# Wine Bottles-HELP!



## dantrubak (Oct 31, 2011)

What is the cheapest site to buy wine bottles in bulk online?

Thanks!


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## Runningwolf (Oct 31, 2011)

Some of us have got them from here; http://www.americancontainers.com/ . Your best bet is try to get recycled bottles or used one from wineries or restaurants.


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## BobF (Oct 31, 2011)

A semi-local winery offered to add bottles to their order for me at their cost. They also sold me 50+ cases of new glass they had in surplus at their cost - and their cost is cheap.

The same winery cleans/delabels tasting room bottles and sells them to home winemakers for $.25/bottle.

Check with wineries in your area - even if it would be a drive. The cost of shipping bottles is outrageous these days. 3-4 hours (or longer) roundtrip with a p/u truck could save you a bunch of munny!


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## robie (Oct 31, 2011)

Have your friends save bottle for you. Pretty soon yo will be screaming for them to stop! Like Runningwolf said, make friends with some of the bartenders at local places. They will load you up.

In the meantime, you can buy new bottles at most LHBS, but they are a little expensive.


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## tjbryner (Oct 31, 2011)

Just picked up 21 case for $2/case, I could have picked up more but that will last me a few weeks for my Personal use. Then I'll have to start buying new ones


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## robie (Oct 31, 2011)

tjbryner said:


> Just picked up 21 case for $2/case, I could have picked up more but that will last me a few weeks for my Personal use. Then I'll have to start buying new ones



A few weeks? 
21 cases would last me over a year!!! You must be one busy wine maker.


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## tjbryner (Oct 31, 2011)

robie said:


> A few weeks?
> 21 cases would last me over a year!!! You must be one busy wine maker.



That's only enough for about 50 Gal's, giver take. I have close to that working now, And plans for more. It keeps me out of trouble ....


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## Rocky (Oct 31, 2011)

The only new bottles that I have ever purchased were 375 ml for a dessert wine. You can get all you need from friends, neighbors, bars, wineries and Craig' list. I bought 40 1500 ml bottles, cleaned and de-labeled for $10. I have four or five neighbors and a few friends saving bottles for me and I have plenty. If you buy them, you will pay about $1 per bottle. That is about a third of the wine cost.


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## docanddeb (Nov 1, 2011)

I can now be picky with my bottles... we have 10 cases of empties at the ready. I also don't have to worry if I get them back anymore! It does take time though!

Debbie


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## Rocky (Nov 1, 2011)

Debbie, my friends drink more than your friends! 

I got back into this hobby in January and so far I have bottled about 16 cases and I have 19 cases sorted and ready for use. I have more wine than these bottles would hold either bulk aging or in production and bottles continue to roll in to my shop.

I get plenty of bottles from just a few (maybe ten to twelve) sources and I have set up my "bottle sorting" area. I have an 8 foot long table and when I get bottles in I rough sort: First I pitch any screw tops, then I sort clear, green, brown and other (e.g. blue). Bottles differ in shape (Hock, Burgandy and Bordeaux mostly), color from clear to green-green, brown-green, brown and other colors. They also differ in height, shapes molded into the glass, presence or absence of a punt, depth of punt and cork area shape (e.g. with or without a lip). I am not quite anal enough to try to get 12 bottles of exactly the same design in a case. As long as they are approximately the same color and are the same or close in height, they go into the case.


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## Jmarch68 (Nov 1, 2011)

Luckily I have a cousin that makes bottles so I only have to buy them once in a while. Then I get used bottles from one of the local wineries for $ 1.80 a case.


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## Rocky (Nov 1, 2011)

Jmarch, that is one terrific price...$0.15 per bottle. I could handle that if only for the uniformity of bottles. I object to the $1 per bottle price, though.


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## docanddeb (Nov 2, 2011)

Heck Rocky...

You have more FRIENDS than I do.... not to mention, most of mine don't drink wine!! LOL

Debbie


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## dantrubak (Nov 2, 2011)

I found wine bottles! 17 cases for FREE! Thank you everybody! Beats the heck out of paying $23 a case!


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## docanddeb (Nov 2, 2011)

Are they clean or dirty? I learned long ago to wash and store upside down as soon as I get even a few... easier with a few at a time, then waiting until bottling time a clean a few cases!

Good Score!! FREEEEEEE

Debbie


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## Brian (Nov 2, 2011)

Runningwolf said:


> Some of us have got them from here; http://www.americancontainers.com/ . Your best bet is try to get recycled bottles or used one from wineries or restaurants.



Hey Dan how is the pricing from these guys and do you drive over to pick them up or do you have thenm ship them? I am trying to find some cheaper clean bottles instead of having to clean and delabel them.


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## Runningwolf (Nov 2, 2011)

Brian said:


> Hey Dan how is the pricing from these guys and do you drive over to pick them up or do you have thenm ship them? I am trying to find some cheaper clean bottles instead of having to clean and delabel them.



The pricing was good enough that a group of us got about 40 cases of ice wine bottles. Steve was kind enough to pick them up for us the morning we all met for lunch in Pittsburgh. I think we paid about $17.00 a case vs. $24.00 else where.


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## dantrubak (Nov 3, 2011)

What is the easiest way to de-label these bottles? Any soaking tips? Peeling? Solutions? Etc...?

Thanks!!!!!!!


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## Rocky (Nov 3, 2011)

dantrubak, what works for me is:

a. remove the foil arouind the neck with a knife
b. soak the bottles in very hot water and Oxyclean for a few hours or over night.
c. some labels will fall off, some will peel off, some will have to be scraped off
d. I use a chef's knife to scrape the labels
e. I remove residual label and glue with a Brillo pad

Side note: I have no idea what the Aussies use for glue but it can be a real bear. Many of them get pitched unless I am feeling really energetic.


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## Brian (Nov 4, 2011)

Runningwolf said:


> The pricing was good enough that a group of us got about 40 cases of ice wine bottles. Steve was kind enough to pick them up for us the morning we all met for lunch in Pittsburgh. I think we paid about $17.00 a case vs. $24.00 else where.



Thanks Dan that is what I thought you guys are so close that you can pick them up. It would be about a 8 hour RT drive for me so probably not worth it. Thanks for the info though!


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## Runningwolf (Nov 4, 2011)

Brian if you can get in tight with any wineries in the area they may let you in with a group buy.


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