There is a number of reasons people might want to save wine labels. From helping them remember bottles they particularly enjoyed, to using them as decoration on their wine cellar door.

 

Here you can find some advice and effective methods for their easy removal.

 

First, remember to save the bottle, whether you’re in a restaurant or at home. This all-important first step can easily be overlooked, especially at a restaurant. Don’t be shy about asking the waiter to pack up your bottle. The restaurant will probably be flattered (and might just take the label off for you).

 

Save the bottles in a prominent place until you have a few to attack at once. Why a prominent place? Because if you put them in a basement, you’ll forget about them.

 

To get the labels off, first try the the oven method. Put the empty, uncorked bottles into the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees until the bottles are hot — maybe 10 minutes or so. Remove — very carefully — and the labels will peel right off. Put the labels on wax paper or plastic wrap. Again, be very careful with those hot bottles. If the label doesn’t peel off easily, wait until the bottle cools and try the hot water method.

 

For that, fill your kitchen sink with hot water. Also, get a large pot, fill it with water and heat to boiling.

 

Then, take the uncorked empty bottles and immerse them in the sink. After the bottles have been in for a while, some labels might float right off. If the label hasn’t come off on its own, lift and empty the bottle, place it on a towel, and try to get your fingernail under a corner of the label. At that point, it might lift right off.

 

If a label won’t budge, put that bottle — very, very carefully — into the boiling water. This will often cause stubborn labels to give up and float off. Have a long spoon or fork ready to fish the label out of the water. When you get a label off, lay it flat on the wax paper or plastic wrap.

 

If all else fails, many wine stores sell label removers that are essentially big pieces of adhesive that rip the label right off.