Collecting Bird-Themed Wine Corks

[GaleriaGila]

This is the third of my current mysteries...

The bird looks like a crow or raven... but what's with the three "legs"? Is one a tail? The frame is shield-shaped. And there is a "BP" logo in the bottom right corner. There is no red stain on the base...

Can anybody catch a clue from the bird or the BP?

Thanks for looking!

 

[SailBoat]

More likely a bedraggled tail than a third leg.

Is that a B54 or a 654 below the two claws. Could be a bottling count or lot number.

BP is used by a couple of international Corporations as an abbreviation, and/or logo.

Where are you getting these corks from? Cleanly you're not drawing it from the bottle as you would have had the label to work with.

Most all bottler's /winery's have moved to a hybrid cork that is smoother, seals much better, easy extraction, and allows for better print quality. Timeline is about 15 years ago in North America and most the rest of the Wine World. Old fashion corks have become very expensive as the industry has moved on.

 

[LaManuka]

Looks like a raven to me, and a startled one at that!

Corks have virtually gone the way of the dinosaur here. If we ever happen across one in any of our shipments we always do a bit of a double-take. Then we have to go searching for the much neglected corkscrew. Almost everything here is now sealed with a screw cap or the occasional synthetic cork. Even the term “corkage” is disappearing from BYO restaurants and is being replaced by terms like “twistage” or the somewhat more risqué “screwage”

However according to a local winemaker speaking on a vineyard tour we did a while ago, now that natural cork is so rarely used, apparently the corks that ARE being used are of a far higher quality and less likely to spoil your wine with the dreaded cork-taint.

I was once gifted a bottle of wine by an extreme wine snob (my cousin!) from a case she had herself been gifted by a client (my cousin is also a notorious cheapskate!). She very kindly warned us that it may be “corked”, as in afflicted by cork taint. We said “gee, thanks...”, took it home and put it away where it sat ignored for quite some time. We got desperate one night so decided to risk trying it, went to open the bottle and lo and behold it was a screw cap! No cork, so no possibility of cork taint anyhow! It was a crap wine anyway and thankfully we don’t see that cousin very much

 

[SailBoat]

Love your account of your cousin... Likely shocked when she found it other than a cocked bottle.

We are currently working our way into the depth of our red collection and finding a bit more of the dreaded cork-taint than I would have guessed possible. Each bottle has been a venture into the direction the bottle had aged. Unlike younger red wines, it is important to provide the devil his share as the bottom contains far more of the heavy bits. We have also come to affirm the need to allow them to breath for a longer time prior to tasting. We are wining far more often than not...

Wait #1; an extreme wine snob and cheap, now that doesn't show-up in the same discussion very often, unless they are cheap regarding providing /sharing. Now that I have seen often.

Wait #2; A BYO Restaurant!!! WOW!!! We have just come to a place in time that we can buy a bottle of or a couple of bottles of wine for dinner and take the re-corked or screwed closed bottle(s) with us. You're going to love this part!!! In a sealed plastic bag located as far from the driver as physically possible...

Love the startled raven comment!!!
Hmmm, a raven would push the winery to the very edge of France and Germany.

 

[SailBoat]

Glanced at the Ravine again and the bird is showing its back side and could be moments from butt feathering the viewer! Could be meaning in that!?!?

Yup, I share the opinion that the bird is more likely a Ravine!

 

[LaManuka]

Quoth the Raven, “Yeah the ‘74 Grange was ok, but the ‘76... wow!”

Your assessment of my cousin is correct in the sense that she kept all the best stuff for herself

 

[GaleriaGila]

Thank you! So much good information and cool back-story...


Wellllllllllllllllllllllll...








Here are the sources of my wine corks.



*I buy and un-cork the bottle myself... the vast minority of acquisitions... typically inexpensive and readily available. Think Ravenswood, Winking Owl, Little Penguin...

*I use all my wiles to get those who are wealthier/more sophisticated/more worldly/cooler wine consumers to give or send me corks. The international site "Wine Berserkers" is a treasaure trove of benevolent connoisseurs who can be thusly charmed. Think rare Europesn vintages/cult wines like "Screaming Eagle"of California/other special vintners...

*I scan eBay offers of used cork merchants aiming to sell lots of corks to crafters (for coasters, trays, planters, etc.). If I spy a bird cork in the bunch, I buy the lot (if it is super cheap) or write the merchant asking for the bird cork. This is where the MYSTERIES come from, typically...

*The other source of mysteries? Friends/family/acquaintances who collect miscellaneous corks for me without paying attention to the maker/vintner.




Then I love bagging 'em and tagging 'em and researching the history of the regions of the world from whence they hail. A perfect melange of birdness, wineness, worldness and trivianess for an oddball hausfrau hen like me.


Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LaManuka]

"Oddball hausfrau hen" sounds PERFECT! Can I be the Southern Hemisphere equivalent? PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZE??!!

Can anybody catch a clue from the bird or the BP?

I'm hoping that BP doesn't stand for British Petroleum. Or Bat's P*ss. Neither is a recognized wine maker. Or cork maker for that matter.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Let me take care of that right now, LaM...

Hear ye, hear ye, read ye, read ye!
Martina Manuka
is
hereby, herewith, and hereafter
appointed
ODDBALL HAUSFRAU HEN
(Southern Hemisphere)
and placed in official charge of this, that, and other things as befits and bedazzles that which is at hand and/or foot,
in the true spirit of odds, balls, hausfraus and hens.
So let it be posted, so let it be.​

Signed by me, which am the Northern Hen

There we go!

 

[LaManuka]

Yippee, this is BRILLIANT!! After 51 and a half years of aimless wanderings on this planet I have finally found my true calling. I Martina, aka the Scarlet Manuka, aka the Grey Ghost, do become your liege person of life and limb and of earthly worship, and Faith and Truth I will bear unto you, to live and die against all manner of dis dat and de other tings I swear to henceforth do honour to the title of Oddball Hausfrau Hen (Southern Division) for the term of my natural life. So help me God!

I'm so happy, I hired these guys to give voice to how happy i am

[ame="https://youtu.be/TqdRQxgtZtI"]https://youtu.be/TqdRQxgtZtI[/ame]

 

[GaleriaGila]

Spectacular! The Kooks will be our mascots. Very fitting.

Any other Oddball Hausfrau Hens care to join our legion? If you are too modest to pipe up, I will entertain nominations... you know who you are...

And none of you roosters better try to join up, with the possible exception of Amy.

I may consider re-inventing the ODDBALL HAUSFRAU HENS League as a separate thread. I shall meditate on it overnight. I must drink on it. SLEEP. SLEEP ON IT!

Good night, once-and-future OHHs...

 

[SailBoat]

Congratulations Lady of the Southern Hemisphere on your Title of Honor!

ODDBALL HAUSFRAU HEN
(Southern Hemisphere)

May this Title Grace you though your long life.

As noted and registered in the Great Book of the Americas (New World) Parrots, sub-section 24, page 56, line 37 of Notes of Importance in the World of Parrots!

script note 78: The Title of ODDBALL HAUSFRAU HEN, hereby extents to the South Americas.

Signature assigned by:
His Honor of Records
Julio The Great

Let me take care of that right now, LaM...

Hear ye, hear ye, read ye, read ye!
Martina Manuka
is
hereby, herewith, and hereafter
appointed
ODDBALL HAUSFRAU HEN
(Southern Hemisphere)
and placed in official charge of this, that, and other things as befits and bedazzles that which is at hand and/or foot,
in the true spirit of odds, balls, hausfraus and hens.
So let it be posted, so let it be.​

Signed by me, which am the Northern Hen

There we go!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Oh, Admiral Boats!

Bless you!

http://www.parrotforums.com/off-topic/83480-ohhh-oddball-hausfra-hens-house.html

We are christened!

 

[SailBoat]

The Kooks will make a great mascot, likely not a better mascot to get the gathered masses to cheer louder or to fall silent with gapping Bills...

I would be surprised if any of the crazy guy birds here would choose to cross that line!

There was a fair amount of standing around regarding the signature upon the Great Book. Word is Julio was pushed forward as his position requires that such signatures to the Book.

That said, there seems to be some rumbling about roosters encouraging hens to step forward. Also, there was some comments regarding what territories are still open?

Spectacular! The Kooks will be our mascots. Very fitting.

Any other Oddball Hausfrau Hens care to join our legion? If you are too modest to pipe up, I will entertain nominations... you know who you are...

And none of you roosters better try to join up, with the possible exception of Amy.

I may consider re-inventing the ODDBALL HAUSFRAU HENS League as a separate thread. I shall meditate on it overnight. I must drink on it. SLEEP. SLEEP ON IT!

Good night, once-and-future OHHs...

 

[LaManuka]

Oooh I feel the ‘Burras are sending their clarion call out to Burundi for an African representative of the Oddball Hausfrau (Hot!) Hens. And maybe a certain Floridian resident while we’re at it.

This could get to be bigger than Ben Hur’s Bachelor Party!

 

[GaleriaGila]

I would venture to say that any hen who wishes to join the ranks will be awarded a territory, even if we have to pick a fictional or literary one, or designate an extraterrestrial or heavenly body, or just flat out make one up! I see no reason to allow reason into our decision-making process.
Roosters? I say we let them stand around for now!

 

[GaleriaGila]

I see that our two threads are cross pollinating one another. Maybe our dear Super Mods would care to collapse/combine?

http://www.parrotforums.com/off-topic/83480-ohhh-oddball-hausfra-hens-house.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/off-topic/83316-collecting-bird-themed-wine-corks-3.html


I have accidentally created a bit of chaos...