Label Wine Bottles so You Know Who Gave Them to You
My mom (a veterinarian practicing near Napa) is given a lot of wine. She gets wine from clients, wine from colleagues and (less often) wine from me. Like a thank-you letter sender – which we should all be – remembering who gave her, which bottle was a source of stress.
This weekend, as we drank wine and talked about wine, she announced that she had a “hack” for her “problem.” In essence, she solved the question of how she decides everything: by sticking a label on her P-Touch machine. (I’m not exaggerating; her entire house is P-Touched.) She types in the name of the person who gave her the wine, maybe an excuse, then sticks the label to the bottle. Then, when she drinks it, she sends a thank you card to the appropriate person. (She’s right. This is a hack.)
I don’t have a P-Touch machine, but I have a roll of blue masking tape, and – as I type this – I realize that they are not that different and that I am truly becoming my mom. I use tape to label vermouth bottles (with opening dates), cocktail glasses (so I can keep track of which one is mine) and all kinds of syrups, pickles and other disposable fridge. I say this is a great label that you can discreetly peel off a wine bottle at the end of its life without leaving any residue. Just make sure you put it somewhere safe until you send out the thank you letter, which is the main point of labeling it in the first place.