A lot of up and coming locally focused gourmet restaurants here in the Denver are serving their water in empty wine bottles.  Deciding to take this practice in my home, I’ve collected a few been saving a few clear glass wine bottles from hitting my recycle bin.  Armed with three bottles I decided to do some experimentation.

There are many methods available for removing a wine label, but the tried and true hot soapy water soak is the easiest.  I attempted dry heating in the oven (burnt label and broken bottle), dry heating with a heat gun (burnt label), steaming over a pot of boiling water (worked, but time consuming, but the traditional soak made quick work.  Using an empty gallon milk container with the top cut off, I filled my vessel with hot tap water and dish soap.  Soaking the bottle for as little as 15 minutes produced a label that almost popped off the bottle.  All that was needed after were just minor cleanups with a razor blade.

Finding tops for the bottles is easy.  Any reusable rubber corks or left over screw caps can be reused after cleaning.  Extra decorative wine stoppers would also do the trick.  Personally though,  I think the plastic topped removable cork tops are the quickest and the easiest.  Available in many make your own wine shops or online for just a few dollars a dozen.

For taking just a few minutes, and saving some reusable would-be trash, the wine-turn-water bottle is now the cheapest way I’ve classed up my apartment.  Not to mention the energy I’ll be saving by keeping more cool items in the refrigerator.