For this month’s edition of the Wine Product Review Roundup, I’m taking a break from the not-really-getting-any-smaller pile of yet-to-be-reviewed wine books, and instead tackling the wears of wine products that don’t come with bindings and covers.
First up is a customized, 1WD-themed package of goodies sent to me by Personal Wine, longtime purveyors of personalized wine labels and etchings. The PW folks decided to take the 1WD logo and work some of their magic on a wine box, as well as four bottles showcasing the possibilities with their labels and bottle etching.
PW has a fairly wide assortment of wines available at multiple price tiers, from $14 all the way up to about a grand (labeling is included, etching runs ab out $15 extra per bottle); from my sample package, I enjoyed the Wildcatter Cab (think dark and silky) and the Conde Laurel Cava Brut (admirably piquant for the price). The box is, well, basically a standard wooden wine box, but the etching is clean and the wood quality quite good. Overall, PW seems like a solid option if you’re considering personalized gifts for the wine-obsessed this holiday season….
Next on the sample list this month is a pair of wine-themed gift ideas from VinoPlease, purveyors of accessories (bags, stoppers, coasters, and the like) printed with pithy, humorous wine-related quips. My care package from VP included a set of three Wine Jute draw-string burlap bags, and four reusable silicone wine stoppers.
The bags are well-constructed and will fit most standard 750 ml bottles, and the stoppers do a great job of covering up open wine bottles (without having to deal with 3/4 of a cork sticking out), and I plan on making use of those suckers when bringing bottles outside (at least until the weather gets chilly in these parts).
While the printing on both the stoppers and the bags are high quality, the issue I have with the VP items is that the sayings printed on them are at best mildly amusing (“rough day”), more often a bit trite (“wine not?”), and at worst are mildly offensive (“Wineorexia?” really?… sorry, but I just don’t find mocking anorexia to be funny). YMMV, so be cautious with these, particularly if the person on the receiving end of these gifts is easily offended.
Cheers!