When I spend upwards of $7.99 on a bottle of wine for a friend or party host, I don’t want to break the bank on gift wrapping. There is always the classic cheap wrap: stick the bottle in a pretty sack or just dangle a bobble around its neck. The classic leaves no room for surprise, so how much fun is it to open? None. Funless. Oh look, wine. That’s what they say when you walk into the room–obvious gift in hand. Let me tell you how to wrap a wine bottle.
Here I detail the paradigm shattering use of mailing tubes as bottle holders. You should measure your bottle to make sure it fits. For the most part, you will be looking at a 3” tube for wines in “Bordeaux” or “Alsace” style bottles (I’m using a bottle of Bordeaux in the photos).
Wine That Fit In 3″ (usually)
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Reisling, and Gewürztraminer.
Wider Bottles
Champagne, Burgundy, and Port require a 4-4 ½” tube.
These tubes have associated plugs and whatnot, if you wish to close them that way. I have cut some dense polyethylene foam plugs so that my package is silent (the plastic plugs will clink against the glass, giving away your bottled gift). You can also plug only the bottom, leaving the top open for easy unwrapping (better for dinner parties, or whenever you will be drinking your cheap wine right away). Let’s call this the chimney style, in honor of Santa.
I shot an entire DIY on how to make these, but you’re smarter than that.
How to Wrap a Wine Bottle Basics:
- Cut your tube down to a little over the height of your wine bottle + plugs. I used a power saw, they are sturdy and hard to cut with scissors or a utility knife.
- Put in the bottle plug.
- Put in the wine.
- Top plug.
- Wrap.
There you have it, how to wrap a wine bottle in a nutshell. You better hurry up, you’re late for the party.
