# I need wine bottles!



## BeginnerMark

Where's a good place I can get wine bottles 750ml and I need 30 of them for red wine! Any suggestions? Also screw cap or cork? Thanks guys!


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## richmke

Any place that serves a lot of wine is a good place to ask for used bottles.

Cork. Screw caps are only good if you get bottles designed for home use. Commercial bottles have a different thread and require special equipment for a good seal.


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## Runningwolf

Check local wineries for used bottles.


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## BeginnerMark

@rickmke how does one go about asking a bar or restaurant for wine bottles? Also do I need to be 21 for this?


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## Boatboy24

Check wineries. You may get free used bottles and/or really cheap new bottles, if they have a surplus. I helped a local winery clear out some needed production space a few years ago and got brand new bottles for $4 a case.


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## BeginnerMark

Thanks guys!!! I'll try awesome


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## vacuumpumpman

Banquet halls is a nice place to get mostly all the same type of bottles-

I just asked the bars or wineries and they were happy to give them away. I sometime asked for certain size and colors - but then I always gave them something in return


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## RCGoodin

vacuumpumpman said:


> Banquet halls is a nice place to get mostly all the same type of bottles-
> 
> I just asked the bars or wineries and they were happy to give them away. I sometime asked for certain size and colors - but then I always gave them something in return



Try your local Craig's List. I see them there a lot.


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## sour_grapes

No one mentioned this, because (I think) they assumed that you knew it: You can also buy them new. Your LHBS will carry them for roughly $16 per case. Here is one: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/winemaking/wine-equipment/wine-bottling/750-green-claret-bordeaux-750-ml-12-per-case


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## DoctorCAD

BeginnerMark said:


> @rickmke how does one go about asking a bar or restaurant for wine bottles? Also do I need to be 21 for this?


 

No, but you DO need to be 21 to make wine. If you are not, you are publically announcing a felony and you will be banned from this site.


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## BeginnerMark

Maybe that's the case in the U.S. But I'm not from the U.S. Also I'm just researching for a future school project where we make wine. I never made wine before. 
But thanks for your concern!


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## Rocky

DoctorCAD said:


> No, but you DO need to be 21 to make wine. If you are not, you are publically announcing a felony and you will be banned from this site.


 
DoctorCAD, I am not trying to nitpick this but are you sure this is true? I know that in Ohio the law states that one can make up to 200 gallons per year if there are two adults in the household and up to 100 gallons per year if there is one adult in the household. I see no restriction on who makes the wine.


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## BeginnerMark

I think this law is different in every region. For example in Europe most people drink at 14 lol. In Canada the drinking age is 18. In Mexico its 18. So doctorCAD there can be many people from different places around the world who don't follow U.S law on this forum because they're simply in another country.


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## Rocky

Okay, I have sample of one state (not a very rigorous investigation, I admit) but here in Ohio there is no state restriction on the age of the producer but *Ohio follows Federal Law which states that one must be 18 to produce alcoholic beverages. Therefore, in Ohio, the producer must be at least 18 although, again under Ohio law, he or she must be 21 to consume it. That would allow for a good three year aging. 

* Per the legal department of the State Liquor Control Agency.


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## BeginnerMark

Fun fact! Did you know that each state has the choice to change the drinking age?! But if any state lowers the drinking age to under 21 the federal government cuts off funding for highways! Lol it's like blackmail!


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## JohnT

BeginnerMark said:


> Fun fact! Did you know that each state has the choice to change the drinking age?! But if any state lowers the drinking age to under 21 the federal government cuts off funding for highways! Lol it's like blackmail!


 

I knew that. It is all about how dependent the states are with "big brother".


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## mjrisenhoover

BeginnerMark said:


> Fun fact! Did you know that each state has the choice to change the drinking age?! But if any state lowers the drinking age to under 21 the federal government cuts off funding for highways! Lol it's like blackmail!



A local wine bar has given me more bottles than I could ever use and as a side note i found this little tidbit online - 

President Ronald Reagan is the reason why the drinking age is 21 everywhere these days. In the 1980s, nearly half of states still allowed residents to buy alcohol at age 18. In 1984, Reagan signed a bill demanding that all states raise their drinking age to 21. If states didn’t comply by 1987, they would lose 10 percent of their federal highway construction dollars.


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## JohnT

BeginnerMark said:


> Fun fact! Did you know that each state has the choice to change the drinking age?! But if any state lowers the drinking age to under 21 the federal government cuts off funding for highways! Lol it's like blackmail!


 

I knew that. It is all about how dependent the states are with "big brother".


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## olusteebus

I think it is against the law for a restaurant to give used bottles away in Alabama. You see Norm, it's like this here in Alabama , we really need our politicians to lead us from the gates of hell!


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## seth8530

I think misdemeanor might be the word of choice.


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## JohnT

FYI

I saw that bottles are on sale on Amazon for under $12 per case. If you have amazon prime, you might even save on shipping.....


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## BeginnerMark

Yea I noticed that I just didn't want to point it out lol [emoji23]


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## Graves

I got my for FREE at Cooper's Hawk!


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## hounddawg

where i live second hand mason jars are easy to find, but wine bottles are harder to come by, I'll check out amazon to see if their bottles are the thick ones, but when i buy new bottles i buy at www.labelpeelers.com
Dawg






BeginnerMark said:


> Where's a good place I can get wine bottles 750ml and I need 30 of them for red wine! Any suggestions? Also screw cap or cork? Thanks guys!


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## GaDawg

Have friends and neighbors save bottles for you


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## rainharvester

When I go out to eat. I tell the barman before I eat that I'm making wine and ask if he can save me the bottles for after my dinner. By then, they have some ready for me when I leave!


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## wildhair

My wife worked at a hotel and asked the cleaning staff & bartender to save any empty wine bottles for me. I got a bunch of 1.5L bottles and lots of 750 ml bottles while she worked there. I have friends saving them now, and that works out pretty well. Some of them are the screw top bottles, but you can cork them - just use a #8 cork.


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## GaDawg

If you are buying them I have found better deals from wineries.


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## Zintrigue

I get my bottles from a local casino. They go through cases and cases of it. Also, I found that you can cork screw tops just fine.


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## regnistep

BeginnerMark said:


> Where's a good place I can get wine bottles 750ml and I need 30 of them for red wine! Any suggestions? Also screw cap or cork? Thanks guys!


I dumpster dive on Sunday morning behind restaurants that serve a lot of wine. I have a wine store near me which hold wine tastings. They have a good dumpster.


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## wildhair

regnistep said:


> I dumpster dive on Sunday morning behind restaurants that serve a lot of wine. I have a wine store near me which hold wine tastings. They have a good dumpster.


And as a bonus - you get to sample whatever is left over in the bottle! AND - you can find a FREE paper bag to conceal it! LOL 

I just ask my friends ........ many of whom drink more than they should. But it IS Wisconsin! HA!


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## wildhair

We're #1....and 2 and 3 and 4 and 6 and 7 and 9 and 11 and 12 and ................... well, you get the picture.
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/americas-20-drunkest-cities/21/


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## wildhair

wildhair said:


> But it IS Wisconsin! HA!


LOOK....... We're #1.......and 2 & 3 & 4 and 6 and 7 and 9, 11 & 12 and ........... well, you get the picture.
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/americas-20-drunkest-cities/21/


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## jvbutter

I think its been said, but I got my start into wine bottle collection by hitting up the manager at my local steak house. He pointed me to the recycle botles out back. Eventually he also saved the boxes for me and set them aside. I'd pick them up in the morning time when they are closed.


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## kevinlfifer

If you are near a country club, check with them as a source of bottles. Being private clubs they usually do what they want. Plus they use a LOT of wine. I just ask my club to put all wine bottles in a large garbage bag for the day. Saturday is good for 4 cases. Don't forget to give the barkeep a bottle or 2 of your good stuff.


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## sour_grapes

wildhair said:


> LOOK....... We're #1.......and 2 & 3 & 4 and 6 and 7 and 9, 11 & 12 and ........... well, you get the picture.
> https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/americas-20-drunkest-cities/21/



My gosh, I cannot believe we (i.e., Milwaukee) didn't even crack the top ten ...... in Wisconsin! I must not be pulling my weight...


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## Ajmassa

sour_grapes said:


> My gosh, I cannot believe we (i.e., Milwaukee) didn't even crack the top ten ...... in Wisconsin! I must not be pulling my weight...



I’m gonna go out on a limb and suggest that the way these rankings were figured was “data biased”. 
12 of 20 cities are in Wisconsin? And all but 1 in surrounding areas. With respect, I couldn’t even name 6 cities in Wisconsin let alone fathom 12 making the countries ‘drunkest City’ list. —Not to take any bragging rights away from WI and # of “premature death before age 75” and % of auto deaths involving alcohol —- but this seems unlikely. 
Could it possibly be from this?

“In May 2016, 24/7 Wall Street came out with a ranking of America's drunkest cities............That data was then aggregated with county level data from a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of *WISCONSIN* Population Health Institute joint program. “


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## Zintrigue

Well look at you doing your homework.


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## wildhair

sour_grapes said:


> My gosh, I cannot believe we (i.e., Milwaukee) didn't even crack the top ten ...... in Wisconsin! I must not be pulling my weight...


YOU SLACKER !!! 



Ajmassa5983 said:


> 12 of 20 cities are in Wisconsin? And all but 1 in surrounding areas. With respect, I couldn’t even name 6 cities in Wisconsin let alone fathom 12 making the countries ‘drunkest City’ list.



I'm not sure how the data and rankings were tabulated, but every one of those cities in WI is a college town. I'm sure that factors in. Nearly EVERY town - no matter how small - has at least 1 bar. And having lived in WI for over 30 years now - I find it very believable. I'm surprised we didn't make 9 of the top 10, actually. 

I posted it purely for amusement - not out of pride, btw. LOL


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## Ajmassa

wildhair said:


> I posted it purely for amusement - not out of pride, btw. LOL



[emoji1303] I know man. It’s hard to portray the correct tone using just text sometimes, but I just meant that in a “well that’s surprising—oh looky here.” type of way. A  or ‘lol’ can completely change how something is read. Usually I’m good with that. 
But in the spirit of WI’s very own @sour_grapes I just took a little bit of a closer look at it. (I’m still skeptical tho  )


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## Ajmassa

Zintrigue said:


> Well look at you doing your homework.



Zintrigue!! Lol. Hardly. Just noticed the coincidence right there in the 1st paragraph. 
So how’s life out there in Cal? Long time no speak. The kids still letting you have some precious countertop space for wine? Oh- and the vines! Did u end up getting anything going in the yard yet?


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## wpt-me

Ah,but all the wine bottles in Maine have a 15 cent deposit on them. If you buy from recyclers , I have spent 21 cents each there.
Still not bad per case.

Bill


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## bstnh1

Rocky said:


> DoctorCAD, I am not trying to nitpick this but are you sure this is true? I know that in Ohio the law states that one can make up to 200 gallons per year if there are two adults in the household and up to 100 gallons per year if there is one adult in the household. I see no restriction on who makes the wine.



Here's a link to all the home brewing state laws:

http://www.ncsl.org/research/financ...manufacture-of-alcohol-state-statutes.aspx#NH


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## Burton Kent

regnistep said:


> I dumpster dive on Sunday morning behind restaurants that serve a lot of wine. I have a wine store near me which hold wine tastings. They have a good dumpster.


It's easier to go in and talk to them. They'll even box up the wine for you.


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## Zintrigue

Ajmassa5983 said:


> Zintrigue!! Lol. Hardly. Just noticed the coincidence right there in the 1st paragraph.
> So how’s life out there in Cal? Long time no speak. The kids still letting you have some precious countertop space for wine? Oh- and the vines! Did u end up getting anything going in the yard yet?



Hey Aj, you have a really good memory. Counter space, yes; sanity, no; thankfully one counteracts the other, right? No vines yet, going to be putting in orders from https://www.groworganic.com/ in the fall. Probably just two vines to start and see if they survive the bugs/squirrels/diseased oak/clay soil. You ever get around to making that dragon blood? I just opened up a bottle from a year ago and I was pleasantly surprised to find notes of butterscotch in the aroma - most unexpected. And still going strong with those vacuvins.


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## Bartman

BeginnerMark said:


> Fun fact! Did you know that each state has the choice to change the drinking age?! But if any state lowers the drinking age to under 21 the federal government cuts off funding for highways! Lol it's like blackmail!


Side note: Louisiana was effectively the last state to raise its drinking age to 21 because of a sale loophole that let bar owners sell alcohol to 18-20 year olds. Curious legal case from 1996:

"For years, she and other advocates worked to sew shut the loophole in a Louisiana law that protected bar owners from prosecution for selling alcohol to those between 18 and 20, even as it barred those teen-agers from buying alcohol. They won last year, or at least they thought so, when the Legislature banned the sale of alcohol to those under 21.

But then last week, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that the state's drinking age of 21 is a form of age discrimination, and tossed out the 1995 law as well as the 1986 law that barred those under 21 from buying alcohol. Louisiana has become the only state in the nation with a drinking age of 18."

https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/23/us/louisiana-stands-alone-on-drinking-at-18.html


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## Ajmassa

Zintrigue said:


> Hey Aj, you have a really good memory. Counter space, yes; sanity, no; thankfully one counteracts the other, right? No vines yet, going to be putting in orders from https://www.groworganic.com/ in the fall. Probably just two vines to start and see if they survive the bugs/squirrels/diseased oak/clay soil. You ever get around to making that dragon blood? I just opened up a bottle from a year ago and I was pleasantly surprised to find notes of butterscotch in the aroma - most unexpected. And still going strong with those vacuvins.



Lol. Winemaking for me is like my meditation. I get to forget about everything in life and center my focus on it. Wifey calls it my “happy place” or my zen. And she’s right. Time flies when I’m working down there. 
I made one DB. And it went over great. I meant to have another for this summer given the requests. Just haven’t got around to it yet. Soon though. 1st one was the dragonette version. I may go traditional this time or may do 2 for different recipes. Haven’t really looked into it yet. 
Good luck with the vines. (Btw no more vacuvin for me. Was gifted the AIO over a year ago. Already put some serious miles on it!)


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## wildhair

They still let minors drink in WI as long as a parent is present. They can't serve the minor or sell to a minor, but they can set the drink down in front of the parent and the kid can have his beer. WE'RE #1!!


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## Johnd

Bartman said:


> Side note: Louisiana was effectively the last state to raise its drinking age to 21 because of a sale loophole that let bar owners sell alcohol to 18-20 year olds. Curious legal case from 1996:
> 
> "For years, she and other advocates worked to sew shut the loophole in a Louisiana law that protected bar owners from prosecution for selling alcohol to those between 18 and 20, even as it barred those teen-agers from buying alcohol. They won last year, or at least they thought so, when the Legislature banned the sale of alcohol to those under 21.
> 
> But then last week, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that the state's drinking age of 21 is a form of age discrimination, and tossed out the 1995 law as well as the 1986 law that barred those under 21 from buying alcohol. Louisiana has become the only state in the nation with a drinking age of 18."
> 
> https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/23/us/louisiana-stands-alone-on-drinking-at-18.html



Shortly after that ruling 20 years ago, the court reversed its decision and the drinking age remains 21 to this day. In April this year, a moron Senator had a bill to attempt to change it back, SB 429 I believe, but it didn’t go anywhere......

It is legal for an 18-20 yo to have a drink with a parent / guardian present who purchases the beverage.


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## wildhair

Johnd said:


> It is legal for an 18-20 yo to have a drink with a parent / guardian present who purchases the beverage.



There is no age restrictions for minors to drink in WI if you are with a parent who is over 21. You can posses but not consume alcohol at 18-20 - so you can work in a bar and serve drinks before 21.


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## Zintrigue

Ajmassa5983 said:


> Lol. Winemaking for me is like my meditation. I get to forget about everything in life and center my focus on it. Wifey calls it my “happy place” or my zen. And she’s right. Time flies when I’m working down there.
> I made one DB. And it went over great. I meant to have another for this summer given the requests. Just haven’t got around to it yet. Soon though. 1st one was the dragonette version. I may go traditional this time or may do 2 for different recipes. Haven’t really looked into it yet.
> Good luck with the vines. (Btw no more vacuvin for me. Was gifted the AIO over a year ago. Already put some serious miles on it!)



AIO, the Ferrari of winemaking tools. (well, to me, anyway) One day my "meditation" will involve one, too. Right alongside an eclipse kit.


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## GaDawg

As I’m sure y’all know 68% of all statistics are made up.


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## wildhair

I thought it was 83.5% ........


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## cmason1957

No, it's definitely 73.2%, I read that in a quote from Abraham Lincoln about the internet.


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## wildhair

Oh, well - if it's on the Internet - it *MUST* be true. I stand corrected.


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## Jal5

i just scored almost a case of empty bottles from a banquet we attended last night. I always ask at such events!


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## Boatboy24

Don't know if I got lucky or not. But the other day, I ordered a pound of KMeta, some foil caps and two cases of bottles from MoreWine. I only paid $9.94 in shipping and it was here in two days.


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## Scott Harbison

I've been thinking about bottles. I haven't finished making my wine yet, but I've been thinking about how to get bottles. Glad to know it might be possible to get some from a restaurant. I also have my neighbor saving some for me and of course, I've set aside of couple from our family consumption.I think I'll try the used bottles for the first batch rather than buying new. I'll just have to make sure they're really cleaned well.


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## Jal5

Anytime you go to a banquet or wedding or large party ask them to save bottles for you


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## kyle5434

An area homebrew/wine store sells used cases that they've arranged to take off the hands of an area winery (after tastings) for $6.50. The bottles require cleaning and de-labeling, but each box is a matching bottle style/color, and non-punted, which is nice for gravity bottle fillers.


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## winemaker81

Do we have a "tips for new winemakers" list? First thing in the "do before starting" section should be "get bottles!"

I recall deciding my first wine was finished -- I used a recipe from newspaper using bread yeast, I had no hydrometer nor did I know what one was, I simply declared it was done after 3 weeks. At that point I realizedI had nothing to bottle it in. I ended up cleaning out some old whiskey bottles my dad had saved for some purpose I can no longer recall.


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## Bill McNab

Talking about wine bottles, any advice as to removing lables?
Thanks in advance.


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## jvbutter

yea sure, I use "1 step" with hot water to soak them, 1step has a bubbling action that helps to lift the labels, and hot water helps to loosen most glues used on labels There are some elastic / plastic type labels on some bottles, I stopped trying to get those off and toss the bottles.


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## bstnh1

jvbutter said:


> yea sure, I use "1 step" with hot water to soak them, 1step has a bubbling action that helps to lift the labels, and hot water helps to loosen most glues used on labels There are some elastic / plastic type labels on some bottles, I stopped trying to get those off and toss the bottles.



Those tough residues like gummy glue under the labels can be easily removed with hot water, a little dish soap and a stainless steel scrubbing pad or a chore-boy.


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## jvbutter

yes I have found some residue will come off with scrubby and hot soapy water, just choose not to fight it. Too many bottles out there to struggle.


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## crushday

I soak mine in water for a couple days and then hit it with the labelnator...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NP5BAG0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## jgmann67

More than a few threads on how to remove labels on this forum. 

I soak mine in hot water and oxi-green, then scrap what left off with a tool from my LHBS (I use goo-gone on the difficult glues).


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## G259

I ask people I know to save them for me, they know I'll give them wine!


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## VillaVino

I knew there would be a bottle scrapper out there. Thanks George! I recommend you go to your local winery and see if you take their used bottles off their hands. They may sell them for a fraction of new bottles or may just give them to you so they don’t have to throw them out. At least where I live, the wineries can not reuse the bottles they use in their tasting rooms. Ask the winery what size cork they use and that will save you a lot of problems you have when collecting bottles from friends and other sources. Cheers and Happy New Years!!


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## Tnawal

I found this tip on on removing labels this morning and it worked great on 10 out of 12 bottles. 

Preheat oven 150 degrees, bake bottles for 10 minutes, then use a sharp knife to loosen the corners and it should pull right off.


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## Gerry Weiler

The various label adhesives used seem to vary and soaking doesn't often work that well. I find the quickest way to remove the label is with a razor blade scraper. hold the bottle from the neck and push down and away from your hand. This doesn't remove the glue and I then use acetone on a small rag to dissolve the glue first. Acetone can be rinsed with water. There are are some paint brush cleaners that will also remove the glue and the reside can also be rinsed off with hot water. The product is called Brush and Roller Cleaner and works on all kinds of paint. I understand that this is acceptable from an environmental purposes.

I don't use paper labels anymore. Sharpie has a pen with paint that adheres to the glass bottle surface. White works the best and can be easily removed with acetone or the Brush and Roller Cleaner.


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## Wayne Freeman

Bill McNab said:


> Talking about wine bottles, any advice as to removing lables?
> Thanks in advance.



I let 2 or 3 empty bottles accumulate on the counter, then I boil about a liter or liter and a half of water, and fill each one to just above the top of the label. After about 3 or 4 minutes, the labels peel right off. The glue that's left on the bottles is still soft at that point, and some cooking oil on a paper towel will rub it right off with no mess and no scraping. The boiling water removes any residue inside the bottle at the same time.


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## fermenter

Why remove the old label? I just put my label over it. As for obtaining bottles I get them from the liquor store ( full of course) and after that wine is gone I can use them for my wine.


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## Dixiewineman

Bill McNab said:


> Talking about wine bottles, any advice as to removing lables?
> Thanks in advance.



Add a 1/2 cup of Oxyclean to a 5 gallon bucket. Stir and fill the bucket to 1/2 full. Put your bottles in the bucket and add water as necessary to cover all the labels. They just fall off. Easiest way I’ve found. Oxyclean makes one with no added fragrance.


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## Scooter68

olusteebus said:


> I think it is against the law for a restaurant to give used bottles away in Alabama. You see Norm, it's like this here in Alabama , we really need our politicians to lead us from the gates of hell!



Alabama has the strictest laws regarding the quantities of wine, beer, mead, and cider. One listing I read stated that you cannot have more than 15 gallons on the premise at a time and production is limited to 15 gallons per quarter.


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## robert81650

I'm from Alabama, were did you get your info......never heard of that restrictions.............


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## cmason1957

robert81650 said:


> I'm from Alabama, were did you get your info......never heard of that restrictions.............


I found it here. 15 gallons per quarter no more than 15 gallons in possession.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrewing-rights/statutes/alabama/


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