Wine barrels may have been invented to age wine to perfection, but creative designers have been finding inspiring new ways to repurpose the rustic wood containers beyond their grapely duties. One such designer is Sonoma-based wine industry veteran and woodworker George Sachs who has taken his love for the libation and transformed it into uniquely hand-crafted candle holders made from recycled oak wine barrels.

Having worked in various capacities in the wine industry–from vineyard to cellar to tasting room–Sachs was “amazed to find out that most wineries end up placing the used barrels somewhere on the winery’s property and just let the barrels sit for years to come.” Thus, the designer sought to create a new purpose for the barrels and launched his home decor product line “Cool Stuff By George" all made from the container's materials. Read more...