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How To Preserve a Memory Involving Wine

Did you share a special bottle of wine with your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day? Maybe it was your first Valentine’s Day together and you’d like to have a keepsake to remember the night?

My son took his girlfriend wine tasting in Sonoma, CA last weekend. Sonoma is a beautiful place with wineries that look like castles and others that are hole-in-the-walls located along a lovely stretch of road called Highway 12. His girlfriend is a big fan of “the Bachelor” and after having their picture taken on the stage in the center of town, where Ben the Bachelor took his dates, they wandered in to Highway 12 Winery.

As they walked to the counter for wine tasting they saw a copy of People magazine displayed in which Ben selects a bottle of Highway 12 as his favorite wine. Of course, they tried that one and liked it so much that they both bought a bottle. This was also their final stop of the day as the wine pourer was very entertaining. It’s not the most beautiful bottle, but the couple enjoyed the wine and since it was their first wine tasting experience, I decided to preserve it for them. I chose white lights to show off a very dark green bottle.

Background - How To Preserve a Memory Involving Wine

This is a bottle that I almost threw away when I found it in the attic but then I went to a craft fair last year and saw bottles like these just flying off the shelves. People were paying $30 for random bottles of wine decorated in this way. I also thought they were pretty, but the bottles had no personal meaning so I came home and gave this old bottle new life for Christmas. This idea keeps the bottle in the attic or basement most of the year, but then brings back the memories when it’s brought out to help light things up at Christmas. I used red lights in the clear bottle.

The proper way to make these bottles involves cutting a hole in the bottle with a diamond blade drill tip. I read about this and it sounds a little tricky drilling a round, potentially sharp object… plus my husband doesn’t have such a tool. So, since this website is all about using what you have, I decided to show you the way I made these bottles. They’re much easier to make but not quite as professional, but if you plug them in front of an outlet they look really nice at night.

Make a Keepsake Wine Bottle

To begin, you will need a special wine bottle, a string of small Christmas lights, and about a yard of fancy fabric ribbon.

1. First wash the inside of the bottle thoroughly (be careful not to ruin the label) and let it dry completely.

2. If you have the proper tools and expertise you can drill a hole in the bottle now. If not, skip to step #3 now. Drill a 1″ hole 1 inch up from the bottom of the bottle, again only if you have the tools and talent. Trace a circle with a permanent marker on the bottle and then surround the circle with duct tape. Then use a diamond blade drill bit on your hand held drill to cut the circle. Every drill is different, so be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions (which may require water to keep down the heat generated).

3. Force a strand of lights, starting with the end opposite of the plug, into the bottle. Through the neck if you are taking the easy route (or from the new hole if you drilled one).

4. Tie a ribbon around the neck of the bottle with the chord tucked under the ribbon. Then force the cork back into the bottle to hide the cord coming out the top. You can cut a notch out of the back side of the cork if necessary. (If you drilled a hole, you can tie the cork into the ribbon.)

5. Plug it in and enjoy the pretty lights while you remember your special night!

More Info

To find out how long wine lasts, check our wine page.

To find out how long other foods are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or use the search function below.