Wine bottle shortage?

[winemaker81]

I'm picking up 3-4 cases of empties every month or 2 from a local winery, discards from the tasting room. For those willing to put in the elbow grease of cleaning bottles, it's a win. I'm well set for everything I have in production. It's also nice having consistent bottles, as they use puntless Bordeaux bottles in several shades of green and blue. While I prefer punted bottles, the price is certainly right!

 

[Jusatele]

Never thought of that. I have a lot of wine tasting rooms around me here in Portland. That would really help the pocket.

 

[Rocky]

Whether a wine bottle is punted makes no difference to me and I would not pay a penny more for bottles that are punted. I can buy a case of 12 un-punted Bordeaux bottles locally for $13.50 (less 10% military discount) and that is fine for me. The punt in still wine bottles was there to keep the bottles more stable on a surface due to the limitations of glass blowing years ago and to avoid damaging bar and table surfaces with the parting flash. Bottle making using machinery does not have this limitation and to me the punt is really superfluous.

 

[winemaker81]

The punt in still wine bottles was there to keep the bottles more stable on a surface due to the limitations of glass blowing years ago and to avoid damaging bar and table surfaces with the parting flash.

There is a FAR more important reason to use puntless bottles: when using a filler tube, they are much easier to fill! My old tube has a short pin and if there is much punt, I have to balance on the top of the punt. It's a real PITA.

My bias for punts probably stems from better wines traditionally being in punted bottles. OTOH, puntless bottles tend to be shorter and fit in all my cases, for ease of storage. I have some extra tall bottles I use first as they are fine when lying in a rack, but I have to have special cases to hold the empties.

 

[jswordy]

There is a FAR more important reason to use puntless bottles: when using a filler tube, they are much easier to fill! My old tube has a short pin and if there is much punt, I have to balance on the top of the punt. It's a real PITA.

My bias for punts probably stems from better wines traditionally being in punted bottles. OTOH, puntless bottles tend to be shorter and fit in all my cases, for ease of storage. I have some extra tall bottles I use first as they are fine when lying in a rack, but I have to have special cases to hold the empties.

Absolutely, on the filler tube! Punts are basically a PITA with tubes. IMO, punts are largely used now to enable the bottle to be shaped differently (longer chamber or wider at the top than bottom, etc.) and still come up with 750 ml. Beyond that, I don't see a practical reason for them.

 

[jswordy]

I'm picking up 3-4 cases of empties every month or 2 from a local winery, discards from the tasting room. For those willing to put in the elbow grease of cleaning bottles, it's a win. I'm well set for everything I have in production. It's also nice having consistent bottles, as they use puntless Bordeaux bottles in several shades of green and blue. While I prefer punted bottles, the price is certainly right!

That's great for you! I lucked out and was able to raid the recycling center here for about a year before they stopped taking glass, so I probably have a lifetime supply. In my state, bottles are required to be smashed by bars, etc. after they are emptied, supposedly to keep counterfeit booze from refilling them. I did buy a few cases used from a winery once, for $5 a case, but nobody here is giving them away when they are legally required to smash them. So even hobby winemakers who have used bottles will sell them to others.

I have recruited friends to save them and trained friends to return them. Every time one is emptied, I rinse it out, and have pretty much trained friends to do that, too. I use paper labels affixed with a mixture of milk and Elmer's Glue, a method I learned from a WMT poster here years ago, so when I want to remove them they get wetted and come right off. The only hard work is getting the original labels off.

 

[Sailor323]

I'm picking up 3-4 cases of empties every month or 2 from a local winery, discards from the tasting room. For those willing to put in the elbow grease of cleaning bottles, it's a win. I'm well set for everything I have in production. It's also nice having consistent bottles, as they use puntless Bordeaux bottles in several shades of green and blue. While I prefer punted bottles, the price is certainly right!

I used to produce goat cheese and sold the bulk of it to restaurants. They save wine bottles for me. I'm sure any of us could get a restaurant or 2 to save bottles.

 

[jswordy]

I used to produce goat cheese and sold the bulk of it to restaurants. They save wine bottles for me. I'm sure any of us could get a restaurant or 2 to save bottles.

Not here, that is an illegal practice that will get your license pulled. Believe me, I have tried. A lot.

 

[winemaker81]

Not here, that is an illegal practice that will get your license pulled. Believe me, I have tried. A lot.

You've probably noticed that politicians, regardless of stripe, are idiots ....

 

[jswordy]

You've probably noticed that politicians, regardless of stripe, are idiots ....

Yes, but I also can see how a bar owner might be tempted to refill Grey Goose bottles and Pappy Van Winkle, etc., with cheaper swill. It does pose problems for we homemade winos though. This is a common state law across the Southeast.

 

[Sailor323]

Interesting concept: The Latest Alternative to the Glass Wine Bottle | NUVO (nuvomagazine.com)

 

[BigDaveK]

You've probably noticed that politicians, regardless of stripe, are idiots ....

Wow, you have a MUCH higher opinion of them than I do.

 

[vinny]

Yes, but I also can see how a bar owner might be tempted to refill Grey Goose bottles and Pappy Van Winkle, etc., with cheaper swill. It does pose problems for we homemade winos though. This is a common state law across the Southeast.

If they are greasy enough to pass off swill for premium, they are likely shady enough to ignore a bottle smashing law... Just sayin.

 

[G259]

Someone mentioned 'University of Florida' (UF) earlier, but I can't find it now to quote it.

Good thing they didn't name it 'Florida University', lol!

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

This ?

winemaker81 said:
It never occurred to me that Florida has wineries, but that's silly, right? They have a grape research center in Gainesville that apparently is influential.

Grape - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS

hos.ifas.ufl.edu
I have family in the St. Augustine area, but we've never visited wineries while there. That may change ...

Try Florida Wines
Lakeridge Winery offers complimentary tours and wine tasting seven days a week. Discover the art of winemaking via audiovisual presentation, a guided tour and wine tasting. Purchase your favorite award winning Lakeridge wine and gourmet food items in large retail area and gift shop. Ample free...
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Click to expand...

San Sebastian Winery is in St Augustine. They make some nice wines!

Also, my youngest did an internship at UF in Gainesville. It's one of the finest agricultural studies universities in the nation

 

[Fox Squirrel Vin]

This ?


San Sebastian Winery is in St Augustine. They make some nice wines!

Also, my youngest did an internship at UF in Gainesville. It's one of the finest agricultural studies universities in the nation

Fabulous school, believe that is where the Blanc DuBois came from.

I'll pass on the San Sebastian... Beautiful winery, I just can't get into those Muskadine wines. I love them as fresh fruit, I have 7 varieties here but no more than 2 vines of each and really enjoy them cold. But that's it.

 

[G259]

Label Peelers has them for sale, I don't know the price point , but . . .

 

[Rocky]

Label Peelers has them for sale, I don't know the price point , but . . .

The price is $10.61 per case for either Clear or Green Bourdeaux bottles. Great price!

 

[winemaker81]

Wow, you have a MUCH higher opinion of them than I do.

Probably not, I was just being polite on a public forum, where we try keep things rated G, or at least PG-13 ....

 

[jswordy]

If they are greasy enough to pass off swill for premium, they are likely shady enough to ignore a bottle smashing law... Just sayin.

Well, as I already posted, they don't ignore it. It means losing the liquor license. I would not ignore it if it were my business, either.