Take it Off, Take it All Off: Removing Wine Labels with The Note
By Tyler Balliet • Jul 28th, 2008 • Category: Features
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When I was first getting into wine I lived in a tiny village in rural France. In order to help remember what I was drinking I would remove the wine labels and place them into a book. This was a great way to remember what I was drinking and I could even write notes about the wine right next to the label. The only problem I had was removing the labels. Some came off easily, but others required extensive time in boiling water. Basically, I would spend half a day trying to get the labels off 8 - 10 bottles (it was a small town and there wasn’t much of a night life - hence: the heavy drinking/ free time).
Enter Hinckley Cellars The Note. The key is the simplicity of this device. It’s made to remove wine labels cleanly and without hassle. Just soak the bottle in hot water (loosening up the glue), place the bottle on the device, apply pressure and twist the label off (the site has a video).
There is a little bit of a learning curve and it helps to have a friend handy but it works quite well. By my third bottle I was taking labels off like a pro. I dig The Note because the only other way to get labels off is by boiling in a huge pot or using those stickers that only work part of the time.
It’s really an ingenious little invention and I was impressed when I received one in the mail. Unfortunately, I have an iPhone with a pretty decent camera and I carry my tiny Canon SD1000 with me everywhere I go, so I prefer to just shoot a picture of the label instead of peel it off.
The price tag is also pretty steep. The Note will run you $64.95 and if you get it with the leather-bound journal it’ll be $129. Personally, I’ll spend that money on more wine, but this could be a good gift for your “wino who has everything.”
Check it out at Hinckly Cellars
Tyler Balliet is the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of The Second Glass. He likes all kinds of wine and is constantly looking for unique bottles that don't break the bank.
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Hey Tyler,
Glad you enjoyed the prototype I hand sharpened in the garage especially for you, baby! And thanks for putting it to use.
Since that first lot, we’ve refined the product with high polish, a precision blade, and much finer leatherwork, all packaged in a wooden box for $64. All Made in here, in the USA, by family businesses, to last forever. They are flying out the door so I haven’t yet updated the website with new pictures, but coming soon….very soon.
I’ll be in Boston for ‘UNCORK A CURE!’ to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at the Boston Harbor Hotel. A good cause, and the wine flows nicely. Hope to catch a Second Glass event too…!
Alas, the wine world needs you, Second Glass.
Best from Vermont, Lizzie Hinckley
hinckleycellars.com