You can uncork your own celebrity


For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/26/06

So you want to see your face on a bottle of wine but lack the star power to interest the marketing departments of major wineries? No problem. There are a number of companies that will put your mug on a wine label regardless of your level of fame.

The same folks who bring you Elvis Presley's line of wines, Signature Wines of Hayward, Calif., will treat you like the King, too. In partnership with wineries like Kendall-Jackson and Clos du Bois, you can personalize a wine label to celebrate birthdays or holidays or to have a truly unique house wine. You amateur wine marketers out there can upload images of original artwork and choose from a bunch of label templates at www.signaturewines.com. Two-bottle sets of wine start at $29.

Or check out www.personalwine.com (1-800-690-9463). Personalwine.com, out of Austin, Texas, has a truly impressive lineup of wines for the inside of your bottle, including Castle Rock Pinot Noir ($30/bottle), Truchard Cabernet Sauvignon ($80/bottle), Adelsheim Pinot Noir ($60/bottle), Dynamite Zinfandel ($44/bottle), Clos du Val Chardonnay ($50/bottle), Veuve Clicquot Champagne ($100/bottle) and many more selections from America, France, Australia and Chile. Easy-to-use design software at the site gives you full control (with some exceptions) of your message on the bottle. Prices vary depending upon the size of your order.

Not content just looking at yourself on the label, but want to put your fingerprint on what's in the bottle? No problem. Wine Craft of Atlanta in Sandy Springs will not only help you produce a professional looking label but show you the ropes of fermentation so you can produce your own chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon or more exotic varietals like nebbiolo. Over a six-week period you ferment, filter and bottle your wine, choosing from more than 100 different grape varieties shipped in from around the world. Prices range from $50 to $150, which nets you about 6 gallons of wine. Bottles, corks, labels, cases and starter kits are extra. Go to www.winecraftatl.com or call owners Peggy and Rick Adams at 404-252-5606.


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