taking labels off wine bottles-- how?

[VictoriaL]

A friend has been very generously sharing some good wines with us (aren't we lucky? He tours wineries in Napa, returns home with 200+ bottles, then joins wine clubs and gets more via mail every month- and all I have to do is cook a dinner!) :)

Some of the bottles have really beautiful labels, and some I just want to keep because the wine was so excellent. How can I remove the labels from the bottles without having to soak, thus ruining most of, them? I'd like to put them in a scrapbook-type volume.

[moonbeam]

I know there is stuff you can use to remove stickers and it does not damage the sticker (not price tag type of stickers but the decorative kind). I would think a craft store would have it. To be safe, I'd try it on a wine bottle label you don't care about.

[wallycat]

Oil works as well as goo-gone, but I think it would be worse than soaking in cold water.

The couple that has the wine column in the Wall Street Journal had a recommendation, but I think it was just soaking in cold water.

Editing to add that I did a search and found this (I think you can search on "label Lifters" to find who sells them:


Label Lifters
"The best thing to come along since the invention of the corkscrew!"
Alex Eberspaecher, Wine Writer
Label Lifters


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Quick and easy removal of labels. Don't risk ruining your labels by drowning them in water.
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Save time - now it can take only seconds to remove a label.
*

Economical and effective.
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Handy to use and carry with you when dining out or traveling.
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Ensure you are repurchasing the wine you've enjoyed by bringing the label with you to the store.
*

Secure and protect your removed labels into your "Adventures With... Wine " Journal Collection.
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The Label Lifter is 4.5" by 6.5". This large size allows for most labels to be removed with just one Label Lifter.
*

For oversized labels, overlap another Label Lifter to accommodate it.

You never know when you will have a wine that you'll want to remember.
(Special occasions, Vacations, Dining out, etc.)

Available in quantities of: 12 / box $8.95 or 24 / box $12.95

[stacy7272]

I guess soaking in water always carries a risk but here are some instuctions that I found for getting off a label:

Soak empty bottle in hot tap water (approximately 130 degrees) and liquid dishwashing soap. The label can then be liften off in 5-10 minutes.

I would definatley try this with a label you didn't care about first before a more important one!

[Blissful_in_TX]

I have the "Label Lifters" mentioned above, and so far I've had a lot of luck with them. I think I picked ours up while we were touring some winery.

[olchik]

There is nothing terrible if you soak them. They will still be ok, don't worry.

[jking323]

I make wine and beer, and don't like to buy empty bottles to fill (why would anyone do that?), so I have to remove a lot of labels. Oxyclean in hot water usually does a pretty good job with about a half-hour soak. It depends a lot on whether the label has a glossy front or not. But I've never really cared how the label faired when I removed it, just the bottle. Quite often the label will just lift off after soaking with minimal effort, then you could just dry it out.

[juliew]

I have the "Label Lifters" mentioned above, and so far I've had a lot of luck with them. I think I picked ours up while we were touring some winery.


Blissful,

Do you have to use a new label lifter for each label, or are they reusable? It seems that you can't use them over as they are selling them in boxes of 8 or 12. I'm having a hard time picturing this. I've been wanting to keep my labels for a while, both for reference and maybe as decoration for the best ones. I just haven't ever gotten around to trying to remove them.

[funnybone]

I got a catalog from The Wine Enthusiast (http://www.wineenthusiast.com) and have seen them there. They are not reusable as they are like a big piece of tape and take a layer of the label off.


From the site:

Quickly, easily removes most wine or beer labels by actually splitting then separating the front-printed surface from the adhesive back. You're left with a laminated memento to save in your Cellar Album.

http://www.wineenthusiast.com/E/results.asp?Ntt=label+remover&N=0&Ntk=Product&Nty=1&sl=1&uid=841CD748-4371-41FF-AA71-E750EA074087

[juliew]

Funnybone,

Thanks for the info.

[Blissful_in_TX]

I got a catalog from The Wine Enthusiast (http://www.wineenthusiast.com) and have seen them there. They are not reusable as they are like a big piece of tape and take a layer of the label off.

What she said. It is basically like a big piece of tape that peels off the top part. I then trim off the edges and put it in my album.

[mommycook]

Speaking of wine labels.....

My in-laws wallpapered their bar area with wine labels. VERY COOL!!

They drink a lot of wine. :D

[VictoriaL]

Thanks, all. I'll try the soaking methods first (start with the cheapest!), then go from there.

mommycook, your family holiday meals must be fun! :)