Have You Customized Yet?

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Every year, companies spend billions of dollars trying to get their names out to the public. Whether it’s through radio, print, television, or internet, more visibility will obviously lead to more traffic and more sales. In the world of retail, customizing merchandise is a very easy and effective way to advertise your business. If you haven’t put your name or logo on a True Fabrications product yet, we highly recommend it.

Imprinting on a reusable product is a great way to develop brand recognition and customer loyalty. Where a radio spot or print space is good for one use, imprinting your name, number, and other information on a product like a corkscrew, is advertising that works again and again. See our truetap corkscrew with a large flat imprinting space. This is one of our most popular corkscrews for customization. If you sell a corkscrew with your name on the side, your customer will see your logo every time they open their drawer. Soon, once the customer needs to buy more wine, your business will be the first thing that pops into their head. Also, if a server or bartender purchases one of your custom products and takes it to his or her restaurant, your logo/name will be shown to countless guests every time they use the item. For those that own businesses in vacation spots, custom products make great souvenirs for tourists as well!

We highly recommend this inexpensive and effective way of advertising. True Fabrications offers a large selection of items for customization that keep on advertising long after your initial investment. With significantly lower minimums than most overseas printers, consider customization with True Fabrications as a great way to promote your business.

Customized Truetap Corkscrew

Everything You Need for a Special Valentine’s Day

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At True Fabrications, we strive to make your shopping experience easy, efficient and meaningful. This includes helping you stock your store with the perfect gifts, tools and accessories for holidays and special occasions. According to an article discussing the US Economy, in 2011, Valentine’s Day shoppers spent almost $15.7 billion on their loved ones and significant others.  Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, so stock up on some of our best-selling, red-themed products in preparation of cupid’s holiday.

True Fabrications Red Hearts Glitter Bag

The first must-have items are our selection of love-themed wine bags. Our red hearts glitter bag is sure to make an impression for anyone gifting a bottle of wine or champagne. For those with more of a classic taste, our heart paisley or juicy grapes bag is a sheer and simple way to merchandise any bottle. Our newest additions to our bag line are likely to make any fashionista swoon. Our line of designer purse wine bags have been fantastic sellers. They come in either a classic or bright set, and both have proven to be strong sellers.

As there is likely to be many of bottles of champagnes popped on the 14th, our best-selling champagne stopper  is a must-have.  If romance is in the air, our appropriately pink Dragonfly Corkscrew will serve as a cheerful and easy-to-use accessory for opening that Bordeaux bought specifically for the occasion.

True Fabrications Champagne Stopper

Finally, don’t forget to stock up on sweets. Our best-selling Brix Bites are the perfect chocolate for any wine lover. The milk chocolate pairs best with lighter reds and dessert wines while the extra dark pairs with the deepest reds. These items will make the shopping experience for your customers easy this Valentine’s Day. So, don’t miss out on sales possibilities from this lucrative, albeit, cheesy holiday.

What Are Those? Rocks? Glacier Rocks Demystified

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As the True Fabrications catalog continues to expand, so does the breadth of our product variety. Of these products, the one item our sales staff fields frequent question about is our Glacier Rocks. Glacier Rocks arrived in the True Fabrications catalog during the middle of last summer. They have been one of the best selling products ever since. If you haven’t put a case of either the 6 stone or 9 stone sets in your store, you’re missing out.  For those who are not familiar with the product, we thought we would give you a little background on this best selling product.

One of the most common questions we receive is: “what are those cubes made of?” The answer: Soap stone from Finland. Why soapstone? Soapstone is a non-porous stone, meaning it won’t take on, or absorb any of the flavors from your drink. Because soapstone is non-porous, there is no need to put any kind of finish or sealant on the stone. So, the only thing you’re putting in your drink is a stone. The fact that soapstone can be natural without a finish makes it a popular stone for kitchen countertops.   

Another question we frequently receive is: “How do I use and maintain my glacier rocks?” To use your glacier rocks, simply put them in the freezer for 3-4 hours. Afterward, take them out and place them in the spirit of your choice. Be sure to not completely submerge the rocks in liquid as they are not going to chill a full glass the way an ice cube might. Fill your glass to a similar level as the image below. The rocks will chill your spirit without melting and diluting. When you’re finished, simply wash the Glacier Rocks in the sink and they are ready to be put back in the freezer. We recommend you refreeze your Glacier Rocks after you have finished your first drink as they will have a difficult time chilling a second round to the same temperature without being refrozen.

Finally, Glacier Rocks are not just for whiskey. Glacier Rocks are just as effective on other types of spirits as well. If you haven’t tried them out yet, we highly recommend putting a case in your store. The response has been overwhelming and we believe you will experience the same from your customers.

A Sommelier’s Best Friend: The Double-Hinged Corkscrew

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In the midst of all the wine tools and accessories on the market, the most basic and perhaps most important is the corkscrew. Big, small, short, and tall, there is a corkscrew in every size, shape, and color. Each corkscrew has its benefits and drawbacks that can either help or hinder the user. For example, while the leverage and stability of the Countertop Corkscrew makes opening wine very easy, it’s not the most practical for someone who is opening wine on the go, like a waiter.

For ease, mobility, and price, the traditional waiter’s style corkscrew, often called a “wine key,” is still one of the most popular styles. However, not all waiter’s corkscrews are created equal. Picking the best corkscrew, like picking a “best” wine, is up to personal choice. However, for those that are not aware, we would like to explain the benefits of the double hinged waiter’s corkscrew.

With most waiter’s corkscrews, there are two steps. First, the worm is twisted into the cork. Second, the lever is used to ease the cork out of the bottle. The double hinged corkscrew features a second hinge that makes this process much easier. For those who have difficulty with waiter’s style corkscrews, the double hinge could be your answer.

Typically, with a single hinged corkscrew, the user needs to make sure the worm is far enough into the cork that they have enough leverage to ease the cork all the way out. However, if you over twist the corkscrew, you will be unable to place the hinge on the lip of the bottle.

This is where the double hinge corkscrew becomes superior to the single hinge. Notice the middle hinge on the image below. To use the second hinge, insert the worm into the bottle like a normal waiter’s corkscrew. Instead of having to remove the cork in one motion, rest the middle hinge on the lip of the bottle. Use this hinge to ease the cork partially out of the bottle. After the cork is 1/3 to 1/2 of the way out, use the hinge at the end to EASILY remove the cork from the bottle.

744 Action Double Hinge Corkscrew by True Fabrications

While insignificant sounding at first, the two piece hinge makes opening wine twice as easy. To visualize the difference, consider going up a flight of stairs one step at a time. It’s controlled, easy, and you could probably do it with your eyes closed. Now consider trying to jump up five steps at a time. Which one of these routes to the top sounds easier and less likely to end with injury?  The same is true for opening wine—the double hinged corkscrew allows for a nice, 2-part removal that is akin to climbing one step at a time whereas the single corkscrew is the equivalent to taking the leap. If you have trouble with waiter’s style corkscrews, give the double hinge a try!

Super Size Your Super Bowl With the Right Beer and Wine Accessories

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Although the college football season has come to an end, there is still one big football game to go. The NFL’s Super Bowl XLVI is just around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking about how you are going to prepare your store. According to PartnershipActivation.com, 9 out of 10 households watch the Super Bowl. Because the game is so heavily followed, Super Bowl parties and consumption of food and drink are at an all time high. Are you ready to take full advantage of this big Q1 weekend?

Beer sales surrounding the 2 weeks prior to the Super Bowl are surpassed only by the Independence Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Halloween. Making sure that your beer section is stocked and your Super Bowl-related displays are ready, is essential for retail stores who want to get the most out of this mid-winter sales jump. Super Bowl viewers also consume an estimate 166 million pounds of food for the annual big game. When it comes to food and beverage, Super Bowl weekend is not one to be ignored.

Consider special displays that will cater to Super Bowl weekend. Have food and beer very clearly placed in the forefront of your store. This is also a great time to take advantage of some extra accessory sales. Place one of our convenient POP displays of Beer Bands next to your beer selection. The large margin on beer accessories is a great way to collect some extra revenue. For those who are a little more into utility, the Bottle Hammer Automatic Opener is a great tool to show beer lovers. Simply press the hammer down on the top of any bottle, and the Bottle Hammer effortlessly removes the cap. Finally, whether its Super Bowl season or not, having an inexpensive beer opening option near your register is a great idea. Our key chain openers come in 5 assorted colors and can fit conveniently in your pocket. Now is the time to start thinking about super bowl weekend. The sales possibilities from this game are not to be missed.

Key Chain Bottle Openers by True Fabrications

New & Saucy Wine Labels Hit the Shelves

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Walking through a wine shop or a supermarket’s wine section, the labels and colors jump out at you like a kaleidoscope. From the colorful, to the minimal, to downright questionable taste, wine labels and winery names are the first point of contact between a bottle and a consumer. Amid the thousands of labels out there, how does a winery find a way to have their bottles purchased without the aid of an employee recommendation or a famous brand? The answer: the label.

For centuries, wine labels were simply informative. A name, a location, the contents and possibly a small design was all that was included. In the past 30 years, labels began to grow more bold and assertive. While many wines still stick to a more traditional label, other wines have taken on new names and label designs to try and set themselves apart on the shelves. Check out this article in the New York Times to see how a name change from Scherzinger Estates to Dirty Laundry Vineyards increased traffic to the winery tenfold or how Fat Bastard wines became one of the best selling lines of French wines in the United States.

The article also has a number of wine names that you have to visit the article in order to read.  Whether it’s appealing to a younger demographic or simply trying to catch consumers attention and set their brand apart, “saucy” wine labels have worked their way onto the shelves and into the grocery bags of many. We would love to get your thoughts on these colorful names. Do you or would you stock these labels in your store? Do you think these names are having a positive or negative effect on wine as a whole?

Whether it’s for girl’s night out, a humorous gift, or you were ensnared by the wine label’s character, bold labels have been successful and are probably here to stay. Wine with attitude has also translated over into wine accessories. If you’re looking for the perfect wine accessory to go with “saucy” labeled wine, check out our hand painted wine glasses and our beverage themed t-shirts. The market for these wines as well as the accessories is quite large. Are you doing what you can to optimize your sales and capture this business?

Wine Girl Painted Wine Glass by True Fabrications

How to Pair Wine & Chocolate

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True Fabrications believes that wine and food go together hand in hand. The right wine with a meal can make the dining experience that much better. But what about wine and chocolate? Commonly paired together, wine and chocolate are thought by many to be a perfect combination. However, this is not always true. The wrong wine with the wrong chocolate can make for a very unpleasant experience.
To keep this from happening, consider the following when pairing these two foods. First, be selective with the chocolate you are choosing to go with your wine. While sweet milk chocolate is great by itself, the high sugar content has a habit of masking the sugars in certain wines and making them taste lifeless or even worse, astringent and harsh. According to CNN.com , the selected chocolate should never be sweeter than the wine it is being paired with. To keep this from happening, select a chocolate with a very high cacao percentage. This will help prevent your chocolate from being too sugary. Try our Brix Medium Dark, and Brix Extra Dark, with 60% and 70% cacao respectively. If you’re looking for an easy add on for wine sold in your store, the In Vino Veritas Bottle Neckers feature chocolate in the 64% and 71% cacao range and fit conveniently around the neck of a bottle.

In Vino Veritas Chocolate Neckers by True Fabrications

To choose the right wine, ask a professional who can provide a selection that has good balance. A wine that has a balance of sugar, acid and fruit will be perfect for chocolate. Wines like grenache, merlot and port all go well with chocolate. But, just because one wine goes well with a certain chocolate, does not mean it will pair well with another. Each wine and chocolate will pair differently. Wine and chocolate can be a very enjoyable experience. However, we would encourage you to pair wisely to get the most out of both your wine and the chocolate.

There’s Still One Holiday to Go: Don’t Forget about New Year’s Eve

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While this week marks the end of the Christmas buying chaos, there is still one holiday that we would encourage our customers not to miss. New Years Eve is just around the corner and it is not too late to make sure your store has what it needs to finish off this very busy season. We at True Fabrications have found that our sales, and your sales, tend to be higher when Christmas or New Year’s Eve falls on a weekend. Because New Year’s Eve falls on a Saturday night this year, we would encourage our customers to be prepared for a busy selling window. Don’t miss out on lost sales opportunities this year. Consider the following products to help your customers ring in the New Year.

For many, celebrating the New Year would not be complete without champagne. Consider bringing in some champagne stemware for your customers who shop last minute. Also, for your leftover, open bottles of champagne, you can lock in the bubbles for another night using our best selling champagne stopper. This is a very popular item this time of year.

Champagne Stemware by True Fabrications

New Year’s is also a great time to feature champagne themed bags for customers who are looking to turn their purchase into a party gift. Consider our Pop Goes The Party Bag for a champagne themed bag. We also recommend our sheer sacks for those who want to dress up their bottle.

Wine Sacks by True Fabrications

Wine Sacks by True Fabrications

We know New Year’s is a big holiday for our customers. We would encourage you to not miss out on accessory sales next weekend. Cheers!

How to Store Wine: A Refresher on Proper Storage

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Proper storage is essential for getting the most out of your wine. Whether you have a cellar in your basement, or just a few bottles in the pantry, taking good care of your wine will allow you to get the maximum amount of enjoyment out of each bottle.

There are a few basics to remember when storing wine long term. First, make sure your wine is kept in a dark area. Too much exposure to light can be damaging to wine. This same effect is true for beer. Next, make sure the selected dark space is cool and climate regulated. Wine stored in an area that is too warm can be problematic. True Fabrications recommends avoiding kitchens, laundry rooms, or any other space that can be heated up by appliance usage.  While dark and cool is good for wine, make sure the storage space does not get too humid. Humidity can cause mold to grow, ruining the flavor of the wine. If you own an extensive cellar, consider a device that controls the humidity in the room. This will help to fight off mold growth.

StorVino Wine Storage by True Fabrications

Next, make sure your bottles with real corks are stored on their sides. Wines that are stored upright for long periods can be affected by dry corks. If a cork dries up, it can let too much oxygen into the bottle, ultimately causing the wine to go bad. Once you’ve found the ideal space, consider a way to store your wine. Try the Storvino Modular & Transportable Storage System to let your wine rest. These six-bottle, U.S.-made crates snap together and can either be stacked up to create a large rack, or taken apart to be used as six-bottle crates for easy transportation.

Once you’ve found a good place to store your wine, consider how you want to organize it. Make sure to keep notes as to what wine is being stored in your cellar. Keeping notes will allow you to enjoy each wine’s peak drinking window. Consider cellar tags for easy viewing and a program like Cellar Tracker to keep tabs of your wine. Cellar Tracker allows you to keep track of your collection, while giving you each wine’s optimum drinking window.

Whether your collection has 10 bottles or 10,000 bottles, storing your wine correctly is the best way to enjoy each bottle to its fullest.

Wine Gifts for All Occasions

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With a catalog of more than 800 products, True Fabrications offers great gifts for all occasions. Whether you’re looking for stocking stuffers, bridal shower gifts, or a birthday present for that hard to shop for uncle of yours, we have everything your store needs. Having a successful accessory section is a great way to make extra money in your store. With the positive news about this year’s holiday sales numbers, there is no time like the present to offer your customers a line of wine and bar accessories.

Creating a gift section and recommending products to accompany your customer’s purchases is a quick and easy up-sell. For example, consider the following products, to make sure your store is ready with gifts for all occasions.

Wine shops are excellent at recommending the right wine with the right food. If you can learn to pare the right accessory with the right wine, you can see your sales increase with each customer. Figure out why your customers are looking for a specific bottle and recommend the best accessory to go with it. For the bachelorette or girl’s night out, see our hand painted wine glasses. If someone buys a bottle of champagne, always recommend our best selling champagne stopper. This product is great around the holidays, thanks to Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  If someone comes in to buy a nice bottle of whiskey as a gift, suggest that they buy our glacier rocks to turn the gift into something even better.

Glacier Rocks Set by True Fabrications

Making recommendations such as these are a quick and easy way to boost your store’s revenue. Whether it’s having a quality, well priced corkscrew near the register, or a section devoted to gifts where you can recommend the right gift for the right wine, providing your customers with great gift ideas of all types is a necessity for every store.