# Old decoratively embossed "Madera Winery" bottle found!



## EdsFinds (Nov 13, 2020)

Found this beautiful "Oldish" wine bottle. I know it was a wine bottle from a "Madera Bonded Winery." My question is, of course, what year would it have been made? My guess is somewhere between 1940 and 1965? just a guess. Can anyone educate me on determining wine bottles year of manufacture?


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## CanadianBottles (Nov 14, 2020)

I can't make out a date code on that one, but your guess sounds about right age-wise for that bottle.


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## EdsFinds (Nov 14, 2020)

Thanks! At least I know I'm in the ballpark. I don't think it's terribly valuable, but it's a very beautiful addition to my begining collection!


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## Timelypicken (Nov 14, 2020)

I have a couple decorative wines somewhere. They probably aren't worth more than a couple bucks, but they are cool lookin.


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## EdsFinds (Nov 14, 2020)

Yeah. They don't make them like this anymore...like all things. Today its just a plain old bottle with a paper label that is just garbage, not made to last.


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## EdsFinds (Nov 14, 2020)

Hey, post some pics of the ones you have. I'd like to see other examples!


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## Timelypicken (Nov 14, 2020)

Here are 3 wines


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## Timelypicken (Nov 14, 2020)

I posted some more decorative whiskeys here. https://www.antique-bottles.net/threads/hiram-walker-bottle-with-lid.693329/#post-737609


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## EdsFinds (Nov 14, 2020)

hey! they are nice examples! The one clear straight tall bottle looks just like mine. I pass allot of (and I mean allot) of plain old "flask" type whiskey or wine bottles in this one site, but I feel they are too modern and have no value. They have no markings on them and look to be from the 70s or 80s. Maybe I will grab one to ask you or others for your opinion. I'm sure though, that I will find more valuable and older ones at this new site! Thanks again!


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## SODABOB (Nov 20, 2020)

Ed

I did some research on your bottle, and even though you didn't mention the Medera Bonded Wine Co. that was located in Baltimore, Maryland - which was founded in 1914 - it appears to be one of their bottles. Part of my research included looking for that particular bottle with the embossed grape design, and the latest example I could find for it was from 1941. There are hundreds of ads for them, and it appears they stopped using that particular bottle sometime in the 1940s.  Another thing I noticed on your bottle is what appears to be an S-in-a-circle on the base.  The mark is most likely one of the following. Even though we may never know which of these glass makers produced your bottle, the latest of the four seems to have been used no later than circa 1959 - which can be narrowed down a little more due to the Medera Bonded Wine Co.  being established in 1914 - with Sterling and Sneath being the most likely candidate. This link is to an article about Sterling and Sneath ...

https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/SterlingSneathGlass.pdf





Although there are hundreds of ads for Medera, not all of them include illustrations of their bottles, so this is somewhat inconclusive. However, like I said, this is the latest ad I could find that depicted an illustration of their bottle with the embossed grapes. I'm also attaching a file about their 25th Anniversary from 1939.



*1941



*


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## EdsFinds (Nov 25, 2020)

Wow! I'm speechless! That was a lot of information to find! Being thanksgiving, I am "thankfull" to you for your help! Not that I wouldn't have if it were not! LOL! smile. Being rather a beginner to antique bottle collecting, I have not begun to learn how to do this type of research yet. I am just learning how to dig for them and determine the approximate age of them as I find them. Now, you've encouraged me to "up my game" and learn the next level of researching my finds! Thank you so much!


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## SODABOB (Nov 25, 2020)

Ed 

You're Welcome - I was a newbie bottle collector/researcher myself 45 years ago - and still continue to learn something new almost everyday.  In the early days (1970s thru 1990s) there was no Internet and we had to rely on books - which I still resource from time to time.  I also learned a lot here on the Forum - lots of knowledgeable people here - never hesitate to ask - we are a team and always happy to help. 

Bob


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