Spirited Away

BY KAREN BUTLER

WHETHER USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH FOOD PRODUCTS OR ON THEIR OWN, WINE-RELATED ITEMS ARE QUICKLY GAINING GROUND AS A CUSTOMER FAVORITE.

Toast of the Town

For a simple yet elegant wine companion, choose ETS/The Express Line’s 13.5-ounce Vina Balloon. Complete with an imprint area of nearly 1 inch by 3 inches with a 10-inch wrap, this 7.5-inch tall glass will hold a sizable logo or message in tandem with a great pour.

Make an Opening Statement

The Sonoma Wine Opener from Evans Manufacturing Inc. has a sleek, contemporary design that adds style to any promotion. It features a sturdy corkscrew and lever to easily open bottles and a blade to remove foil. Available in black or three Tropi-Cool colors — red, blue and purple.

Chill Out

The black Ice Wine Cooler is a hot product from Prime Resources Corp.’s Logotec Bag Collection. Perfect for gifts, programs and special occasions, this style features a unique dual-pocket insulated bag to keep the contents cool and protected. Other perks include an outside accessory zipper compartment, inside zipper area for wine bottles, webbed accessory pocket and adjustable should strap. Pocket holds a 4-inch-by-4-inch imprint.

Steel the Show

The good times are always ready to roll with the Stainless Steel Wine Chiller from Webb Co. The high-profile design is approximately 7 inches high by 5 inches wide. Double-wall construction keeps your choice of drink chilled. Price includes a one-color, 3-inch-by-3-inch imprint and a gift box.

Salutation Sensation

Two Hot to Handle

Double your drinking pleasure with Clava Leather’s reinforced, padded Two Bottle Holder. The interior is fully suede-lined, with a protective divider and corkscrew pocket. Exterior protective feet help this keeper to stand firm. Available in Tuscan tan and black with an imprintable hangtag. Measures approximately 8 inches by 13 inches by 4 inches — or choose the One Bottle Holder for singles.

Hold Everything

Service with a Smile

Clients from all walks of life will love Crystal D’s Durham Decanter Set. Made of 24 percent lead crystal, this winning combination includes an awe-inspiring, hand-cut crystal decanter and two matching wine glasses.

Charmed, I’m Sure

Wineglass charms have become quite popular, but few of them present as nicely as those displayed on Marken Industries’ Wine Bottle Charm Holder. Choose from four finishes — antique silver, antique gold, French gold or pewter — in a grape design or customized with a logo in the center. Holds six charms and fits most standard bottles. Place on the center of any table for a great presentation.

Weddings, proms, company banquets, military balls. Stemware is by no means a seasonal product. Why not try a couple things to help make your customer’s affair more distinguished — and maybe put a little more scratch in your pocket:

Sell the customer the glass they really need. Do they need champagne flutes or wine glasses? Are they serving white wine or red? Are the glasses for a dinner or a tasting? Rather than settle for the inexpensive generic stemware that is available, go for the one that specifically suits the customer’s needs. It may cost a bit more, but anything worth doing is worth doing right.

Add a little something extra to the glasses. Fill them with candy. Tie a bow around the base. Maybe add some jewelry to the stem. It will make the gift that much more special for the person receiving it. A touch of elegance never hurts. Any occasion that calls for stemware has a certain air of sophistication.

Why not complement that with the proper glassware? A prettier stem is always available. From satin-etch to precious metals, there are many options for a classy imprint. The whole point is to find ways to bring a more distinctive feel to your customer’s event.

A medium-sized manufacturing company sought a distributor to help implement an ongoing employee-appreciation program. The company worked on one large project at a time. At the end of each project, the company wanted to thank employees for their effort and attention to detail.

Management needed a gift to fit the employee culture appropriate for managers, sales people and factory workers. The gift also had to be affordable and suitable for men or women. Since this program would be ongoing, the gift also had to be part of a larger set.

The company selected 24 percent lead crystal items which featured the same cut. The appreciation gifts were distributed as follows:

Information provided by Audra Dahlgren, marketing director at Crystal D in St. Paul, Minn.