Materialise Prototypes, 3D Prints Beautiful High-End Wine Cases for ARTdiVIN Design Company

Whenever I go to a party and need a gift to bring, a nice bottle of wine is usually my go-to option. It’s a classic choice – most people drink wine, and it’s way better than saying, “Oh, here’s some fancy soap that you’ll probably never use because you already buy your soap from Target or Bath & Body Works like everyone else!” I also just really like those pretty, tall wine gift bags, even though I rarely have them on hand and always find myself dashing out to the nearest grocery store two hours before the party to buy one. And it’s probably pretty rude to ask your host if you can keep the bag once they’ve taken the wine out of it. Right? But Materialise has been working with Belgian design company ARTdiVIN on a solution to this problem, just in time for Christmas!

The idea behind their collaboration is that the package you put the wine in can also be part of the gift, as a unique and beautiful piece of art. Frank Bulens, the founder of recently launched ARTdiVIN, has been working with Materialise since the prototyping stage to manufacture his 3D printed wine cases. While this idea isn’t quite as crazy as using crushed up grapes to 3D print a wine basket, it definitely adds some panache to fine wine! Bulens is a longtime artist and a designer, and even before he started ARTdiVIN, he was working with Materialise’s team of 3D printing experts to develop his 3D printed wine case idea.

“One of mankind’s most cherished creations deserves a work of art to present it. The wine cases that we develop are designed to catch the diner’s eye, while also functioning as a unique design piece for your interior,” says Bulens.

This isn’t the first time Materialise has collaborated on 3D printing something beautiful, and it won’t be the last. 3D printing is great for providing rapid, cost-effective solutions for creating prototypes, and is versatile enough to use for end-use products as well. Bulens extended production with Materialise past the prototyping stage, as the freedom in design is so great when it comes to 3D printing. You can see this in his intricate and complex designs, which are 3D printed using polyamide and alumide. He also uses several different post-processing techniques, such as flocking, to make inventive textures for certain designs; flocking creates a velvety feel to the case.

The process is simple: on the ARTdiVIN website, you select a bottle of premium wine, with options currently all coming from the Bordeaux region and ranging from €45 per bottle up to €1750, then you can choose either a handmade wooden wine case, or a 3D printed wine case. Certain designs can be customized as well, by adding a 3D printed bust of your choice! Bulens works with holographer Mark Florquin to 3D scan the person you want to feature on the wine case; for example, the person you give the wine to, or even a bust of yourself, so the receiver never forgets who gave them this unique gift. Once you’ve made your selections and customized your case, the ‘box and bottle’ will be carefully delivered to you. There is also the option of just ordering the case itself, without a bottle of wine. Just let them know the size and measurements of the bottle you want to use, and they will adapt your case. The wines and boxes available through ARTdiVIN don’t come cheap, so this might not be a gift for every occasion (unless you happen to have €3975 to spend on a special Pagoda Design box for everyone on your list), but the boxes will last longer than the wine inside the bottle, leaving this as a gift to be enjoyed long after the bottle itself has been repurposed.

ARTdiVIN is open to special design requests starting this January; Bulens wants to make sure his customers have the option of contributing creatively to their 3D printed wine case. Orders can currently be sent to almost 30 countries, including Austria, China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States (lucky me!). They will be adding additional countries soon, including Australia, India, and Turkey. Once you receive your wine case and bottle of wine, don’t forget to add these 3D printed wine corks and 3D printed wine racks to make your gift complete! Discuss in the 3D Printed Wine Cases forum at 3DPB.com.