Wine Bottle Engraving - Houston

I have engraved many wine bottles for Delicato Family Vineyards around Houston for for nearly a decade. I remember when Delicato partnered with the Grammy award winning musician Zac Brown to launch Z. Alexander Brown wines. I must admit that I had never heard of Zac Brown when many in the wine world were delighted to have this new portfolio added to the many options already present. I initially expected it to be similar to many other ventures to which many celebrities attach their names for profit. However, I was delighted to learn over the years of engraving these bottles of wine that not only is Zac Brown incredibly involved in the creation of these wines, but they are beautiful wines, according to so many clients that have engaged in conversation when they see me engraving his bottles.

The portfolio features California’s North Coast with a cabernet sauvignon and a proprietary red blend. According to the winery, Z. Alexander Brown wines “unveil a robust style reflective of the land and the unlimited potential that results from a pair of artists with a passion for bringing food, people and a sense of place together through creativity.”

I was particularly delighted to engrave this bottle above. While engraving, I decided to connect the last two words together to provide a fluid look. In retrospect, I could have connected all three words to convey the profound sense of family. Alas, I believe that the result was beautiful.

HAPPY NEW YEAR - Houston Engraver

When it comes to celebrating New Year’s Eve, I am quite low-key. I haven’t celebrated the holiday in the traditional sense in many years. Frankly, I’m usually engraving on the day of New Year’s Eve and it is always fun. Everyone is typically in a good mood and ready for a delightful time.

I believe that I engraved this bottle at an event a few days before the New Year. With this bottle, I decided to include the year within the flourish of the lettering. I have done that more over the last few months. Not because I am some amazing design and layout guru. It’s more so because often a client will write down what they would like engraved, walk away and then return to say “could you add the year?” I always respond “no problem.” However, by that time, I’ve already placed my lines on their bottle and I am already engraving another bottle and I may not have the time to go back and place another line on their bottle simply to add the year. ENTER: work it into the design.

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Valentine's Day Wine Bottle Engraving

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of engraving onsite for a number of wineries. This particular wine bottle was specifically engraved for a group of ladies celebrating “Galentine’s”. This is when ladies celebrate the love and camaraderie amongst women on the 14th of February. I love this!

Friendship is a word with which I am incredibly selective. Acquaintances and friends are separate entities. However when time and experience has proven that friendship is there and worth nurturing, celebrate that! My close friends have been in my life for nearly 30 years. Celebrate the love and relationships in your life regardless of what that looks like. These are relationships that should be nurtured just as much as others. Cheers!

Crown Royal Spirit Bottle Engraver

I recently realized that I have been engraving wine and spirit bottles here in Houston for over a decade. It was an interest that became an obsession that somewhat accidentally became a career. Engraving spirit bottles is what I do and I enjoy it. In this video, I share a portion of the process for engraving Crown Royal. Cheers!

Anniversary - Houston Engraver

an·ni·ver·sa·ry

/ˌanəˈvərs(ə)rē/

noun

1. the date on which an event took place in a previous year

Anniversaries are those occasions that we celebrate every year to commemorate some special event. Some of those events are joyous such as a wedding anniversary and some of them may be more solemn such as a cherished person’s death. All the same, they are important to us and they warrant our attention.

This bottle was engraved at a wine bottle etching event in Clear Lake. A lady was passing by my table and stopped with curiosty as she was unclear as to the purpose of my presence. She asked what I was doing and I informed her that I was engraving wine bottles. She gave me a puzzled look as engraving wine bottles was a foreign concept for her. That’s understandable as it is not exactly a garden variety activity. I pulled up a few pictures on my phone and provided examples that I had etched days before. The concept still really didn’t make sense for her. I asked her if she had friends that enjoyed wine and if she had an upcoming event. She mentioned that she had friends that were having an anniversary party the next day. I told her that there were wine bottles in the store that would engrave beautifully and would make an easy gift to take to the party. She settled on the bottle featured in this picture. Once she saw the process and the end result, she bought 2 more :). I hope that the anniversary party was a splendid time and I am delighted that I helped to solve her gift conundrum. Cheers!

OND in Wine and Spirits - Houston Engraver

In the wine and spirit world, there is something that is referred to as “OND”. This stands for October, November, December. For people that work in wine and spirits, it is the busiest time of the year. You figuratively tell your friends and family “good-bye, see you next year”. It is just an insanely busy time as that is when people not only drink and are merry, but they may also very well give wine and spirits as gifts.

When I started out as an engraver, it didn’t really occur to me that that shift in sales involved me. However with each passing year, it became clearer that during OND I was telling my family “see you next year”. My daughter has experienced OND since she was a baby. Funny enough, now she just knows that during November and December she will see a babysitter more than she will see me. It is an insanely busy time for onsite engraving. I usually engrave 2, sometimes 3 events a day, everyday just about 6 weeks straight……and I love it. This year was a first as I am currently in graduate school at the same time. Between grad school, running my business and my daughter, it was ……insane. But it was great and I am grateful. I was able to see clients for whom I have engraved over the years at those wine bottle engraving events. I am honored that they remembered me as I know that I am only a blip on their radar screen of life.

Now in January, life is “normal” again. Normal until OND 2022 :)

Anniversary Wine Bottle Etching - Houston Engraver

To many people, anniversaries are a pretty big deal. I am not genuinely one of those people, but I do however understand the sentiment. They are a benchmark, if you will. A way of marking the amount of time that you have been with someone that is significant to you in your life. In our culture, anniversaries and libations go hand in hand. Anniversaries are to be celebrated so marking the event with an engraved bottle of wine simply makes sense.

While engraving these wine bottles, the sentiment was punctuated as these wine bottles were engraved before the marriage even took place. I absolutely love forward thinking and placing positive vibes into the universe. Cheers!

Maker's Mark Bourbon Whiskey Private Selection Engraving - Houston

Once upon a time when I enjoyed whiskey, I was introduced to bourbon. I quite recall enjoying it immensely. However, interestingly enough, I don’t believe that I had ever had Maker’s Mark. In my 20’s, it seemed to be one of those drinks that you had to mentally prepare for on some level. In my 30’s, I had become enraptured in scotch so it wasn’t on my radar so much. By my mid 40’s, nothing was on my radar anymore :-). With that said, I have engraved a fair amount of Maker’s Mark over the last year. It’s really a cool bottle to engrave…especially the “46” bottle. For us engravers, it’s almost a gift. The bottle designers have graciously provided all of this empty real estate and these particular bottles were presented with the labels removed. Even better.

On this bottle, I was asked to etch first and last names for an event. I had initially planned to go with my usual size of script lettering on wine & spirit bottles with the x-height at roughly 1/6”. However with all of that space dead center in the middle of the bottle, I thought “no, if we are going to do it, then let’s do it.” I decided to make the x-height closer to 1/4”. I think that that was the right call. It gave the lettering a slightly bolder look to go with the feeling that this brand evokes.

So of course, I knew nothing about the Private Selection prior to engraving these bottles. I found a little information about it on their website:

Maker's Mark® Private Selection

At Maker's Mark, our wood-finishing series was created to explore new, unique expressions of our signature whisky. Beginning as fully matured Maker's Mark® at cask strength, Private Selection is created by adding 10 custom wood finishing staves to each barrel. It's then aged in our limestone cellar to extract a unique, flavorful taste profile. Participants in this special barrel program get their say in the selection of these wooden staves. The finishing staves can be any combination of five flavor profiles chosen especially for this program. With 1,001 possible stave combinations, each expression of Private Selection has a customized finish and taste profile that is unique, yet undeniably Maker's®.

Maker's Mark Bourbon Whiskey Bottle Engraving - Houston Engraver

I have engraved a fair amount of Maker’s Mark Bourbon bottles over the years. The glass bottle itself is really simple to etch as the bottle is made of solid quality glass and poses minimal resistance. The label designers were also kind enough to provide plenty of space for engraving. However, I stumbled across the website and learned a bit about the brand and their mantra. We have something in common. We both believe in quality over quantity. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Here’s how they put it:

Making Maker's Mark® Bourbon

There's an old joke at the distillery that goes, "If we could make it any faster, we wouldn't." Because at Maker's Mark, it's one bottle at a time. Every time. That's as true today as it was when our founders filled our first bottle. And since then, it's been a widely held belief around here that character isn't made by machine.

Love it. Cheers!

JNSQ Wine Bottle Engraving - Houston

The wine bottle that I engrave in this video is by JNSQ. This bottle is honestly one of the most beautiful bottles that I have seen along with being an engraver’s dream. The shape of the bottle makes it easy to maneuver for engraving. The near flat & wide surface is incredibly close to the same feel that you would experience with engraving on flat glass. There is not much to it. Cheers!

Dussé Cognac Bottle Engraver - Houston

I must admit that I never ventured into the world of cognac. For the most part, I’m a creature of habit. I have however engraved an obscene amount of cognac bottles here in Houston. Dussé is one that crossed my engraving table a fair amount. The shape of the 750ml bottle is unique which makes it a perfect candidate for hand engraving. These bottles which are smaller than 750ml were incredibly easy to engrave as the surface was virtually flat. there really wasn’t much to it. Feel free to take a peek at the video.

As far as the cognac itself:

Naturally aged for at least four and a half years, the bold and full-bodied blend of D’USSÉ VSOP Cognac is made from a selection of the finest eaux-de-vie, including some that were carefully matured in the cellars of the Château de Cognac. On the nose, it reveals a powerful bouquet, rich in woody notes layered with touches of cinnamon and floral notes. Distinctively and unexpectedly smooth, each taste reveals hints of spices and almonds with undertones of honey and dried fruits as the grand finale.

Cheers!

JNSQ Wine Bottle Engraving Houston

I have often said ¨glass is glass¨ and that is true. However, yes, some glass is smoother than others and some bottles are easier than others. This JNSQ bottle is one of the easiest bottles to engrave as the shape is nearly flat and it is wide. Every person knows where they excel. For me, I love a ¨larger canvas¨. Hence you see me engraving work in large scale mirrors and wine bottles vs rings etc. Larger surfaces suit me. I am always delighted to see this bottle when it is brought to my table at events. It was always a pleasure to engrave.

J. Lohr Wine Bottle Engraver in Houston

It´s funny how life works. Had you asked me 20 years ago when I graduated from college if I would be engraving glass for a living, I would have thought that that was impossible or improbable. Microbiology rarely sets you up for a career in art. And here we are…and I love it. Everyday is a little different as some days I am engraving wine and liquor bottles and other days I am engraving 9´ mirrors and other days I am writing with pen and ink on the floor on vellum. It´s always different yet related. This day, I was engraving at a store for J. Lohr

Everyday is a little bit of an adventure. Cheers!

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Break in Case of Emergency - Whiskey Bottle Etching / Engraving Houston

As businesses are experiencing various degrees of decreased revenue, there is one business that is experiencing unprecedented revenue…wine and spirits. That certainly isn’t a surprise as people are spending more time indoors with even more time to spend with those that we love.

At the same time, all of this togetherness for some has a limit. When that limit is reached, wine and spirits can be as welcome as a soothing old friend. That was the thought in mind when this whiskey bottle was engraved …”Break in case of Emergency” when your isolation mates love you a little too much and one more Zoom call might push you over the edge. And if you are to enjoy a refreshing drink, why not have wine or spirit (whiskey, tequila, whatever your heart desires) bottle engraving to make it fun. Cheers!

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Relax Wine Bottle Engraving - Houston Engravers

The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone. Mentally, physically, financially… even for a calligraphy & engraving business. It is definitely one of those events that will be remembered by every person alive in 2020. If you view the business aspect from a stoic perspective, it is an event that cannot be avoided and is somewhat neutral. The rate limiting step then becomes how we decide to respond. From a business standpoint, there have been various shifts this year within my engraving and calligraphy business. The time of the drought, as I refer to March & April, was the time that I developed online courses on which I had previously procrastinated and began working on a retainer basis for a few clients. That turned out to be a success from various standpoints and I am grateful that I had the time and drive to make that shift. Once the wine bottle engraving business returned in May and I also decided to refocus on other artistic areas, I had an epiphany. I love my work and that brings me more joy than just about every other thing in life. Period. There is elation in that realization and statement.

The Relax wine bottle above was engraved for a client that had a similar realization in their lives amidst this pandemic. We can bemoan financial woes and acquiesce or we can pivot and redirect that energy to unrealized opportunities. And since we cannot control what is happening around us, let’s redirect, breathe and relax.

Slinging Ink® Calligraphy & Engraving

Interested in Calligraphy Courses?

Wine Bottle Engraving & Etching - Houston Calligraphy

I have been engraving wine bottles for nearly a decade and have enjoyed every moment of it. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had the opportunity to create an online calligraphy course for beginners which covers the basis for everything that I do with engraving.

The wine bottle that I engrave in this video is by JNSQ. This bottle is honestly one of the most beautiful bottles that I have seen along with being an engraver’s dream. The shape of the bottle makes it easy to maneuver for engraving. The near flat & wide surface is incredibly close to the same feel that you would experience with engraving on flat glass. There is not much to it. Cheers!

Let’s Sling Ink Together

Etching Wine Bottles & Decanters in Houston

As life for everyone has shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic, so has the same happened for artists of all areas. For myself, I have been engraving more individual items as I did in the beginning with my glass engraving business along with organizing the online calligraphy course for beginners. Last week, I engraved scotch decanters by Waterford and wine bottles. Obviously for me, this is like greeting a dear old friend. Engraving wine bottles is like drinking water. I welcome it and know it well.

If you have seen me engrave at one of the onsite events for various companies, the process looks similar to what I would do for engraving wine bottles around Houston. I hope that you enjoy looking behind the curtain from start to finish. Cheers!

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