Wednesday, April 2, 2014

8 Beautiful Wine Cellars Accented with Wine Crates

This is a collection of beautiful wine cellars that have been decorated with original wooden wine crates and boxes. All have been uploaded from Houzz.com

Revel Wine Cellar, Slide-out Drawers

 
Traditional
 

Glass Encased w/ Stone Trim
 

 
Victorian Style
 
 
Ecclectic-Traditional
 
 

Kevin White Cellar
 


Stone Frame and Arched Ceiling
 
 
Eclectic Contemporary
 


Buy wooden wine boxes and crates for your own wine cellar! Visit www.winepine.com


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Thursday, March 27, 2014

Top 10 Italian Wine Boxes and Crates

The 10 best Italian wine boxes from Tuscany, Piedmont and Montalcino
 

Sassicaia - Simple yet elegant design with a branded lid


Ornellaia - Branded on the front, back side and lid with an engraved design of the vineyard
 
 
Castel Giocondo - Flip-top lid with beautifully designed embellishments on all four sides
 

Tiburzi Taccalite - Rare 12 bottle Italian crate, with unique style font text on all four sides
 
 
Poliziano - Branded engraved on all four sides with a small Baroque style design
 

Pieve Santa Restituta - Unique piece with Pergola style sides and lid
 
 
Bruno Giacosa - Another rare 12 bottle Italian crate made of Tuscan pine and tongue and groove corners
 
 
Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello Montalcino - Large and highly detailed engraved design on the flip-top lid
 

Michele Castellani - Classy font with imperial logo on the front and back sides as well as the lid
 

 

 Falletto - The only other 12 bottle Italian wine crate I know of. The front and back long sides are embossed with the large picture of the wineries vineyard
 
 
There are a lot of 6 bottle wine boxes, but not that many 12 bottle Italian crates. If you'd like to see our current selection visit www.winepine.com
 
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Saturday, March 22, 2014

9 Georgeous Wine Crate Panel Surface Coverings

Wine crate panels and wine box ends are perfect for wine-themed surface coverings. They can be installed on walls, tables, ceilings and even floors. Below are 9 projects done with wine crate panels:

San Diego Padres Stadium Wine Bar

 
Dallas Ritz Carlton Penthouse Wine Cellar
 

Private Collector's Wine Library
 

 
Staircase Easing Decorated w/ Wine Panels
 

Wine Crate Panel Wedding Dance Floor
 



Grapes the Wine Co. Rare Wines Vault
 
 
Private Wine Cellar. Trim and Walls Adorned with Wine Panels
 
 
Wine Panels as Drawers on Credenza. Designed for a Country Club in Texas
 
 
Wine Cellar w/ Glass Door Enclosure
 
 
Buy wine panels for your own special project! Visit www.winepine.com
 
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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Chateau Y'quem Wine Crates and Boxes



Country: France


Region: Suternes


Production: Approx. 5,000 - 9.000 cases per vintage


Grape: Mostly Semillion


Crate design: Until recently, the Y'quem logo has been the classic Cote of Arms design. Some of the last and latest vintages have introduced a new, more simple logo which is a large Y with a crown above it.


Rarity: Fairly rare, as Y'quem has a very small production. Crates come in based on when they are released. This is generally once or twice a year.


Crate designation: Exclusive Class ($50.00)


Our opinion/history: Y'quem is one of two wineries designated as "Superier Grand Cru". The other winery with this designation is Cheval Blanc. Most of the clients that purchase wine crates and boxes of Yquem are private investors looking to complete their collection, but oftentimes people enjoy the previous Y'quem Cote of Arms logo for it's design. Since it's a highly esteemed and recognized winery, Bordeaux style wine cellar enhancements can also benefit as well.

Visit us at www.winepine.com to get some wine crates or boxes for your own unique project!
 
Patrick -
 
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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

The Cakebread Cellars Wine Box


The above picture is the Cakebread signature wooden wine box. I like it for a few lot of reasons:

  • The name: Wouldn't you love to eat a piece of Cakebread? It just sounds like it will be the perfect balance between sweet and scrumptious.
  • The grapes logo engravings are gorgeous: The grapes logos are deeply burned in, and give a satisfying feeling when you touch them. They are intricately designed grapes pictures in juicy little bunches.
  • The rarity. We get truckloads of wine crates every month. If we're lucky, maybe one Cakebread box will come in. When one does, it's immediately prepared for sale. We're usually backlogged on them. Everyone loves Cakebread, and all the private investors keep the boxes when they buy their cases.
These are the reasons I try to own as many of them as I can, but our director never lets me keep any because there's always a client that wants one. The Cakebread wine itself is great too, but you have to be a really heavy buyer of Cakebread, specifically Benchland Select (The most expensive bottle) until you get the original box. Buying a bottle or two every once in a while won't cut it unfortunately. Going to the winery itself with your order is probably the best bet to secure a Cakebread wine box for yourself. It's going to cost a pretty penny though..

The Cakebread wine box has thick sides of wood like most wine boxes from Napa so no surprise there. It's highly durable, and can withstand many years of shipping, handling and storage before it starts to break down. This is a major plus, because one day you may want to sell your Cakebread wine collection, and your going to do better at auction if you have the wine bottles inside the original crate.

If you'd like to purchase one from Winepine, your looking at the only one in stock at the moment. I e-mailed some of our usual buyers to see if they're interested,  but the current weather conditions has everyone just wanting to end winter. They're removing wine bottles from their collection to indulge themselves during these icy cold conditions.

Feel free to e-mail me if your interested in the piece. The cost is $100, and shipping is on me.

First come, first serve.

Dimensions: 13 /12" L X 11" W X 8" H

Includes: Lid and removable wood inserts


Visit us at www.winepine.com to get some wine crates or boxes for your own unique project!
 
Patrick -

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

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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Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Why Should I Start a Wine Blog?


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.