Bottles

[Rocky]

What do you all do for bottles? I suppose some of you buy them, but do you have any suggestions for sources other than that? I have asked friends and neighbors to save them for me but that is a slow process and the bottles are fairly well mixed.


I amjusttrying to beenvironmentally conscious, not cheap. (Yeah, right!).

 

[vcasey]

I amjusttrying to beenvironmentally conscious, not cheap. (Yeah, right!).

Frugal, is a good word, must be it's part of the boy scout law...

Try recycling centers, bars or restaurants, even the tasting room at local wineries.

Must edit to thrifty according to my son!

 

[ibglowin]

Check local restaurants. Ask them to save them for you. Get your friends to save them for you and spread the word.They will tell their friends. Before you know it you will have 100 cases of empties and will we saying "uncle"!

 

[fivebk]

I went to a local winery to see if I could get bottles and by the time I stopped I had 1200 bottles. Commercial wineries cannot re-use bottles and most I have talked with like the idea of the bottles being used instead of thrown away.

BOB

 

[Rocky]

Thanks, All, for the great suggestions. I will begin making the rounds to some of the better restaurants in the area and the few wineries that are nearby. I have asked friends and neighbors, but have not seen anything yet. I have been able to amass 7 cases from our own usage and I will need about 300 for all the stuff I have going right now.

 

[Rocky]

BTW, that is 300 bottles, not 300 cases!

 

[ArdenS]

I have had limited success from restaurants. The Red Lobster manager told me he had to return all the empties for an accounting with corporate. (I did not hide in the bushes to see if he was lying to me and he really threw them out, or...).

Keep your eye on Craig's List; I picked up 100 for free from someone who was giving up wine making (imagine that

).

 

[ibglowin]

You'll have better luck with a mom and pop restaurant, less rules. We have a small restaurant that serves wine and I could easily get a case every week. Then word got out I was making wine to friends of friends and multiple people who drink a bottle a night started bringing me several cases a month on top of that.

I no longer go to the restaurant but still take stuff from friends and neighbors. I have a few that like high end reds which are fantastic to use in kits, others drink Barefoot so all ranges and types. It doesn't hurt to live in a town with lots of discretionary income as well.

 

[vscottcolorado]

another idea for wine bottles.. Visit a local wine shop and ask them who their reps are. These reps do tastings everyday. Contact the reps and ask for their used bottles. I get the opportunity for 5-6 cases a week from 3 reps. Bottle over load. Bad thing is labels are on. last 6 cases I gave to the neighbor girls, $5.00/case to take the labels off. At least I did not have to do it

 

[Rocky]

Thanks for the good ideas for getting bottles. For a while there I was a little concerned that I would not have enough but now they are rolling in from many of the sources that you all suggested.

 

[Wade E]

Awesome Rocky, now you have to start delabeling!!!!

 

[Rocky]

Yeah, Wade. I have a good system for delabeling that seems to work. I soak the bottles overnight in my stationary sink in hot water and detergent. There is quite a variation in the glues on these labels. Some labels literally fall off the bottle and others have to be scraped with a knife and the remaining adhesive cleaned off with a Brillo pad.


I have one friend who de-labels for me. I told him that is not necessary but he still does it. I also told him it is not even necessary to remove the wine from the bottles but so far all have been empty!

 

[Wade E]

Where do I find a friend like that. De-labels them for you, thats awesome!! Believe me I know all about the many many glues used, Ive been scraping bottles for many years!! The only bottles Ive ever bought were the Bellissima bottles for Ports. Ive learned that with most racks, especially mine they just fit better and can stack them also due to their long slender shape.

 

[ibglowin]

I have a friend like that as well! In fact just last week I came home from work and found a large box on the front porch with about 20 perfectly cleaned and de-labeled bottles.

I usually thank her with a bottle or two of something in return.

Of course then there is the other extreme. Sometimes people will say I have some wine bottles for you and I take them and then look at them once I get home only to find dead bugs, grease.......

 

[Wade E]

Or maybe they stuck extra labels on them!!!

 

[grapeman]

Or you ask for just cork type 750's and you get dirty liquor bottles, dozens of magnums and double magnums, screw tops and then one or two cork type 750's like you specified. When it comes time for them to get a nice wine in return, I check the back of the cellar for stuff I would never drink!

 

[Rocky]

Have you all ever noticed the differences in the glues used on wine bottle lables? Wow, some of them litterally fall off the bottle when you look at them and other seem to be part of the bottle! There are a couple US wineries (Mondavi) and some Italian that must just spit on the label and slap it on. On the other hand, I have no idea what the Aussies are using but I am guessing Gorilla Glue.

 

[ibglowin]

I personally love the "floaters". Those are the ones that when you come back after several hours of soaking in the tub they have floated off the bottle!

Some of the worst are the Spanish Varietals. Man are they tasty (and cheap) but lord o mercy they put a 360 degree label around the entire bottle from top to bottom and its waterproof.........

 

[Rocky]

I was talking to a neighbor who supplies me with bottles and he made a good observation. He said perhaps the Australians take into account the the product has a long sea voyage in a humid container so they choose a glue that will hold up to this. Could be.


My method is to soak them overnight in hot, soapy water. If the label comes off in one piece or relatively easily, I peel it and clean the residual glue with a Brillo pad. If I need to scrape, I have a large chef's knife that I use to scrap and then apply the Brillo. Work very well.

 

[andy123]

A buddy of mine rode around on recycling day ahead of the truck and brought me 50 bottles.And yes those Aussies are glue freaks. I soaked em,scraped em,scrubbed em then washed em with alcohol,then acetone. After that I wasn't sure if I should go with the heat gun or purification by fire but took a nap instead.