AN OVERVIEW OF WINE BOTTLING

Bottling can be a very exciting time, particularly if it is your
first batch. This is the time that all your efforts and
aspirations are captured into a bottle--a nice, neat little
package that you can save for your own consumption or that you
can pass along to family and friends.

When it comes to bottling your wine, realize that there are some
choices you can make. Some are a matter of practicality other
choices are just for fun. The bottle color, the type of corker to
use, as well as the style of cork will all need to be given some
consideration.

Also, you have available to you an assortment of decorative neck
seals and bottle labeling to add to the excitement. These items
will give your bottles a professional look. So, lets start at the
beginning.


- What Bottle Color Is Best?

There are three different bottle colors we have available: Green,
Blue and Clear. Colored bottles were originally designed to
reduce the light exposure to your wine. Excessive light exposure
over time promotes oxidation in wines.

For more information about wine oxidation see the article,
"Controlling Oxidation In Your Wines" listed on our web site.

If your wines are stored in a dark place then the wine bottle's
color makes no difference--choose whichever bottle color that
pleases your liking. But, if you store your wine in the kitchen,
dinning area or some other area where there is light, then our
green wine bottle would be your best option.

For more information on the wine bottles we offer go to:

Wine Bottles

- Which Type Of Cork Is Best?

If you plan on storing your wine for 18 months or longer we
strongly recommend that you use the Superior Grade, Size #9
Straight Cork listed at the link below:

#9 Superior Grade Straight Cork

Straight Corks are the same type of cork you will find in most
all commercial wine bottles. Straight corks require a corker to
press them into the neck of the bottle.
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If you are making an extremely full-bodied wine or plan on
storing your wine more than 3 years, we would then recommend
using our Extra First Grade, Size #9 Straight Cork listed at the
link below:

#9 Extra First Grade Straight Corks

These are the same diameter as the "Superior Grade" corks,
but are made from a denser cork. They are 1-3/4 inches long as
opposed the "Superior Grade corks that are 1-1/2 inches long.
These corks require a corker as well.
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And finally, if you plan on drinking all of your wine within 18
months, then our Mushroom Corks listed at the link below will be
suitable. Unlike the Straight Corks mentioned above, these can be
put in by hand:

Mushroom Corks

- Which Wine Bottle Corker Should I Buy?

All of the corkers we offer put Straight Corks into a wine bottle
equally well. They all utilize a compressing iris to compress the
cork down to a diameter that can be easily plunged into the
bottle. The main difference between these corkers is how fast
they can be operated.

The most economical corker we offer is called the Gilda
Compression Hand Corker it can be viewed at the link listed
below. It is well suited for corking 5 or 10 gallons of wine at
a time:

Gilda Compression Had Corker

If you plan on making more than 10 gallons of wine at a time, or
you plan on bottling more than 200 bottles a year, you would
probably rather have the Floor Model Corking Machine listed at
the link below. It is a little faster, making larger bottling
jobs a little easier to manage:

Floor Model Corker

- What Type Of Neck Capsules Are Available?

We have two types of decorative neck capsules for wine bottles.
Neck capsules are actually sleeves that fit over the neck of the
wine bottle--just like what you see on commercial bottles at the
store.

While these sleeves do add decoration to the wine bottle they
also have a couple of other more practical functions. They help
to eliminate the growth of mold and bacteria on the outward
exposed surface of the cork while it is in storage. And, they
also help to keep the cork in place, should it decide to push out
of the bottle.

Our Heat Shrink Capsules are made of a thin PVPP plastic that
shrinks when they are exposed to heat. They can be applied to a
wine bottle very easily by placing them over the wine bottle's
neck and then dipping them into hot water for a few seconds.

Heat Shrink Capsules add a very professional look that grabs
attention. They come in nine different colors from gold to
burgundy.

For more in formation on the Heat Shrink Capsules we offer go to:

Heat Shrink Capsules

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We also have Gold Foil Capsules. They are similar to the Heat
Shrink Capsules in function, but are made of foil instead of
plastic. You apply them to the neck of the wine bottle by simply
crimping them down by hand.

The inside of the capsule is lightly coated with an adhesive that
will stick to the neck of the bottle when it is moistened.

The Gold Foil Capsules are a very flashy decoration that fits
well at a dinner party or celebration. For more information about
the Gold Foil Capsules go to:

Gold Foil Capsules

- What To Look For In A Wine Label?

Bottle labels are another way to bring flash and a professional
look to your own wine. We have an assortment of color themes to
choose from.

When deciding on which label to use you will want to take into
consideration a couple of things. First, the color of the neck
capsule on the bottle should also be on the label you select. It
does not necessarily have to be the main color of the label, a
few spots of it here and there is fine.

The color of the wine bottle being used should also be taken into
consideration. A green bottle will be more hospitable to certain
labels than a blue wine bottle and vice versa.

If you are using a clear wine bottle then obviously you will need
to consider the color of the wine when choosing a wine label. To
view the wine bottle labels we offer go to:

Wine Bottle Labels