Question about label and bottle

[geek]

From my 24gal red wine batch blend batch (see signature) I'd like to bottle around 24 bottles (.750ml maybe) to give to friends and family. I also have a 6gal batch of white Riesling.

I know we can print our own labels but I don't have an injet printer and wondering if cost makes it better to buy labels online.
I would like to use my custom label but again no printer here.

So, what would be a price-decent place to buy?
What would be an appropriate size, 3x5 or 4x6?
Is it worth buying bottles online or maybe not due to shipping charge will make it pricey?
What labels would fit nice with these 2 wines I am making?

I will check local shop but I think bottles are $1 a piece.

Thanks.

 

[dralarms]

Design your label and then take them to staples or office depot.

 

[Fabiola]

And ask people for empty wine bottles, friends, family, local restaurants and bars, and even wineries, a lot of people are willing to give you bottles if they are for recycyling...

 

[dknowlton]

I usually post a want ad on Craigslist for empty bottles or watch Freecycle.org as well. I have collected nearly 200 bottles that way and haven't spent a dime. I grab them whenever they are available, even if I won't be bottling any time soon.

 

[druchri]

Northern Brewer has good deals on new bottles. The shipping isn't horrible if you're going to do a couple cases. A lot of people like to buy a ton of bottles so that they don't have to always buy new ones. You can also recycle those new ones you buy for a few years.

Labeling is difficult if you aren't going to do the cheapo route. I suggest a local printer. Sign makers, design companies, and print shops can probably put something together for you. If you use a commercial place you'll have to spend a lot for like 1000 labels. I would recommend local print shops and working with an actual person.

 

[Noontime]

dnowlton- great idea about Craigslist and Freecycle...I'm on Freecycle every day and never thought to ask for bottles.

geek- where and if to buy is always a tough decision and depends on your needs and expectations (and budget obviously). If you have a label design you really like, going to Kinkos or Office Depot can be great. But I don't know what kind of label stock they offer and inkjet will smear/run when wet (if you care...reds not usually an issue). I have to disagree with druchi about small local print shops...they are not going to want to deal with a real small quantity (that's actually why I started my company to provide short-run labels). Online options might be a little more expensive but if you go with one that specifically deals with wine and beer labels you can get most if not all of your questions asnswered (assuming they have good customer service).

If you're not locked into using your own design there are a few online stores that have affordable optoins (including us...see link below).

 

[geek]

I did actually look at your site, but $4/sheet (4 labels/sheet) is a bit pricey...