I just moved across the country. 3,000 miles across the country to be exact. That is no easy thing! In fact moving has been considered one of the most stressful events in a persons life. One of the things that made the move a little more bearable and a little less stressful for us was the incredible support we received from friends, family, and even strangers. So to celebrate the fact that we survived the move I wanted to do a special wine giveaway to one lucky reader of this blog. My first giveaway in fact!
And in honor of my move across the country I decided to theme this gift “Wine Essentials: things every wine lover should have.” What a great opportunity for me to share my own housewarming gift to someone who read this blog, whether you have recently moved or lived in the same house your entire life.
When it comes to wine I am not a huge collector of gadgets, but I think there are a few things that are essential to any wine lovers home. They don’t need to be expensive either. Just things to make your life easier so you can spend more time and money enjoying the fun part… the actual wine. So with the help of True Fabrications I am giving away some of my favorite wine essentials.
True Fabrications is a wine gift and accessory company based out of Seattle, WA. At my last winery job one of my many roles was to order supplies for the tasting room and True Fabrications was one of my go to companies to work with for ordering tasting room products because they were reliable, consistent, and had good customer service. They offer a wide array of everything from wine gift bags, tools, home entertaining products, barware, and more. Plus they are helping me provide these gifts to one lucky winner! Check out their website for more information.
Crystal Champagne Glass (set of 2)
If you’ve read even one post here on this blog you should know that I live for bubbles. Even if you don’t drink a lot of bubbles I think all wine drinkers need to have a set of good Champagne glasses in their home. Why? Bubbles are meant to be drunk out of a thin long flute, not a wide bowl or regular wine glass or they will quickly lose their bubbles, and that’s a tragic thing. So my #1 priority for any wine lovers household is some good Champagne flutes, and these look very pretty and fit the description!
Click for product details
Chrome Champagne Stopper
I hear too many people say they don’t drink enough bubbles because they don’t want to drink a whole bottle and are afraid of the bubbles dissipating if they don’t finish the bottle. Well with a Champagne stopper you won’t have to worry anymore. You can pour yourself a much deserved glass (or two), then place the stopper over your bottle and put it back in your refrigerator for another day or two without losing any of those magical bubbles. I use this product all the time and I can attest to the fact that they do indeed work to preserve your bubbles for at least 1-2 extra days. There you go, now you can drink all the bubbles you want and never worry about waste again.
Click for product details
Black Modern Ice Bucket
Excellent for entertaining. If you’re anything like me and like to spend your summer in the backyard it can be a hassle to run to the kitchen anytime you need a refill on your chilled wine. So just fill up the bucket with some ice, pop in your favorite bubbles (or white wine) and you’ll never have to leave the backyard again.
Click for product details
Air Dry Wine Glass Drying Rack
I never use a dishwasher to wash or dry my wine glasses. Why? Mine are just too fragile and I’ve seen too much devastation when they enter a dish washing machine. So I have to wash all of my glasses by hand, and the best way to dry them at home is upside down on a drying rack. The drying rack keeps the glasses from developing spots or smudges so the next time you use them your glass is shiny and clear, and all you see is your beautiful vino! I use a drying rack everyday and couldn’t live without one!
Click for product details
Red Pulltap Corkscrew
I’ve gone through probably every type of corkscrew on the market and I have to say, the one and only corkscrew that you really need is a good double lever “waiters friend” corkscrew like this one. Double lever (or double hinge) is the key in my opinion. You can screw the corkscrew into the cork and pull it out easily without bending or breaking the cork. It’s the kind used by most sommeliers and waiters in restaurants for a reason. It’s small, easy to use, and it works best! So no more need for fancy wine openers anymore. Why red? Because it's my favorite color.
Click for product details
Wine Away Stain Cleaner
If you haven’t spilled red wine on anything important, then you’re not a real wine lover. We’ve all been there, and that’s why we all need this product. I *love* wine away because it really works. I’ve spilled red wine on tan pants, light colored shirts, jackets, sweaters, skirts, carpets, my wedding dress (it’s true), and even my beautiful beige microfiber sofa and the stain has come out with Wine Away. Just follow the instructions on the bottle and voila. Just as any mother wouldn’t live without stain remover in her laundry room, a wine lover should never go without an emergency supply of Wine Away.
Click for product details
Private Preserve Wine Preserver
Sometimes, you don’t finish a complete bottle of wine in an evening. Yes it happens. Even to me. So, to insure your wine does not start the process of oxidation (or going bad/stale), it’s best to pump a little gas into the bottle, to replace any air in the bottle, then place the cork back on. It is completely safe and does not do anything to your wine but preserve it. In my experience it can extend the life of an open bottle of wine by up to 4-5 days. This is the exact product we used at the last winery I worked at to gas our wines at the end of each day.
Click for product details
Those are a few of my essentials!
*A package valued at approximately $100!
All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and let me know the following:
1) How long have you been reading this blog? If this is your very first time reading the blog, that’s awesome, welcome!
2) Which of these products do you think you'll enjoy the most?
3) Finally, make sure to tell your friends about it.
To double your chances of winning:
4) Subscribe to this blog, either by email notification or RSS feed, or become a fan of Vindulge on Facebook, and let me know you’re a subscriber or Facebook fan in your comment and you will be entered twice.
When it comes to wine I am not a huge collector of gadgets, but I think there are a few things that are essential to any wine lovers home. They don’t need to be expensive either. Just things to make your life easier so you can spend more time and money enjoying the fun part… the actual wine. So with the help of True Fabrications I am giving away some of my favorite wine essentials.
True Fabrications is a wine gift and accessory company based out of Seattle, WA. At my last winery job one of my many roles was to order supplies for the tasting room and True Fabrications was one of my go to companies to work with for ordering tasting room products because they were reliable, consistent, and had good customer service. They offer a wide array of everything from wine gift bags, tools, home entertaining products, barware, and more. Plus they are helping me provide these gifts to one lucky winner! Check out their website for more information.
So without further ado… my Wine Essentials Gift Pack:
Crystal Champagne Glass (set of 2)
If you’ve read even one post here on this blog you should know that I live for bubbles. Even if you don’t drink a lot of bubbles I think all wine drinkers need to have a set of good Champagne glasses in their home. Why? Bubbles are meant to be drunk out of a thin long flute, not a wide bowl or regular wine glass or they will quickly lose their bubbles, and that’s a tragic thing. So my #1 priority for any wine lovers household is some good Champagne flutes, and these look very pretty and fit the description!
Click for product details
Chrome Champagne Stopper
I hear too many people say they don’t drink enough bubbles because they don’t want to drink a whole bottle and are afraid of the bubbles dissipating if they don’t finish the bottle. Well with a Champagne stopper you won’t have to worry anymore. You can pour yourself a much deserved glass (or two), then place the stopper over your bottle and put it back in your refrigerator for another day or two without losing any of those magical bubbles. I use this product all the time and I can attest to the fact that they do indeed work to preserve your bubbles for at least 1-2 extra days. There you go, now you can drink all the bubbles you want and never worry about waste again.
Click for product details
Black Modern Ice Bucket
Excellent for entertaining. If you’re anything like me and like to spend your summer in the backyard it can be a hassle to run to the kitchen anytime you need a refill on your chilled wine. So just fill up the bucket with some ice, pop in your favorite bubbles (or white wine) and you’ll never have to leave the backyard again.
Click for product details
Air Dry Wine Glass Drying Rack
I never use a dishwasher to wash or dry my wine glasses. Why? Mine are just too fragile and I’ve seen too much devastation when they enter a dish washing machine. So I have to wash all of my glasses by hand, and the best way to dry them at home is upside down on a drying rack. The drying rack keeps the glasses from developing spots or smudges so the next time you use them your glass is shiny and clear, and all you see is your beautiful vino! I use a drying rack everyday and couldn’t live without one!
Click for product details
Red Pulltap Corkscrew
I’ve gone through probably every type of corkscrew on the market and I have to say, the one and only corkscrew that you really need is a good double lever “waiters friend” corkscrew like this one. Double lever (or double hinge) is the key in my opinion. You can screw the corkscrew into the cork and pull it out easily without bending or breaking the cork. It’s the kind used by most sommeliers and waiters in restaurants for a reason. It’s small, easy to use, and it works best! So no more need for fancy wine openers anymore. Why red? Because it's my favorite color.
Click for product details
Wine Away Stain Cleaner
If you haven’t spilled red wine on anything important, then you’re not a real wine lover. We’ve all been there, and that’s why we all need this product. I *love* wine away because it really works. I’ve spilled red wine on tan pants, light colored shirts, jackets, sweaters, skirts, carpets, my wedding dress (it’s true), and even my beautiful beige microfiber sofa and the stain has come out with Wine Away. Just follow the instructions on the bottle and voila. Just as any mother wouldn’t live without stain remover in her laundry room, a wine lover should never go without an emergency supply of Wine Away.
Click for product details
Private Preserve Wine Preserver
Sometimes, you don’t finish a complete bottle of wine in an evening. Yes it happens. Even to me. So, to insure your wine does not start the process of oxidation (or going bad/stale), it’s best to pump a little gas into the bottle, to replace any air in the bottle, then place the cork back on. It is completely safe and does not do anything to your wine but preserve it. In my experience it can extend the life of an open bottle of wine by up to 4-5 days. This is the exact product we used at the last winery I worked at to gas our wines at the end of each day.
Click for product details
Those are a few of my essentials!
*A package valued at approximately $100!
So how do I enter to win?
All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and let me know the following:
1) How long have you been reading this blog? If this is your very first time reading the blog, that’s awesome, welcome!
2) Which of these products do you think you'll enjoy the most?
3) Finally, make sure to tell your friends about it.
To double your chances of winning:
4) Subscribe to this blog, either by email notification or RSS feed, or become a fan of Vindulge on Facebook, and let me know you’re a subscriber or Facebook fan in your comment and you will be entered twice.
- I will select a winner at random and reveal the winner one week from today (9/22/10).
- Contest is only open to residents of the US or Canada (for shipping purposes).
- And thank you to everyone who reads this blog for all your support.
Good luck
*Please note I was not paid anything nor given anything in return to say anything good about these products. They are all products I actually use and trust and want to spread the good word about. That's all.
Hi Mary, I have been a fan via facebook from the beginning but just signed up for e-mail so I won't miss any of your blogs. You write beautifully and I really enjoy your reading them.
The decorator in me loves the look of the wine bucket but I would also use the wine preserver. Good luck and will see you soon.
Posted by: Kerry | September 16, 2010 at 06:12 AM
Second time blog reader and Vindulge Facebook fan. Love your site! I would use and enjoy the corkscrew the most, especially since my current one is about to fall about from overuse.
Posted by: Sandi Hildreth | September 16, 2010 at 08:23 AM
I've only started reading today b/c a friend pointed me in this direction. I think that here in California drinking outside in the sun is a perfect activity, so I would love the ice bucket!
Posted by: daniela | September 16, 2010 at 08:28 AM
This is the first I heard of this website from friend Keri today! This is going to be great since I am a true wine lover. (my license plate even says it!)I think I will enjoy the drying rack the most since I often never have a great way of drying my glasses other than just putting them on hand towel or just drying them right away by hand.
I will be sure to tell my large amount of wine drinking friends of this site!
Posted by: Liz Seifert | September 16, 2010 at 02:20 PM
How long? Umm...when was the FlyerTalk dinner at Russell St. BBQ (Sean would probably recognize my handle...wsucougarchick05)? A little over a year ago, if I remember right. So since then. :)
As for the product I'd use the most...I'm tied between the Champagne stopper, the Preserver and the drying rack. They're all just so danged awesome!
And I am a fan on Facebook (Alina Ferguson).
Posted by: Alina | September 16, 2010 at 05:27 PM
Hey Mary! 2nd blog, subscriber and trying to get as many to follow you as possible! :) I would use the glasses since I'm going to try my hand in "liking" bubbles You have a great site and looking forward to learning more!
Posted by: Keri Keen | September 17, 2010 at 08:55 AM
Well I've been reading your blog over a year and you always make me giggle~!
I would probably use the champagne glasses more than the champer stopper, since really - who can leave ANY in the bottle?
But given my propensity for creating Jackson Pollack works of art with my wine, once it leaps to its death from my wine glass, truly - the wine away needs to come in the handy gallon size. I have given up hope on Scotch Guard, but between wine away and OxyClean I can once again own white(ish) clothes!
I miss you, but I hope you're settling in and are becoming a N'or easter faster than you can say Ivan.
:-D
Posted by: winebratsf | September 17, 2010 at 03:45 PM
First time to your blog...very cool my dear.
I think the wine preserver will be enjoyed the most. I do have those few occasions that I don't finish a bottle.
Just became a Facebook fan. I'm sure I'll be back to your blog frequently.
Posted by: Tracy Robinson | September 17, 2010 at 06:09 PM
Hi Mary, wow congratulations on your move!
I'm a wine lover and new reader. I saw @SipwithMe's retweet about this contest and am following you on twitter now, too. I've also retweeted you & liked your Facebook page.
Wow, a drying rack for wine glasses? It's either that or the Wine Away... peace of mind for stemware & clothes!
Thanks, and good luck settling into your new space.
Posted by: Ruthkalinka | September 21, 2010 at 09:10 PM
P.S. Subscribed to your blog in Google Reader, too. Looking forward to reading more!
Posted by: Ruthkalinka | September 21, 2010 at 09:13 PM
Today is my first visit to your blog and I think i would like the drying rack best
Posted by: edmontonjb | September 21, 2010 at 10:55 PM
And the winner is....... Rachel!
Congratulations Rachel and thank you to everyone for entering! I loved reading all the comments! I'm looking forward to doing more giveaways in the future!
Posted by: Mary Cressler | September 22, 2010 at 05:46 PM