How To Remove Wine Labels

While applying your custom wine labels to wine that you've produced yourself is a popular option, many of you will choose to remove the labels from wine that you've purchased locally, and swap them with custom wine labels of your choice. While it may sound difficult, removing the label from a bottle of wine is actually quite simple with a little patience and a couple of everyday household items.

A quick search of the web will reveal a variety of different methods for removing wine labels, two of which we can recommend as effective.

Method A - Baking Soda
(for FULL wine bottles)

An article in Popular Mechanics put several label removal methods to the test and determined that the following is the most effective. Best of all, this method can be performed on a full bottle of wine without affecting the quality of the wine.

You Will Need: A sink or bucket, baking soda, a rag, a towel (optional: steel wool)

1. Soak the label portion of the wine bottle in room temperature water with 5-10 tablespoons of baking soda for 30 minutes.
2. Remove the bottle from the water, and wipe the label off with a rag. If any of the label still remains, use a fingernail or steel wool to remove the rest.
3. Once the bottle is clean, wipe it with a towel and allow it to completely dry and acclimatize to room temperature before applying your new label.

Method B - Hot Water
(for EMPTY wine bottles)

This method works well when reusing empty wine bottles. We have found this method to be particularly effective for labels purchased from us.

You Will Need: Gloves, hot water from a faucet or kettle, a towel (optional: steel wool)

1. Wearing gloves, fill the bottle with very hot water. Hot water from the tap may work, but you may need a kettle to heat your water if the tap isn't hot enough. Warning: If using a kettle to heat your water, be sure to soak the bottle in hot tap water first to prevent the sudden temperature change from cracking the glass.
2. Let the full bottle sit for 10 minutes and then try peeling off the label with your fingers or steel wool.
3. If the label still won't come off, try Method A above.