Wine Furniture For the Wine Fanatics on Your List

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With less than 20 shopping days to go, here’s some wine appropriate gift ideas for the frugal or the crafty.  Last week we looked at gifts made from wine corks, this week, a bit more of a challenge – wine furniture.

Wine Glass Chandelier – (Electrical Project)

A sparkling, yet functional gift any wine lover would use.  The size of the chandelier will depend on the size of the wine rack you use.  Some will hold 16 glasses, some 40, some 76 – it depends how many glasses you have - or want to have...

If you are planning to replace a current hanging light, leave the wires and bare bulb in place.  You can then suspend the wine rack by attaching chains and anchoring them to the ceiling plate of the former light. 

Once you’ve made sure the bulb works, hang wine glasses from the rack and enjoy some vino ambient lighting with dinner.   Added Benefit:  You’ll never have to hunt for a wine glass again…..

Wine Racks – (Building Project)

There are so many options to consider when making a wine rack – size, number of bottles it will hold, shape, and design.  Just remember that the corks must be kept wet when the bottles are stored, one end must be a bit lower so the wine will rest against the cork.

You can make a box-type wine rack by squaring up four boards and attaching lattice panels on the front and back of the box.  Or by forming an X inside the box with two boards.

You can also join five same sized boards, which have been notched so that the boards slide together and create an interesting, artsy shape.

A more free style wine rack can be made from two pieces of finished and stained wood that has curved metal holders attached for the bottle to rest in.

If you’re a true woodworker, check out Ron Hazelton’s Home Improvement Online @ http://www.ronhazelton.com/projects/how_to_make_a_wine_rack

Just remember to stock that rack with a few bottles before gift-giving ;)

Wine Bar Barrel – (Building Project)

For the next two projects, you can use a wine barrel, whisky barrel, bourbon barrel – whatever suits your tastes.  A great source of barrels, and ideas, is Kentucky Barrels @ http://www.kentuckybarrels.com/uses.html

You might also check with your local winery, or distillery to see if any barrels have come to the end of their usefulness.

The wine bar barrel requires the barrel, a saw to cut the door frame, two or three door hinges, shelf holders to stabilize the shelves and the weight they will bear, and the three round glass shelves to fit inside.

If you want to go a step further and make the bar a dining area too, find a round table top, cut a hole in it and let a small part of the barrel top come through.  Pull up some chairs and toast to good times.

Wine Barrel Coffee Table – (Building Project)

The words, “wine barrel coffee table” may bring back memories of the 1970’s recycling craze, but if done with some flair, this can be quite a conversation-starter.

Start with a barrel that has been cut in half vertically. Measure and cut two wooden feet or holders for the table to rest in.

You can then attach a pre-manufactured table top, or craft one from several boards.  Another option, if your barrel has some nice wine staining inside, would be to cover it with heavy glass.

But my all-time favorite wine barrel pieces – a barrel stave love seat and stave chairs.  What an excellent place to sip wine with friends on a summer’s evening.

Now, pour a glass of your favorite wine, sit back, review that gift list, and Enjoy!!

~ Joy

I’m Dreaming of a Wine Christmas – Corked for the Holidays

It’s time to relax, have a little fun, and get ready for the holidays.  For the next three weeks, we’ll take a look at what you can do with the other parts of that bottle of wine.  Today, let’s start at the top with the cork.

If you recycle your corks, you are a true Eco-Wine Lover.  Kudos to you, and please disregard this.  But, if you seem to end up with a drawer full of them, here’s a few holiday ideas to help eliminate the cork clutter and, maybe, get a few gift ideas out of the way for the wine lovers on your list.

First, decide what you’d like to create.  Options include a wine cork wreath, cork bulletin board or trivet, cork wine tree, and cork bottle tags. Next, gather your corks and a hot glue gun.   Now, pour a glass of your favorite wine and follow the instructions from the options below.

Wine Cork Wreath – 

Start with a wreath form from your local craft store.  Attach the corks with the hot glue gun. Place them in a random fashion, covering the wreath. When you’re finished, attach a holiday bow and hang.

Wine Cork Bulletin Board or Trivet –

Begin by gluing the corks together. You can glue them in a parquet pattern of two up and two down, or all in a straight line, end-to-end and side-to-side.  The size of the bulletin board or trivet depends on how many corks you have.

For a trivet, instead of gluing the corks together lying side by side, you could cut them in half and glue them standing up, leaving some space between them to create a fancier pattern.  If you use this method, you can even create some matching wine coasters.

Once glued in a pattern, glue the corks to a board that will provide a sturdy backing for them.  If you’re creating a bulletin board, you might want to put a frame around the corks.  If you’ve crafted a trivet, you could consider small plastic feet so the wood does not scratch the counter surface it sets on.

Wine Cork Tree – 

Arrange various corks in the shape of a Christmas tree and glue together.  Check the ends of the corks – many red wines will have already provided a nice coloring to them.  Others, you may wish to give a light coating of green food coloring to. Glue two corks together to attach to the bottom as a trunk, or cut the top off a champagne cork and use the thick part as the trunk and the round part for the top of the tree.  Attach a festive ribbon to complete your wine cork tree.

Cork Wine Bottle Tags - 

Purchase sheets of cork from your local craft store.  Use a paper wine bottle tag or bottle necker as a guide and trace onto the sheet of cork.  Cut the tag shape out carefully and attach a ribbon to the top.  If this is a gift, include a sharpie pen for writing on the bottle tag – and a bottle of wine to get them started.

Once you’ve finished, sit back and enjoy a glass of wine as you ponder how you ended up with that many wine corks anyway… ; D

Enjoy!

~ Joy

Thanksgiving History and Wine

Thanksgiving is a traditional, and federal holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November. The National Proclamation of Thanksgiving was first declared by the Continental Congress in 1777. The days of Thanksgiving varied from year to year, but were celebrated with some regularity in the mid-17^th century after the harvest was in.

However, it was in 1863, when President Lincoln proclaimed it a national holiday to be celebrated the fourth Thursday of November each year that Thanksgiving began to become a treasured holiday.

The Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621 at what is now the Plymouth Plantation. The three-day feast was held after the first successful harvest in the New World.  Over fifty Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians attended the celebration.

The foods of the first Thanksgiving varied somewhat from what we have today.  The Pilgrims did have access to wild turkeys, but there was also venison, eel, cod, bass, and waterfowl available.

Vegetables that were available included corn, onions, leeks, carrots, cabbage, various squash and pumpkins; nuts, dried fruits, cranberries, and apples.

In modern times, our Thanksgiving usually includes what has come to be known as traditional foods; turkey, dressing/stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, autumn vegetables such as sweet corn, beans, squash, and, of course, pumpkin pie. The choice of beverage usually includes tea, coffee, colas, wine, and beer.

But has wine always been a Thanksgiving staple?  According to information regarding what type of cargo the Mayflower carried – wine was regularly included on its shipping roles. The ship's hold could carry 180 oak casks of wine.  The Mayflower was typically loaded with wines from Bordeaux and La Rochelle, France for the return trip to England.

Wine was also listed in the supplies that were sent to the New World from England, along with beer, aqua vita, (a drink made from distilled wine or beer,) and hard cider.  As the colonists learned how to make these drinks in America, the beverages began to disappear from the shipping supply roles. 

While native grapes, fruits, and grains would have changed the taste of the wines, beers, and hard ciders, colonists learned how to work with them to craft flavorful beverages to enjoy with their meals.  By the mid-1600’s, hard cider was the drink of choice in the colonies.

Today, many wines are touted as excellent Thanksgiving wines – Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer/Traminette, and sparkling wines like Moscato, just to name a few. 

Another pairing idea - Beaujolais.  Georges Duboeuf knew that this wine would go wonderfully well with the normal autumn celebration fare, but Beaujolais was traditionally not released until December 15th.  With that in mind, Duboeuf released his Beaujolais on the third Thursday of November, and called it Beaujolais Nouveau. Now the third Thursday of November is heralded by the anticipated release of Beaujolais Nouveau, well ahead of the traditional Beaujolais release date, and just in time for autumn celebrations.

If you’re feeling adventurous, or would like to add a bit of authentic autumn flavor to your celebrations, consider a cranberry wine, or one crafted from pumpkins, persimmons, or apples.  

Regardless of your choice of foods and wines for this Thanksgiving, remember to be thankful that you have a wine glass, and grateful that there’s something in it! ;)

Happy Thanksgiving, & Enjoy!

~  Joy