Which wine, which wine...

As part of the Virgin Wine Club, we periodically receive a knock on the door and welcome a large, heavy box into the house.  It's always fun to receive something in the mail, but its especially fun when it's a collection of wines and you get to discover the names, regions and recommended pairings for each.  

As we put the wine away in our oak wine cabinet or wine refrigerator, we make custom wood tags for each bottle...

...On one side of the tag we write the vineyard, variety, vintage and number of bottles (e.g. 1 of 2...2 of 2...).

On the other side we write a taste description and recommended pairings.

The time we spend up-front getting the wine organized and labeled this way takes the pressure off when it comes to selecting the perfect wine for waiting guests or any time we just want to try something that pairs well with whatever meal we're making -(or vice-versa too...sometimes we start with the wine to get inspiration for dinner.)  

Another way to determine which category wine bests fit your mood or situation is this fun wine chart (an adapted version of one we received via our wine club.)  Try it out by starting at "What time is it?" answering the questions, and following the lines to the recommended category of wine. 

You might also enjoy l&l's  

w i n e  essentials & gifts - a digital magazine containing some of our favorite wine-related items..."from the practical to the splurge."

..

We've come to think of this medium as a "living" publication - interactive and with the potential to evolve and expand - if we discover a new wine we love or want to announce the release of a new cookbook...we can take it down and in a few moments have it back on the shelf for you to access again and again - All without harming a single tree.

Cheers to that~

 wood tags 
$13.99  (qty. 50) (us) 

You may want to load up on these charming wood tags...
we use them for labeling many things around the house (bottles, canisters, baskets) as well as for gift tags  (nice for goodie bags - party favor bags - as holiday gift tags --kids love creating their own)...the list goes on.  You can leave the wood natural or paint it however you like.  Add your own ribbon or natural twine.      

we found similar options in these countries: (uk) (ca)  (es)

TIP:  After using them in their natural state, 
spray over with chalkboard paint and use again (and again).

see our new site:

www.linenlavenderlife.com

File: Mellow Yellow

By the way, this last photo has reminded me:  If you have read "Thinking Outside the Box" the above is a great way to label bottles that I didn't mention in the article.  You can use a metal initial or number tag or even have a metal tag custom engraved (for example) "milk" -or in your favorite language e.g. "lait," "latte."   You can also try searching on-line for "metal decanter tags."  Options will come up for blank tags you can have engraved.

Another idea is to use a wine drip collar to differentiate what is what in your pantry or refrigerator (or whose drink is whose.)  Of course, this idea is limited to bottles that the collar will fit, but as I  mentioned in Thinking Outside the Box,  I have many bottles that fall into this category around my house such as olive oil bottles and other narrow neck bottles we re-purpose. 

You could also use a charm such as those they sell for wine glass markers or bracelets.  A jewelry-making supplier will have many options in this category.  You are sure to find a charm in the shape of a milk bottle or maybe use a cow charm to distinguish what is what (maybe one cow for 1% and two cows for 2%?!)  And, of course, a jewelry-making supplier will have a large selection of initials and numbers if you decide to go that route as well as the chain or wire you'll need to fasten them around the bottle.

I have differentiated some of the bottles in my house just by wrapping the neck with sisal twine; -ribbon, raffia or scrap fabric would work fine, too.  You could also make a rustic label with twine and wax, using a stamp or hand-engraving your letter or word of choice. 

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reusable zinc label (pkg of 6)from the emporium

Another idea I had is based on a metal key chain I saw somewhere that someone had made out of a vintage spoon.  They had folded the handle back to form the ring and had engraved on the bowl portion.  Though more involved, it does seem a fun way to label many containers in your kitchen.  The engraved spoons function as labels, but could also be used as the scoop for many items. 

Whatever you decide to do, I suggest keeping it streamlined and simple.  The system you devise should not only give you pleasure to look at, it should be easy to maintain.  The last thing I want is for you to be sitting in the midst of dozens of mislabeled bottles trying to decipher what is what and ruing the day you listened to "that crazy LeAnn over at linen and lavender!"   ;) 

  

s h a r e

Images:  1-Cote Ouest Oct-Nov02; 2-4 and 6: Cote Sud Fev-Mar02; 5-Cote Ouest Oct-Nov 05

linenandlavender.blogspot.com

You might like to check out: kitchen/pantry storage

and Thinking Outside the Box

Recommended Reading:

Zona Home:  Essential Designs for Living

A Well Kept Home:  Household Traditions and Simple Secrets from a French Grandmother

Real SimpleMagazine

Want to share your ingenious storage methods or creative labeling ideas with linen & lavender readers? 

Send your pictures and details to l&l to be included in a future post. 

If you are in the business of selling handsome storage containers or unique labels that you think I might like enough to pass on to my readers, I'd be happy to hear from you, too!~LeAnn  contact:  linenandlavender @ gmail {dot} com

see our new site:

www.linenlavenderlife.com

Côté Est

(us) ~ (fr) ~ (de)

 Sud

(fr) ~ (de)

Côté Ouest

(us) ~ (fr) ~ (de)