Handmade Wine Chillers
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The artist said that the goal of his work is to “allow nature to have its say.” -
Artist Michael Wisner not only hand-dug the clay on site at Newton Vineyard for his limited-edition wine chillers and coaster sets, but hand-built and shaped each object as well. -
Once he’d made the chiller’s cylinder, Wisner sculpted the object with a cutting blade. -
Wisner impressed and incised his pattern into the clay, using a tool he fashioned from a hacksaw blade. -
Wisner can judge the temperature inside his kiln by the color of the clay as it’s firing. -
Each hand-made chiller and coaster was signed and numbered by the artist before being fired in a kiln. -
When fired at 2200 degrees Fahrenheit, the tan clay turned a pure, ivory white. No glazing was necessary. -
Both the chiller and the wine are placed in a refrigerator for two hours before consumption. The chiller will keep the wine at optimum temperature throughout dinner. -
When chilled to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, Wisner said, the taste of Newton Vineyard’s Chardonnay “explodes in your mouth.” -
Wisner crafted only 100 chillers and coaster sets, to be released for sale to the public on Earth Day 2011. -
A pioneer winemaker in Napa Valley, Newton Vineyard is known for its unfiltered and naturally fermented wines. -
The finished chiller and coaster sets are the result of what Wisner calls a “dance and a collaboration with nature.”Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!
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