Beer enthusiasts usually end up collecting labels from their brews at some point in their drinking career and some collections have been generating interest from a commercial aspect as well; these collections do acquire a value over time and some collections are also extremely large!

While stripping off a beer label from a cold one is a traditional bar pastime, getting the collection arranged and displayed to best effect is not as simple as you may think. Some beer aficionados believe your beer label collection should be a personal history tour and take the reader on a personal pilgrimage through the owners introduction and education in the delights of this ancient brew (beer was originally invented by the ancient Egyptians). Others, with a more librarian bent of mind, believe any collection should be organized so it is easily searchable and arranged in a logical form which flows easily from one section to the next.

Believe it or not, there is quite a debate raging amongst collectors over which is the best method! Yes, believe it or not, George isn’t at home! This debate is alive and well and celebrating a night on the town.

Whether you go for the two-dimensional, Dewey decimal version of the personalized, scrap book style presentation, there is no getting away from the attraction collecting beer labels has for many people. Microbreweries have been cashing in on the growing trend as well by bringing out increasingly changed labels to celebrate their brews. The larger breweries have a brand image and stick to it pretty rigidly but smaller ones such as Saranac in upstate New York, change their labels almost monthly specifically for collectors.

Whether you like beer or not, collecting beer labels is fun and interesting but despite being essentially the same product – alcoholic, liquid refreshment – the labels used on bottles is extremely varied, often funny, frequently artistic and like the real thing, once you pick up a collection you are going to find it hard to put down again. Especially if you end up adding the infamous “Santa’s butt” label to your collection.

After you’ve begun collecting beer labels, you can expand into collecting and even printing wine labels.

Photo by adactio.

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Winemaking became a passion when I got out of college. It was something I did for fun and friends and family really looked forward to a glass of my homemade wine. When the opportunity came to own a vineyard with my brother in law David, I jumped at the chance. We called it “Ruby Vineyards” because his wife’s name is Ruby. It’s only fair after all; he did find the vineyard and owns more than half of it.

Having our own vineyard has been exciting and we’ve just passed the first year mark for our business. We wanted to do something nice to thank our customers. We started looking at all of these elaborate thank you gifts like gourmet food baskets or engraved wine glasses – when my brother-in-law said, “Let’s make a special batch of wine, just for this one year anniversary.” That sounded really perfect. But we wanted the bottles to look different, not like our other bottles. So David found personalized labels for our wine bottles. We could add a message along with our logo and company name. It was all in full color and looked very professional. It was the perfect touch and the ideal way to say thank you to all of our customers who have stood by us for this past year.

The wine came out beautifully and David and I both knew right away this was a very special wine. We added the labels and started sending it out. On the labels we said, “Thank you for your patronage, celebrating our 1^st year. Ruby Vineyards.” Right away we started to get response. Our customers loved the wine! I actually had customers begging me to order cases of this special vintage of wine we’d created just for this purpose, something we hadn’t thought about.

The response was so strong from our Thank You wine that we’ve decided to add that vintage to our regular offerings. We call it our Anniversary Wine. I think we’ll make a different one for each year to thank our customers. From what started out as a simple idea, thanking our customers for their business has grown into an even bigger idea we hadn’t even thought of.

The personalized label was ideal because we could add a message without bothering with the fuss of a card. Both David and I were worried about what would happen if the card dropped off the bottle or somehow got lost. Then out customer wouldn’t understand why we were sending them a bottle of wine. We wanted to be 100% sure they knew we were sending this as a thank you. We also wanted to be sure they knew this was to celebrate our 1^st year in business. Both ideas worked successfully with the personalized labels that were so easy to attach to our wine bottles. They looked professional, and in full color we easily got the style we hoped to achieve.

Ruby Vineyards may be small but we are dedicated to making fine wine that people enjoy. I think that passion and enthusiasm shows with every glass. Salut and to your good health!

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Don’t you just love the holidays? It is traditionally a season of goodwill and love for everyone. There’s something just more friendly about the holidays, even if you are in a corporate setting. People seem more cheerful – it is like there is something in the air. Why it is probably all of the gourmet goodies and treats that come into the office at this time!

Gourmet goodies and treats are the #1 holiday gift for business gifts. Whether you have a large or small business, it seems like they are the most welcomed gift. Everyone can’t resist having a little nibble of chocolate covered popcorn, cookies or candy. Sweets or other treats are a holiday tradition across the globe for all winter holidays. Sharing gourmet goodies and treats is a wonderful way to express your goodwill and cheer and express your company’s personality.

One great tip is to consider buying gourmet goodies or treats and then add your own holiday foil stickers. This is much more convenient than a card, which will likely get lost as the gourmet goodies get passed around the office. A holiday label subtlety promotes your company and the relationship that the two of you have. This is an excellent way to remind this company of the strong business relationship you have – and share something delicious for the holidays!

We suggest you don’t just pick out “any” gourmet goodie – you want to pick out something that expresses your company’s personality and style and also will be the type that your client will want to dive into. Every business or industry is just a bit different. One great idea is to look for goodies that are made by charities or groups that assist people in some way – giving back for the holidays. A nonprofit group might especially appreciate a gift that helps a charity or group that makes the product. The young internet company that works long into the night could enjoy chocolate covered espresso beans, a sweet way to devour your caffeine source (and very addictive!). There are many gourmet treats out there once you start to search – don’t worry, you’ll find just the right one.

Make your holiday label truly festive. Add colorful graphic and use color or even photos. Remember to add a picture of your company or your company logo so people can easily see this treat is from you. Create a holiday greeting that is both warm and sincere. Many companies choose “Happy Holidays” or “Happy New Year” as their ideal choice. Add your company name as a “signature” – or if there is enough space, add your staff names to sign.

Holiday treats are the perfect choice for every business client on your list. This is a gift that everyone in the office can enjoy. The holidays are a time when most people are willing to have that extra indulgence, and they welcome the opportunity to have a sweet treat or other gourmet treat. Your holiday treat will remind them of your friendship and bring a smile to their day!

Who doesn’t like a bottle of wine as a gift? A bottle of wine is the perfect gift for so many occasions. From the dinner party to celebrating a special event, your bottle of wine will be enjoyed and the thoughtfulness you share will be remembered with every delicious sip.

But most of us long to give gifts that get noticed, truly stand out a little bit. Especially when you attend a big dinner party and the hostess receives ten gifts all at once – how will yours really stand out from the crowd? When three other people are bringing wine, somehow it just doesn’t seem like you stand a chance.

Custom Printed Wine Labels created from your own artwork can easily be added to any wine bottle. What a perfect way to say “From The Johnsons with Love” or “Happy Holidays” or your own special greeting. Not only can your share your greeting, but an image to go along with it that shares your happiness and goodwill. Try a cozy family photo for the wine bottles you give as hostess gifts. Or to celebrate the new baby in your family, add a picture of that bouncing boy or girl’s photo to the wine label and announce their arrival in the world. There are so many ways you can make your Custom Printed Wine Labels unique.

Wine is a classic gift because it is popular with many people. There are different types of wine to give ideal for special occasions. Try bottles of champagne to celebrate that wedding engagement or start of your new company. Or a 25 year old bottle of scotch to celebrate a law school graduation or retirement party.

The Custom Printed Wine Labels are ideal also for corporate gift giving purposes. Add your company logo to give wine for a company event. Or add a photo of your latest product to give wine to clients and employees to celebrate a new product launch. Custom Printed Wine Labels can be ordered in a low 250 minimum quantity – so it is easy to do a small batch.

There are so many creative ideas for your custom artwork – sometimes it is hard to narrow it down to one. Photographs are quite popular as they depict people the recipient knows and show who we are toasting with our bottle of wine. Company logos are another popular choice for corporate gifts – remember every time your logo is seen it is a gesture of goodwill in your community. Giving a bottle of wine to someone can easily be seen by another dozen people, not just that one recipient of that bottle.

Now it is easy to make your personal or corporate gift stand out – with Custom Printed Wine Labels. As they uncork that bottle and take a sip of that wonderful vintage, they’ll remember your friendship, goodwill and generosity.

If you’ve gone to a winery these days (and who hasn’t) you may have noticed the latest trend….you can bottle your own wine. It’s very cool. These winemaking classes are easy for a beginner to take and often you make about a dozen bottles, so you’ve go plenty to share with future dinner parties (or one big party). Many wineries offer different classes for different types of wine – if you want to make red wine or dessert wine or white wine, etc.

But what’s missing from this personalized class is something you can easily provide yourself – personalized wine labels (wine label designs). Why not name your wine and mention that it is from “The Jones Family, Summer 2009″? This personalized wine label makes your wine ideal for gift giving for so many occasions.

Custom wine labels are easy to create, you’ll just want to know what type of wine you are making and what you are calling it – as most you give a bottle of wine to will want to know what they would be uncorking before they have a glass (so they know what to serve with it).

Warning: both the winemaking at the winery and the personalized wine labels can become very addictive. It’s fun – and your family and friends can get quite used to expecting a delicious bottle of wine from you – they’ll ask when they will see the next one! Don’t worry though….making the wine and the personalized wine labels are rather step-by-step and a fun experience!

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