While walking through the village in recent months, some of you may have noticed some new construction has taken place, without any planning permission or permits! In the window of Uncorked! wine shop and tasting room at 14500 Big Basin Way, a new village has been developed. Okay, so it’s not a big construction, it's a village of birdhouses. They are the Carefully Corked birdhouses to be exact, made right here in Saratoga by resident Sally O’Hearn. It started as a hobby a couple of years ago when Sally decorated a basic wooden birdhouse with used wine corks, as a gift for a friend who enjoys wine and loves nature.
She decided to make a few different designs and then her imagination took over. She uses miniature shakes, “gingerbread” trims, and cute little accessories, all of which are made for dollhouse builders and miniature enthusiasts. Each birdhouse is unique, and sure to be an unusual and thoughtful gift.
Patrick Rupert, owner of Uncorked!, thought the birdhouses would fit in well at his business, as he already sells a wide selection of wine-related gifts. They sold well and as the weeks went by, a Christmas village scene appeared in his window, complete with snow, lights, and decorations! Patrick and several of his customers have been donating a steady supply of wine corks, as have many of Sally’s friends and neighbors. Uncorked! is the only retailer in Saratoga where you can find these very distinctive birdhouses. If you are in Los Gatos, they are also being sold at The Butter Paddle on North Santa Cruz Av. The Butter Paddle gift shop is staffed by volunteers and donates all profits to EMQ, a charity which helps children in need.
Some of the smaller birdhouses are currently being sold already gift-wrapped for Valentine’s Day, making a handy little gift to go with a bottle of wine. You can rest assured that no wine was harmed in the making of Carefully Corked birdhouses. In fact, as the label promises, “All wines were consumed humanely in Saratoga, CA”.
