Even after all these years, Rewined candles are still being made by hand—just like in the beginning—in Charleston, South Carolina, in recycled wine bottles. Adam Fetsch, the candle company’s founder, was working in a Charleston restaurant when he got the idea after seeing so many wine bottles thrown away each night.
Almost a decade ago, Adam started selling his new product—wine bottle candles with wine-inspired scents—at the Charleston City Market. His candles attracted positive attention from locals and visitors alike. Rewined still sets up shop at the city market—but you’ll also find these compelling candles in more than 2,000 retail shops all over the world. “We attribute Rewined’s success to the fact that people love wine, as do we,” says Eloise Heath, marketing and ecommerce manager for Rewined.
For the Barrel Aged Collection, candles are placed in wood vessels in a nod to wine’s barrel-aging process. COURTESY OF REWINED.
While the company’s market grows, their product line does, too. Today you can choose from white, red, or sparkling, from steel or barrel-aged, and from candle or soap. The process of mimicking the popular scent takes a lot of research—and a lot of taste testing. “The evolution of our candles is really based on our love of wine. We started with the basics and wanted to learn as much as possible about the different varietals, regions, and processes,” Eloise says. “Our goal is to teach people about wine through fragrance by sharing our knowledge with them.”
How They’re Made
Inside the Rewined warehouse, the product is molded, recycled wine bottles are cut by hand with an electric saw, and cotton wicks are glued in place. Soy wax and fragrance is heated to just the right temperature, poured into the empty bottle, and left to cool. Afterward, the label is placed and a final team sands down the glass’s edges before the hand-initialed vintage label and wax seal is added—a trademark of the product.
The candles all incorporate 100% soy wax and wicks made from all-natural cotton. COURTESY OF REWINED.
How They Evolved
The creation process hasn’t changed much from Adam’s backyard to the company warehouse, but the product line sure has. Rewined started with its core beloved fragrances—pinot noir, chardonnay, and champagne. Today’s line has expanded to include less common varietals, too, like Vinho Verde and Bordeaux Blanc. Even the signature container has evolved with the launch of the Barrel Aged Collection—candles in real wood vessels, inspired by the process of barrel aging wine. “This is another process we’re excited to teach people more about and understand that the process is romantic and wonderful and gives your wine so much complex flavor,” Eloise says.
The Materials
For a quality slow and even burn, Rewined uses 100% soy wax and all-natural cotton wicks. To get the perfect wine bouquet, Eloise says they leave it up to skilled chemists who craft the perfect blend of ingredients. For the signature jar, she says they are lucky enough to collect the bottles from local restaurants in the area. “Charleston knows how to enjoy brunch,” she says.
