| In Planning Your Wedding With Your Own | | | | that will go on the label. |
| Homemade Wine - Part 1, we discussed the cost | | | | Know someone artistic? For some extra pizazz, |
| savings of making your own wine to serve your | | | | ask them if they will hand paint the bottles for |
| guests at your wedding reception as well as some | | | | you instead of you sticking on labels. If you find |
| of the things you'll need to think about when | | | | such a person, be sure to have some extra |
| making wine for your big day. But not only will | | | | bottles of your wine to give them as a thank you |
| making your own wine help you to save money, | | | | gift for all that work! |
| you can also stamp your homemade wine with | | | | To match the label, be sure to choose capsules |
| your personality to make the event that much | | | | that co-ordinate with the colors of the label and |
| more special. Let's look at some other things you | | | | the bottle. Capsules offer additional protection to |
| might want to think about and plan for: | | | | the cork closures in the bottle. |
| What's Your Style? | | | | To Cork Or Not |
| Traditionally, white wine comes in clear bottles, | | | | Although some believe that using synthetic cork is |
| while red wine generally is bottled in bottles with a | | | | a sign of an inferior product when it comes to |
| green tint to them. Other tinted colors such as | | | | wine, this is absolutely not true. Many of the finest |
| brown are also used to bottle red wine. There are | | | | vineyards in the world are moving towards |
| also a variety of shapes of bottles but the most | | | | synthetic corks and even screw top openings for |
| commonly sold at home winemaking supply shops | | | | their wines. There are many reasons for this |
| is the standard "Bordeaux" style bottle. It is quite | | | | which is beyond the scope of this article, but you |
| possible that your local wine supply shop will only | | | | will have two choices as far as the closures you |
| carry green and clear Bordeaux bottles, so you | | | | use on your homemade wine bottles: Natural cork |
| may not be aware that there are a variety of | | | | and synthetic cork. |
| bottle styles and colors that you can choose | | | | When making the decision whether to use natural |
| from. How about Cobalt Blue colored bottles for | | | | or synthetic cork, consider where and how you |
| your red wine? You might be able to match the | | | | will be storing your bottles of wine before the |
| wine bottle color to your main colors of your | | | | wedding. If using natural cork, you will need to be |
| wedding reception. | | | | storing your wine filled bottles on their sides, |
| Perhaps you have a favorite bottle but can't | | | | ensuring the cork is in constant contact with the |
| locate it in the retail market - something like the | | | | wine. This helps to prevent the cork from drying |
| unique shaped bottle that La Fiore | | | | out and shrinking, which could allow for air to |
| Chateauneuf-du-Pape comes in. Find a restaurant | | | | enter the bottle, oxidizing your wine. If you will |
| that sells that wine and ask them to keep those | | | | need to store your bottles standing up, then |
| bottles for you instead of throwing them into | | | | definitely choose the synthetic cork which does |
| their trash or recycle bin. All you'll need to do is | | | | not shrink, and therefore does not need to be in |
| rinse them out and sanitize them, and you can | | | | constant contact with the wine inside the bottle. |
| then fill them with your wine. | | | | If you are going to go with the more traditional |
| Whatever you decide, it's best to have your red | | | | natural cork, choose the best and longest corks |
| wine in a bottle that is a different color from your | | | | you can get, especially if you are going to be |
| white wine bottles for easy identification. | | | | aging your wine for more than a year. They offer |
| What's In A Label? | | | | the best protection to your wine in the long run. |
| Although many of the more expensive wine kits | | | | Stay away from "conglomerate" cork which is |
| come with attractive labels that identify the grape | | | | made up of pieces of cork, glued together and |
| variety or style the wine is made from, most of | | | | then shaped. Stick with the best cork stoppers |
| the less expensive kits do not have such labels. | | | | you can find. |
| However, your local wine supply shop will likely | | | | Planning your own homemade wine can be an |
| have a large selection of labels that you simply | | | | exciting and fun activity for your wedding! Not |
| moisten and then stick on your bottles. But there | | | | only will you save a ton of money, but you'll have |
| are other options as well. You could have your | | | | an opportunity to put even more of a stamp of |
| own custom labels, designed by you. Information | | | | the character of the bride and groom on that |
| on the label could include the type of wine as well | | | | special day that will be remembered for a long |
| as the bride and groom's name and the date of | | | | time! |
| marriage. You could choose your own graphics | | | | |