It’s slowly getting colder outside and maybe we get some wintry precipitation next weekend. A little voice starts to manifest itself singing ‘let is snow, let it snow, let it snow‘. Yes I’m a person who loves watching those snow flakes. But I’m living in the wrong part of the world because here in the Netherlands there hasn’t been much snow and real winters the last couple of years.
Being someone who likes snow, I was immediately charmed by a piece of upcycling that I found last week on one of my favorite sites, Etsy. Not only the object but also the material made me smile. I’m amazed how many creative people upcycle old wine barrels and into so many different products.

Winter fun combined with Napa Valley

This time old wine barrels are used to create a Wine Barrel Sled. The retro design is by none other than Wine Country Craftsman, based in Paso Robles, CA | United States and founded by artist Michael Weiss. He used reclaimed Napa valley wine barrels. These barrels originate from a region north of San Francisco, in California. Known for 400+ hillside wineries. Besides having a lot of vineyards, this part of the US also offers a lot of great restaurants and places to stay. Wine, food and nature, Napa Valley is certainly a place I would like to visit one time.

Well on to these beautiful and fun sleds. They’re crafted from reclaimed wine barrels. Each piece is hand cut and assembled into a fabulous piece of upcycle design. The barrels are dried for up to 1 year to insure they are dry and then kiln fired. After that they’re hand cut, sanded and sealed with 3 coats of a clear UV sealer to preserve this beautiful object.
Thing about an old wine barrel is that it’s an object with such a rich history. Napa Valley wine barrels are made from European and American oak, using age-old techniques for curing wood and bending staves into these characteristic containers for fermenting wine.

Michael has a deep sense of stewardship towards the Earth and is therefore committed to the environment. It all started after traveling extensively, studying local culture, architecture, and design around the world. And now with his company Wine Country Craftsman all these things come together.

Michael Weiss:

“I love designing and building new and exciting things and constantly add new items to my shop. We are proud to be 100% green and made in the usa.”

Wine Country Craftsman has an incredible collection of handcrafted upcycle furniture and lighting made from reclaimed wine barrels. All items are made out of locally sourced 60-100 year old retired grape vines and well-loved wine-soaked barrels from California’s premiere wine growing region.
Who would have thought that an object used for making wine for years would end up being reclaimed and upcycled into an amazing fun sled. It actually doesn’t matter if it can be used as a real sled, it stands out as a great decoration piece all together.

Design by Wine Country Craftsman | Facebook | Etsy