Before you get rid of those empty wine bottles, think about recycling them. But we're not talking about regular ol' recycling; turn them into candles, dispensers, and even chandeliers with the help of these creative upcycling ideas. You can finish most projects in a few hours or less — read on to find out how.
Recently, I found myself at a swanky wine bar in Los Angeles. While I was engrossed in the long list of varietals on the menu, I couldn't help but notice the words that described the wines: nude, provocative, luscious, opulent, succulent, ravishing, voluptuous, decadent. They sounded like something straight out of a romance novel, and I was totally into it! However, this isn't always the case in the wine world. Often times experts and publications can be pretentious, stuffy, and down right cringe-worthy. I'd be happy if I never hear the words mouthfeel, ripe, and finesse again. What about you? Which wine descriptors make absolutely no sense to you?
If you asked for a wine decanter over the holidays and didn't get one, fret not: you may not even need one in the years to come. The formidable Spanish chef Martín Berasategui, at his eponymous three-Michelin-starred restaurant, has designed a bottle that contains its own breakthrough built-in decanter.
Berasategui's glass container is similar to a traditional wine bottle, save for a special pinched chamber at the bottom that's designed to capture any undesirable dregs. A number of wineries, including northwestern Spain's Adegas Moure, have already signed on to use the unique bottles, as they're a more natural way to address wine sediment than conventional filtration methods — although there's no promise that the new bottling will properly aerate the wines.
So if it was a Vinturi that you were craving, you'd better keep it on the wish list.
While I'm a fan of the vino, I hate to see the beautiful bottles that my favorite wine comes in end up in the recycling bin. Luckily there are many ways you can upcycle these bottles for use around your home and garden.
Plastic water bottles produce a lot of waste; one way to cut back is to use larger, refillable bottles for drinking water at home. This works well in an area like San Francisco where the tap water is drinkable and delicious.
Since I entertain a lot, I thought it would be eco-chic to make my own! Here's what I did:
A set of these also makes a thoughtful gift. Has anyone else made their own water bottles?
When I'm invited to a dinner, party, or bbq and don't have the time to put together a special gift for the hostess, I'll stop by my local wine shop and pick up a bottle for her to enjoy at a later date. I include a nice appreciative note and package the bottle to look pretty. Tying a bow with a satin ribbon makes it look festive, but if you don't have a huge collection of ribbon like I do, think about buying a set of these wine bottle gift bags.
Printed with made up wine notes like, an explosion of blackberries and cranberry zing, these are cheeky and fun. The brown bag material gives them a sense of eco-awareness while the silver lettering makes them celebratory.
Although I don't advocate re-gifting, these bags can be recycled and reused for other wine gifts. Get them while they are hot, a set of 6 is only $12.00, and I don't know about you, but I'm ordering two.
Source: Hostess Blog
