Wine barrels transformed into rain barrels

By Judy Stark and Times Homes, Garden Editor
In print: Saturday, June 28, 2008

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From wine to water

Where do old wine barrels go when they die? If you're lucky, they'll become rain barrels in your yard. TerraCycle, a New Jersey manufacturer of eco-friendly home and garden products, is offering refurbished 55-gallon oak barrels from Kendall-Jackson, the California winemaker, transformed into rain barrels and rotary composters.

The rain barrels are hooked up to a downspout to store rainwater, which homeowners tap with a hose to water lawns, gardens or houseplants.

The composters turn grass clippings, leaves and other organic waste into rich fertilizer for the soil. The wine-barrel composter is on a roller system so it's easy to load and rotate, speeding up the natural breakdown process.

The barrels, once used to age chardonnay, are available at Home Depot, Sam's Club and other garden retailers. Details, including YouTube videos, are at terracycle.net. Suggested retail price is $150.