Kendall Jackson by the kCal

When I graduated from NYU and moved into my first apartment, my dear little sis bought me a set of gorgeous rose-tinted wine glasses goblets that I immediately made good use of. Downside? The growing pooch I found myself with. Turns out, whenever I’d break out these bad boys, I’d end up sipping almost twice the Sauv as the standard 5oz serving of wine. I’m not alone either. Most of the items we use to eat and drink — plates, bowls, glasses — have all grown in size over the past few decades, seriously distorting our view of a correct portion size.

Now, aiming to keep health-conscious winos in check, Etsy artisan CaloricCuvee has created this hand-etched, dishwasher-safe glass for just $12.95. Marked in 2oz increments with the number of calories each sip will cost ya, you can start with a minor 50/2 and work your way up to ‘who cares’/10+.

While staring at the calories you’re consuming from unwinding with a glass of wine might not be totally relaxing, it’s certainly better than waking up one morning to the realization that your nightly habit’s packed on 5lbs. Sorry sis, but my new favorite glass is the one I got at a Cisco Brewery wine tasting last year. With its 30ml (1oz) marker, I know exactly what the perfect pour is…and with swimsuit season in full swing, it’s been worth it.

Posted by Haley

Image source Glamour

Cork This!

Nothing like having to interrupt a fine wine-drinking experience with constant trips to and from the fridge. And seriously, everyone knows whites should be served in the temp range of 48-52 degrees.

Thank god for this thing. The corkcicle, as it is so aptly named, lets me and my fellow winos enjoy a crisp chardonnay the way it should be. Not only do you get some serious chill (reusable!), but it also comes with cork attached to avoid spills.

Okay, okay, so you’re probably thinking Hey Haley, ever think of an ice bucket? Yeah, no shit, Sherlock! But all that gets you is a mess of cold water. Fine, how about a wine chiller? HA, at a few hundos, I’ll pass. Besides, that’s good shoe-shopping money!

The corkcicle is a cool—ha, get it?!—$22.95 and won’t break the bank. Besides, how about the fact that it’s just effin’ awesome?

Posted by Haley

Stylish Winos, Behold the Wine Purse

As a newly legal college student, I’ve spent my share of time exploring the variety of cheap booze options out there. Burnett’s Vodka is a sure hit at $8.00 a liter, but I usually opt for the always-classy boxed wine. At about $12.00 a box, it’s cheap, tasty, and lasts through weeks of my social life. Those puppies hold five liters for goodness sake!

My bulky rectangular boxes of Franzia, however, are not the most portable. You gotta do what you gotta do, but I look like a total idiot pulling the inner bladder-like bag of fluid from my purse to refill my glass. So when I came across the Vanity Case, a purse-shaped box of wine by Le Lys, it seemed as if my prayers had been answered.

Available online for $24.96, it’s a little pricier (and definitely better quality) than my typical Franzia selection, but carrying my vino like a purse is much more appealing than attempting to lug it in my purse. These cute cases hold three liters of liquid and are equipped with a plastic handle for easy transportation. Genius.

If I’m lucky enough to find one of these drinkable accessories at the store, you better believe I’ll be rockin’ it this weekend.

Posted by Mary

One Less Thing to Wine About

Now that the city has finally thawed out, I can’t help but swoon over the thought of warm summer nights spent enjoying a nice bottle of wine outside with friends. There’s something so calming about that…and then you see the photos, and bam! Hello, red wine smile!

Just in time for the upcoming 15^th annual Nantucket Wine Festival—which I’ll be checking out for the first time this year!—I came across a handy-dandy little item called Wine Wipes. Happening even to the best of us, we’ve all fallen victim to purple lips and teeth on one occasion or another. Fear public embarrassment no more with this inexpensive, 20-wipe compact complete with mirror. And, despite some serious-sounding ingredients—baking soda, salt, and hydrogen peroxide, among others—these babies won’t leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Well, I’ll drink to that! Cin cin!

Posted by Haley

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Drink Yourself Skinny

For some reason, I find myself drawn to wacky diet fads (tapeworm diet, anyone?). Though I generally play the role of intrigued observer rather than active participant, I recently came across a trend I can get on board with — the beer diet. While it’s no secret that red wine promotes weight loss, I’ve never been one for purple teeth. Gotta keep these pearly whites intact! Fortunately for me and my chompers, a study from the Campaign for Real Ale (they have no vested interests, I’m sure) showed that pounding a pint of beer in lieu of two glasses of red wine every week can help you lose up to 10 pounds a year. The primary source of calories in alcoholic drinks is the alcohol itself. As beer has the lowest average alcohol content, it also has the fewest calories. Bottoms up!

In related news, a steady combo of no alcohol and regular exercise has been shown to yield the most weight loss. Sigh.

Posted by Abby