tale sign of a French wine crate is the word Grand Cru; which is a highly esteemed French winery designation. The designation of Grand Cru is given to a winery that produces the best wine in the world (outside of the First Growth designation).
There is a 100% guarantee that a Grand Cru crate is from France.
4. It's not always obvious when looking at the front panel where the wine box or crate is from. As pointed out previously, the Louis Jadot doesn't have any descriptive writing on it's front side. Many Burgundian crates are actually branded on the long right or left hand sides, not the front. An example picture of a side-branded crate is below:
5. The Chateau Angelus is actually a crate from Bordeaux. Not Burgundy. This is an example of how wooden wine box designs and descriptions can be subtle. The vast majority of Bordeaux wine boxes aren't engraved on the long side, but Chateau Angelus is an example of a Bordeaux winery that does.
Chateau Angelus still displays the word Chateau as well as it's sub-region (St. Emilion). You can immediately determine that this crate is from Bordeaux.
French wine crates are fairly easy to read. So are wineries from the USA. The tough ones are from Italy and Spain. That's for another post though.
Patrick
www.winepine.com
A very common question we receive is: How can I tell where my wine box or crate is from?
1. The first indication is size. A 12 bottle crate (shown below) is almost always from France. Very few other countries produce this size. There are a few Italian wineries like Ruffino, and some California wineries such as Far Niente that make them, but overall 12 bottle crates are almost exclusively French.
2. The above picture is an example of four 12 bottle wine crates from France. All four are from three different regions:
The Moulin Saint Georges and Lafaurie-Peyraguey are from Bordeaux
Domaine De La Janasse is from Rhone
Louis Jadot is from Burgundy.
There are also sub-regions inside of regions. Sub-regions are loosely familiar to cities inside of states. Manhattan for example is a city inside of New York State. The same applies for sub-regions inside of Bordeaux or Burgundy. St. Emilion for example is a sub-region of Bordeaux.
The sub-region isn't always on a crate from France, but if you see a sub-region it's from France. The Lafaurie-Peyraguey is from the sub-region of Sauternes. The Domaine De La Janasse is from the Chateauneuf Du Pape (House of the Pope) sub-region of Rhone. The Louis Jadot doesn't display a sub-region on the front. It's actually displayed on the long sides of the crate. This is another place to look for info.
The word Chateau means mansion in French, so when you see the word Chateau it's from France.
3. Another tell-tale sign of a French wine crate is the word Grand Cru; which is a highly esteemed French winery designation. The designation of Grand Cru is given to a winery that produces the best wine in the world (outside of the First Growth designation).
There is a 100% guarantee that a Grand Cru crate is from France.
4. It's not always obvious when looking at the front panel where the wine box or crate is from. As pointed out previously, the Louis Jadot doesn't have any descriptive writing on it's front side. Many Burgundian crates are actually branded on the long right or left hand sides, not the front. An example picture of a side-branded crate is below:
5. The Chateau Angelus is actually a crate from Bordeaux. Not Burgundy. This is an example of how wooden wine box designs and descriptions can be subtle. The vast majority of Bordeaux wine boxes aren't engraved on the long side, but Chateau Angelus is an example of a Bordeaux winery that does.
Chateau Angelus still displays the word Chateau as well as it's sub-region (St. Emilion). You can immediately determine that this crate is from Bordeaux.
French wine crates are fairly easy to read. So are wineries from the USA. The tough ones are from Italy and Spain. That's for another post though.
Patrick
www.winepine.com
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Wine Case Border Panels
Border panels are unique, and come from flat 3 or 6 bottle wine cases. We call them Border panels because they are long and short. They typically work well as border designs around walls, floors or ceilings.
The 3 bottle case border panels are less than half the size of the six bottle border panels.
3 bottle border panels are approx. 9" L X 4" H
6 bottle border panels are approx. 19" L X 5" H
The 3 bottle case border panels are less than half the size of the six bottle border panels.
3 bottle border panels are approx. 9" L X 4" H
6 bottle border panels are approx. 19" L X 5" H
Flat 3 Bottle Case
Flat 6 Bottle Case
Regular 6 Bottle Wine Box
As you can see, the regular 6 bottle box is clearly taller than the flat cases, but the 6 bottle flat case is longer than the regular 6 bottle.
Bottle thickness and height also play a role in the size of a wine case or box. The taller the bottle, the longer the panel. The thicker the bottle, the more width a panel will have. Wine bottles always lay flat in a box or case to preserve it. The reason you should always lay your bottles flat is so the wine won't cork (Oxidize). The wine inside the bottle will naturally keep the cork wet when stored on it's side. If the cork dries up it will allow oxygen to seep into the bottle. Oxygen ruins the wine over time.
Some interesting facts about Border panels:
- 50% of all border panels are from Napa Valley. The other 50% are spread among other wine making countries/regions.
- We can only give the average size of border panels. There's frequently a difference in size among them due to slight differences in height and thickness of bottles. Not all wine bottles are the same.
- French border panels almost always have engraved pictures and designs. Napa panels almost always have just engraved writing.
- Thicknesses not only vary with wine bottles, but they can also vary with border panels. One of the thickest border panel comes from Hundred Acre in Napa. It's nearly 1 inch thick of solid pine wood. Most border panels are 3/8" thick.
If your interested in learning more visit www.winepine.com.
Patrick O'caining
winepine@optonline.net
Saturday, January 19, 2013
9 Amazing Wine Crate Decorations
Wine boxes and crates can add different flavors to any decor. Vintage wine crates give a shabby-chic feel, and newer wine crates provide more of a modern look. They are all easily finished or painted, and with a little patience you can create something magical.
Wine crates not only look great, but they are very useful too. They're not just for wine. You can garden with them, make space racks, keep delicate pieces protected, create easy shelving or drawers and much more. The branded panels of the crate can be removed to tile walls, floors and even ceilings.
Below are some of our favorite projects. Personally, I enjoy the newer more modern appeal but this is just a preference. There are many unique ideas that can be done with the vintage crates as well:
We were contacted by an interior decorator to provide both original and custom panels for the San Diego Padres. We did a mix of panels that were 25% Napa and the rest were a mix of Italian, French and Spanish wineries.Our interior decorator client also requested that we add panels from their wine list. We were able to get several in the order.
The above piece is from a restaurant in Oregon. We got this picture from a client that was trying to do the same thing. They wanted us to stain the panels for them, but unfortunately we don't stain or finish.
This is the back of a wine bar. We pinned it from Pinterest, and don't know where the bar is. I just really like the set up.
Another one we pinned from a blog. This is two pictures; the left is of drawers from a variety of wine box sizes. The right side one are all flat 6 bottle boxes.
This is one of my all time favorite pictures. The floor is done with heavily finished wine crate panels. It definitely took a while to do. In the back you can see drawers that hold twelve 12 bottle wine crates.
This is a fairly small wine bar area with a wine panel back wall and trim. I really like how the trim came out.
Gorgeous kitchen island. This trim also got me. The wine panels on marble is brilliant.
I love how bright and colorful the wine crates made this space. It's simple and nostalgic. Almost like a painting. The hardwood floor and Persian rug gives a warm contrast.
The above picture consists of several differently sized wine boxes and crates that are painted red. I think it was done well. Very eye-catching, but not too heavy.
Patrick
www.winepine.com
Wine crates not only look great, but they are very useful too. They're not just for wine. You can garden with them, make space racks, keep delicate pieces protected, create easy shelving or drawers and much more. The branded panels of the crate can be removed to tile walls, floors and even ceilings.
Below are some of our favorite projects. Personally, I enjoy the newer more modern appeal but this is just a preference. There are many unique ideas that can be done with the vintage crates as well:
We were contacted by an interior decorator to provide both original and custom panels for the San Diego Padres. We did a mix of panels that were 25% Napa and the rest were a mix of Italian, French and Spanish wineries.Our interior decorator client also requested that we add panels from their wine list. We were able to get several in the order.
The above piece is from a restaurant in Oregon. We got this picture from a client that was trying to do the same thing. They wanted us to stain the panels for them, but unfortunately we don't stain or finish.
This is the back of a wine bar. We pinned it from Pinterest, and don't know where the bar is. I just really like the set up.
Another one we pinned from a blog. This is two pictures; the left is of drawers from a variety of wine box sizes. The right side one are all flat 6 bottle boxes.
This is one of my all time favorite pictures. The floor is done with heavily finished wine crate panels. It definitely took a while to do. In the back you can see drawers that hold twelve 12 bottle wine crates.
This is a fairly small wine bar area with a wine panel back wall and trim. I really like how the trim came out.
Gorgeous kitchen island. This trim also got me. The wine panels on marble is brilliant.
I love how bright and colorful the wine crates made this space. It's simple and nostalgic. Almost like a painting. The hardwood floor and Persian rug gives a warm contrast.
The above picture consists of several differently sized wine boxes and crates that are painted red. I think it was done well. Very eye-catching, but not too heavy.
Patrick
www.winepine.com
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
6 Interesting Facts About Wine Crates and Boxes
Less than 5% of all wineries in the world craft wine crates
More than half of these wineries are in France. Most of the world's wine is stored and protected in cardboard boxes.
Wine crates are extremely durable, and can last for hundreds of years
We've seen wine crates from the 1800's that were still in fairly good condition. If maintained properly they will last for generations.
French wine crates are made with a species of pine that can't be found in the United States
The same applies for certain regions of Italy and Chile. We've looked everywhere, and it's just not in the US.
Wine crates naturally keep stored wine bottles 3-5 degrees cooler
This is ideal for wine investors looking to keep their wines in optimal conditions
The most unusual thing a client ever made with a wine crate?
A guitar
YouTube link to one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W_pq-b4Rbs
The most over-the-top wine crate project?
An entire store built from them. Link below:
http://inhabitat.com/pixilated-swiss-wine-store-made-from-1500-wine-boxes/
Visit us at: www.winepine.com
Patrick -
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Napa Valley Wooden Wine Box Pictures
Axios 6 Bottle Wine Box
Bond 6 Bottle Oversized Flat Case
Caymus 6 Bottle Wine Box
Colgin 6 Bottle Flip-top Wine Box
Conn Creek 6 Bottle Slide-top Flat Case
Coup De Foudre 6 Bottle Slide-top Wine Box
Dominus 6 Bottle Wine Box
Far Niente 12 Bottle Wine Crate
Groth 6 Bottle Flip-top Wine Box
Halo 3 Bottle Slide-top Wine Case
Harlan Estate "The Maiden" 3 Bottle Slide-top Wine Case
Hundred Acre Oversized 3 Bottle Flip-top Wine Case
Insignia 6 Bottle Flat Flip-top Wine Case
Matriarch 6 Bottle Wine Box
Maya 3 Bottle Flip-top Wine Case
Mount Veeder 6 Bottle Flip-top Wine Box
Sin Qua Non "Mr. K" 3 Bottle Slide-top Wine Case
Napanook 12 Bottle Wine Crate
Nickel & Nickel 6 Bottle Flip-top Wine Box
Opus One 6 Bottle Flat Wine Case
Pillar Rock Oversized 6 Bottle Wine Box
Quintessa 6 Bottle Flip-top Wine Case
Relentless 3 Bottle Slide-top Wine Case
'
Santa Ema 6 Bottle Flip-top Wine Case
Scarecrow 3 Bottle Slide-top Wine Case
Schafer Jeroboam Single Bottle Wine Crate
Screaming Eagle 3 Bottle Flip-top Wine Case
ZD Wines 6 Bottle Flip-top Wine Box
Patrick
www.winepine.com
Thursday, December 13, 2012
9 Unique Wine Crate Projects
Wine Cellar with Select Wine Panels:
Wine-themed Credenza:
Nautical Style Wine Crate Panel Motif on Yacht:
Rare Wine Shop Matching Wine Panels with Wine Bottles:
Quaint Wine Cellar Panel Design:
Wine Cork Trivet:
Classical Style Wine-themed Library:
Ritz Carlton Penthouse Wine Panel Montage:
Wine Crate Panel Tray:
Patrick
www.winepine.com
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