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1. Don't just wine, put sox on it

   13.Dec.06, 19:23 EST
   
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   Winesox dress up a bottle of wine By Kathryn Reed Bears and wine. It’s a combination Marc Ockerman came up with in spring 2005 when three tiny cubs and a mama bear called his back deck home for about a week. The founder of Winesox knew one day a 750ml bottle of wine would be decked out in a fuzzy bear sox. He picked up six palettes of the brown, tan and white bears from the Port of Oakland in October. “It took a long time to get the face correct,” Ockerman said of his bears. “You have to tweak things and then document what you’ve done.” The finished product is a decorative garment of sorts for a wine bottle. Sox begin with Ockerman sketching an idea, fine-tuning it and sketching some more. Janna York of South Lake Tahoe creates many of the prototypes – including the bears. Then they are made in China. Ockerman says he’s been artistic most of his life, having taken a few art classes, but for the most part is self-taught. Winesox came to be in August 2003 after the entrepreneur finally tired of showing up at people’s homes with wine in a brown bag. He runs the business from his Upper Kingsbury Grade home with the assistance of York, an employee who oversees packaging and shipping, and a sales person who is expected to start by the end of the year. In October, wholesalers began placing orders for the brown, tan and white bears that retail for $10.99. In November, they became available at Dart Liquor, the only local retailer which carries them, and on www.winesox.com. Instead of hiding the wine label like some of the bags do, a see-through pouch allows the receiver to know what’s inside. Or the pouch can be used to stick a business card in or a picture, depending on the occasion. The bottle slips in the fuzzy bear suit of sorts. The arms can be Velcroed together or hold accessories like a package at the holidays or a heart for Valentine’s Day. A soft scarf and beanie in muted red, cream and green round out the ensemble. Ockerman plans to accessorize the bears with items like black ties. In keeping with his desire to give back locally, Ockerman is donating $2 from the sale of each bear off his website to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care. Linda Van Dam, owner of Dart, is donating $1 per bear sale to LTWC. Her supply arrived on Nov. 13. Through the end of the year, the time period of the fund-raising event, Ockerman said $3,000 could be raised for the South Lake Tahoe nonprofit that rehabilitates wildlife. “I’m an animal lover,” Ockerman said of why he made this arrangement with LTWC. “They are doing a lot of things to try to expand. Who else would you call if you have a wounded animal?” In October, the LTWC board accepted the proposed donation by Winesox. “I think it’s very generous of him,” said Cheryl Millham, executive director of LTWC. “Every little bit helps when you are buying food for animals. All of these guys have to eat every day.” Ironically, a bear cub will be released by LTWC this month in Mendocino County, where it came from. Ockerman said the family of bears on his property played all day, climbing in the trees, swinging on branches, while the mama was sunning herself on the deck. Tahoe inspires creative juices to flow like few other places. Winesox are more than just bags – though he has those too. Bags are sheer, decorative, festive and colorful. Next up are a line of cat and dog sox. Ockerman wants to release six new sox a year. For the past few months the metal wine holders have been his bigger sellers – especially at Dart. He attributes this to the athletic minded person who lives and visits here. A skier, golfer, tennis player and barbecuer are available. His privately held company, whose profits are also private, has the decorative bags in retail outlets from coast to coast. Before Thanksgiving, L’Ecole Winery in Lowden, Wash., ordered a slew of bags that they intend to ship to their wine club members. Ockerman filled an order for Colibri Ridge in Fair Play this fall as well. More vintners in Washington, Oregon and Idaho have placed orders than wineries in California. “My goal is to be the biggest distributor of wine bags,” Ockerman said. For more information, go to www.winesox.com.