"Wine
is the most civilized thing in the world."
— Ernest Hemingway
"Good wine is a necessity of life for me."
— Thomas Jefferson
To its fans, wine is one of life's greatest gifts. And, it's played a leading role in weddings for thousands of years. It's only natural that those who feel a deep appreciation for wine give it a similar pride of place at their weddings.
After all, doesn't the process of creating a great bottle of wine remind us of the one for creating an amazing marriage?
Here are some wine wedding favor ideas for your big day:
Wine Stopper Wedding Favors
Wine stoppers, topped with everything from chunky hearts to starfish, are among today's best-loved wedding favors ... and works
of art in their own right. As long as your guests are grape lovers — or just entertain —
they'll love the sense of occasion these
practical, modern wine stoppers bring to any event.
Even those who prefer beer or soda find them useful, since everyone's presented with a bottle of wine and
someone eager to drink it, sooner or later!
Wine Charm Wedding Favors
Wine
charms are another favor sure to delight any grape fan.
Everyone who loves a glass is taken by the practicality of wine charms ... but few of us have actually picked out a set.
Wine charms come in a huge array of
styles, so your time spent browsing is sure to be richly rewarded.
Miniature Wine Bottles
Order these
elegant little bottles with personalized labels to commemorate the occasion. And you can dial up some sparkling cider too: sure to please abstainers and the kids.
Make Your Own Wine
If someone in your family's got a
purple thumb (yes, even wine from kits can be delicious!), then bottling and labeling
your very own vintage makes for one of the most personal, unique favors of all. Still, it's not for the faint-of-heart ... or the first-time
wine maker.
Wine lovers who want to put a personal stamp on their favors have personalized their private
label even more by draping cellophane-wrapped chocolates and candies
from the neck of the bottle. For an elegant Euro-style twist (especially in the fall), try marzipan fruits.
Make Your Own Champagne Jelly
About 10 times easier than making your own wine (but just as luxurious!), champagne jelly is a kitchen craft within anyone's reach.
And it goes beautifully with meats as well as
cakes, sweetbreads and fruits. Here's a small-batch recipe that's simple as can be .... but after you've given it a spin, put your own unique stamp on it.
2 cups quality dry champagne
2 Tbl powdered pectin
3 cups sugar
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
Warm champagne, pectin and lemon juice (if using) in heavy saucepan
over high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until boiling.
Immediately add sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture
reaches a rolling boil. Immediately remove from heat. Skim off foam
and pour into hot sterilized jars. Seal with hot water bath
method.
Variation: Use rose wine or pink champagne to make pink champagne
jelly.
Variation: Add 1 stick cinnamon and 2 whole cloves while boiling.
Champagne Flute Wedding Favors
Champagne flutes are a classic for favors.
One popular approach: fill them with candy, then wrap in tulle.
Black and
white M&Ms lend an elegant look. Another uptown favorite we love:
champagne bubble candies.
A more unusual approach to these items is gel candles in champagne flutes, which are
elegant, useful, and relatively simple to make. Just search online for an easy introduction to this craft.
Wine Tchotchke Wedding Favors
There's a wide, wide world out there of other wine temptations just begging to show up as favors. For example:
Novelty wine bottle serving platters
Grape coasters & wine charm sets
Glass grape placecard holders
'Champagne bottle' candles
Best of luck in your hunt for the perfect wine favor. In the meantime,
remember the wise words of John Maynard Keynes:
"My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne."
Tags: 
May 24th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
just inquiring how if you do and how much wine flutes are with the bride and grooms name on them, for guests pressie
February 15th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
I would like to know how much it would be for 50 mini wine bottles with our picture on it!
Thanks!
Sarah
July 29th, 2007 at 7:50 am
looking for the bottom part of the wine stopper, metal to make our own wine stoppers
May 24th, 2005 at 11:56 pm
We’re having a wine theme for our wedding and will use corks for placecards. For favors, half-bottles of wine and wine charms. For centerpieces, deciding between six-bottle wooden wine boxes or a whisky cask (whichever’s easiest to track down).