Wooden Wine Boxes and Crates: Sizes, Uses and Where to Buy Real Ones

By Greg Martellotto, Big Hammer Wines

A wooden wine box, or wine crate, is the wooden case a winery ships its bottles in. The great estates of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany and Napa still use them for their best wines, and collectors call them OWC, short for original wooden case. Once the bottles are out, a used crate becomes storage, furniture, décor or a gift box with real wine-country provenance. This guide covers the sizes and dimensions, what the markings mean, 20 ways to use a crate, and where to buy real ones.

Wooden Wine Boxes at a Glance

What Is an Original Wooden Case (OWC)?

Most wine ships in cardboard. The top estates ship in wood: it protects the bottles, it carries the château's brand, and it tells the buyer the wine came straight from the source. Collectors and auction houses note when wine comes "in OWC," because a full case still in its original wooden case suggests it was bought and stored as a unit rather than bottle by bottle.

That same wood is why empty crates are so wanted. A crate from a famous estate is a piece of wine history you can put on a shelf, and no two are exactly alike.

Wine Crate Sizes and Dimensions

A crate's size is named for how many 750ml bottles it holds. Dimensions are typical and vary a little by winery.

What the Markings Mean

• The estate's name and crest. Usually branded or printed on the lid and the ends.
• The vintage. Many cases carry the year, which makes a crate a natural birth-year or anniversary gift.
• The classification. Médoc châteaux often print "Grand Cru Classé en 1855," the ranking from the 1855 Bordeaux classification.
• "Mis en bouteille au château." French for "bottled at the château."
• The count and format. For example "6 bouteilles 75cl" or "1 Btle."
• Lot and shipping stamps. Numbers and codes added on the way from the winery; part of the character.

Everyday Crates vs. Collector Estate Cases

20 Ways to Use Wooden Wine Boxes

Storage

1. Wine storage. Stack 12-bottle crates on their sides for a rack that looks like a cellar. Keep it somewhere cool and dark.
2. Pantry bins. Tall 6-bottle crates hold onions, potatoes, bottles of oil or a row of spice jars.
3. Bathroom towels. A crate on its side holds rolled towels and toiletries.
4. Under-bed storage. Flat 6-bottle crates slide under most beds.
5. A tool or craft box. A 3-bottle box with dividers keeps small tools, paints or yarn sorted.

Furniture

6. Wall cubby shelves. Screw crates to the wall on their sides, through the back into studs, for floating cubbies.
7. A nightstand. Two 12-bottle crates stacked, open sides out, make a nightstand with two shelves.
8. A bookcase. Stack crates in a staggered grid and screw them together.
9. A side table or bench. Add short legs or casters to a 12-bottle crate.
10. A coffee table. Four crates on a platform with casters, open sides out for magazines and board games.

Décor and Entertaining

11. Wedding and party centerpieces. A flat 6-bottle crate filled with flowers, candles or greenery. Most events need several, so everyday crates work well here.
12. A planter. Line the crate with plastic, drill a few drainage holes and plant herbs or succulents.
13. A bar caddy. Keep bitters, a corkscrew and a few bottles together on the bar cart.
14. A display riser. Turn crates upside down to give height to a cheese spread, a buffet or a retail table.
15. Holiday décor. Fill a crate with ornaments, pinecones or a string of lights.

Gifts

16. A single-bottle gift box. Put the bottle you're giving in a 1-bottle box with a sliding lid. It looks like it came from the winery.
17. A 3-bottle gift set. Three bottles, a corkscrew and a note in a branded 3-bottle box.
18. A vintage-year gift. A case stamped with the year someone was born or married.
19. A keepsake box. Corks, labels and tasting notes from a memorable trip.
20. A gift for the collector. A case from the estate whose wine is already in their cellar.

Want flat wood instead of a box? The lids and sides of these cases make wall art, wine walls and drawer fronts. See 15 ways to use wine crate lids and panels.

How to Choose a Wooden Wine Box

• Size for the job. 1-bottle for a gift, 3-bottle for a gift set or caddy, tall 6 for shelves and planters, flat 6 for centerpieces, 12-bottle for storage and furniture.
• Lid or no lid. Some crates have sliding or loose lids and some don't. If a lid matters, say so in your order note.
• Everyday or collector. Buying several for an event or a project? Everyday crates. A gift, a display or a cellar showpiece? A collector estate case.
• Real vs. reproduction. Real crates carry stamps, nail holes and small differences from one winery to the next. New "wine crate style" boxes are uniform and unmarked.

Care and Prep

• Clean it dry first. Brush out dust and straw, then wipe with a barely damp cloth. Don't soak the wood.
• Check for metal. These are used shipping cases; pull any loose nails or staples before you use one indoors.
• Sand only what you touch. A light pass on the edges removes splinters and keeps the stamps.
• Protect it where it gets wet. Line planters and give outdoor crates a clear exterior finish.
• Add felt pads under any crate that sits on a finished table or floor.

Where to Buy Real Wooden Wine Boxes

Ours are the original cases our wines arrive in, sold used and as-is, one of a kind. You choose the size; we fill from the current mix of estates.

Everyday wooden wine crates

• 1-bottle box, $8
• Tall 6-bottle box, $10
• Flat 6-bottle box, $10
• 12-bottle box, $15 when available

Collector estate cases

• 1-bottle box, $15
• 3-bottle box, $16
• 6-bottle box, $18
• 12-bottle box, $25 when available

Wine crate lids and side panels: the flat pieces of the same cases, from $5. Shop lids and panels.

Quick Answers: Wooden Wine Boxes and Crates

What is a wooden wine box?

The wooden case a winery ships its bottles in, usually branded with the estate's name, crest and often the vintage. Wine box and wine crate mean the same thing.

What does OWC mean?

Original wooden case: the wooden case the wine left the winery in. Collectors and auction houses use it to describe wine still in that case.

What sizes do wooden wine boxes come in?

1-bottle, 3-bottle, tall 6-bottle, flat 6-bottle and 12-bottle. The size is the number of 750ml bottles the case holds.

How big is a 6-bottle wine box?

A tall 6-bottle box is about 13.5" × 11" × 7"; a flat 6-bottle box is about 20" × 13" × 4". Sizes vary a little by winery.

How big is a 12-bottle wine crate?

About 20" × 13" × 7".

Where can I buy wooden wine boxes?

We sell real used wine crates from our own wine cases: everyday crates from $8 and collector estate cases from $15, by size.

How much does a used wine crate cost?

Ours run $8 to $15 for everyday crates and $15 to $25 for collector estate cases, depending on size.

Are the boxes new or used?

Used. Each one shipped wine, so expect stamps, nail holes and wear. That history is the point.

Do wooden wine boxes come with lids?

Some do and some don't, and some have sliding lids. Ask in your order note if you need one.

Can I choose a specific winery?

You choose the size and we fill from the current mix. Ask for a winery in your order note and we'll match it if one is on the shelf.

Can I use a wine crate as a planter?

Yes. Line it with plastic, drill drainage holes and give it a clear exterior finish if it will live outdoors.

How do I hang a wine crate as a shelf?

Turn it on its side and screw through the back panel into wall studs, or use heavy-duty anchors rated for the load.

Can I store wine in a wooden wine crate?

Yes. A 12-bottle crate on its side makes a simple rack. Keep it somewhere cool, dark and steady, and lay cork-finished bottles on their sides.

Can I buy just the lid?

Yes. We sell wine crate lids and side panels on their own, from $5, for wall art and projects.

Questions about a size or a project? Ask us; we'd love to help.