Mixed Media Cat Portrait

The shapes of champagne corks lend themselves to some fun projects, like this tiny kitty portrait. Paint him in the colors of your own pet or make up a furry friend.

You will need:

* 1 champagne cork

* Coping saw

* Sandpaper

* Hot glue gun

* 4" × 4" canvas

* 1 wine cork to cut into ears

* Paintbrush

* White paint or white primer paint

* Acrylic paint

* Paint pens

* Wine corks with letters

1. Cut the champagne cork in half lengthwise with a coping saw. Sand lightly on the cut surface and edges. Brush off any dust and glue to the center of the canvas.
2. Cut 2 (¹⁄₄"-thick) coins from a wine cork and then slice each of them into ear shapes, as shown in the illustration. Lightly sand them and glue in place above champagne cork.

   

3. Use a paintbrush to prime the cork kitty with white paint and let dry.
4. Give the kitty shape a few coats of paint in the base color of your choice. Paint on a tail.
5. Paint the background, as desired.
6. Draw on the details of the cat with paint pens.
7. Slice up your lettered corks to spell out the name of the cat (or whatever you like!). Glue cork cutouts below the cat.

OPTIONS!

To cut the letters from wine corks, first cut the cork in half lengthwise. Sand the back, and then cut out the individual letters. Sand the sides.

Cutting the words printed on wine corks into individual letters to make words is really fun—and a whole new use for your stash! I bet you can come up with tons of ways to use them. Here are a few to get you started:

• Spell your child’s name and turn the letters into magnets for her to practice arranging the letters correctly.
• Spell out a type of wine or short food-related quote on a canvas and hang in the kitchen.
• Make heart-shaped ornaments and glue on “XOXO.”

Wine Profile: Pinot Grigio

The French call it Pinot Gris. The Italians call it Pinot Grigio. Americans produce both and drink a ton of it. The Pinot Gris grape exhibits a range of colors from grayish blue to brownish pink. It’s in the same family as Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc but has a character all its own. Pinot Gris (meaning “gray”) has been known to produce wines that range from white to light-tinged pink.

Pinot Gris is thought by many to reach its pinnacle in Alsace, where it’s called Tokay-Pinot Gris or Tokay d’Alsace. Alsatian Pinot Gris grapes show up in dry, acidic wines or decadent late harvest styles. Just across the border in Germany, Pinot Gris goes by the name Grau Burgunder and produces full-bodied white wines.

That’s a far cry from what most people know as Italy’s Pinot Grigio—often a light (some might say thin), pale, and herbal wine for easy quaffing. Some of the best Pinot Grigios come from the Friuli region of Italy, where leading producers show full, rounded versions.

The current hot spot for Pinot Gris is Oregon. It was introduced there in 1966 and has become the state’s premier white grape. Oregon producers prefer the name Pinot Gris to Pinot Grigio, although there’s no single style of wine made. Some winemakers use oak. Others use only stainless steel. Most produce a completely dry wine. Some leave a little residual sugar.

Pinot Grigio has been called the “new Chardonnay” because of its soaring popularity among both casual drinkers and serious wine enthusiasts. Santa Margherita was the first winery to make its mark as an import to the United States in 1979. In the last five years, small growers all over Italy’s northeast have been planting Pinot Grigio to take advantage of the demand.