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Melrose residents Sheryl and Allan Kirkendall developed WineStems to solve the problem of how to enjoy wine in a glass while seated outside at summer concerts. In their design, semi-precious stones help solve the problem of whose glass belongs to whom.
Watching live music is an ideal time to enjoy a glass of wine. A glass of wine, though, should be enjoyed in an actual glass.
Then why do area residents drink fine wine out of a plastic cup while enjoying one of the county’s summer concerts?
It’s a question Melrose residents Allan and Sheryl Kirkendall posed to each other.
The couple faithfully attend Music on the Half Shell in Roseburg and Riverbend Live! in Winston. They like to pack a nice bottle of wine for a show.
They were drinking out of plastic cups. Allan Kirkendall said that’s a “terrible” way to drink wine.
“Then we went to stemware, and we were spilling it,” he said.
Kirkendall, a psychologist at the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, developed WineStems to solve the problem.
The invention, an outdoor wine glass holder, was created so the couple could enjoy a glass of wine in the park, even if they’re sitting on a hill.
It turns out they weren’t the only people interested in such a concoction.
The Kirkendalls also run an alpaca farm on their property and had a booth for their animals at the Christmas Fair last year. They decided to bring along some WineStems.
“We took them down there to see if they’d sell,” Allan Kirkendall said, “And they sold.”
‘KEEP BENDING’
The initial design wasn’t complicated or fancy.
“Set up jigs. Keep bending,” Kirkendall said of how he made the prototype.
The chrome steel poles were bent to form a circular holder that could support a typical piece of stemware. At first, though, they didn’t go into the ground smoothly.
Kirkendall added a thumb loop — or handle — to make staking them into the ground simple. The pieces each weigh only 2 1/2 ounces.
“If you don’t hit a tree root, you can put it in pretty darn hard ground,” he said.
The initial designs didn’t really stand out, either.
While they were made to prevent spilling, they could easily be missed by passers-by and knocked over. So, Sheryl added an artistic touch.
She wrapped copper wire around the handle and hung glass beads off it from a nickel-plated chain. Eventually, she replaced the beads with gemstones.
“As soon as Sheryl decorated it, they got plenty of attention,” her husband said.
The couple put their invention to use at the last few shows of last year’s local concert season. People started asking about them.
That encouraged the Kirkendalls to try them out at the Christmas Fair. They then took the WineStems to a Portland attorney, who told them it could be patented.
From there, the Kirkendalls took their invention to the McMinnville Wine & Food Classic in March.
They were told 3,000 people went through the show. They have also been told that selling to 1 percent of people at any given show should be a goal, if not a lofty one.
They sold 70 in McMinnville, or more than double that target.
“We were just met with overwhelming response,” Sheryl Kirkendall said.
FAMILY BUSINESS
Their children have also gotten involved. Son Geoff Kirkendall and daughter Andrea Downing, along with her husband Elliott, form the “southwest division” of the company, living in Arizona.
They’ve also been taking the WineStems to food and wine shows, and even had it admitted at a Phoenix art show.
Allan Kirkendall said their motto has been, “it’s art — with a purpose.”
“It’s more than something that’s just functional,” he said. “It looks nice. It’s a feel-good product.”
WineStems are sold for $9.50, plus shipping, at www.winestemcompany.com. The Kirkendalls said they’d like to get them positioned in catalogues, wineries and boutique shops.
The product will have a presence at the Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival in Washington Aug. 25-27, as well as the LA Wine Fest 2006 in Los Angeles Sept. 16-17.
Allan Kirkendall said they are also planning to work with a manufacturer, as it’s reaching a point where it’s too time consuming to make them by hand.
He said he works for “probably 20 cents an hour” when he figures the time he’s put into making the pieces.
They aren’t turning a profit on the invention yet, as “patents are expensive,” Allan Kirkendall said.
Right now, though, the WineStems are more than just an attempt to make money.
“This is a family effort and that is probably the biggest draw,” Sheryl Kirkendall said. “It’s something that we’re going to pass on.”
• You can reach reporter Paul Craig at 957-4211 or by e-mail at pcraig@newsreview.info.
Then why do area residents drink fine wine out of a plastic cup while enjoying one of the county’s summer concerts?
It’s a question Melrose residents Allan and Sheryl Kirkendall posed to each other.
The couple faithfully attend Music on the Half Shell in Roseburg and Riverbend Live! in Winston. They like to pack a nice bottle of wine for a show.
They were drinking out of plastic cups. Allan Kirkendall said that’s a “terrible” way to drink wine.
“Then we went to stemware, and we were spilling it,” he said.
Kirkendall, a psychologist at the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, developed WineStems to solve the problem.
The invention, an outdoor wine glass holder, was created so the couple could enjoy a glass of wine in the park, even if they’re sitting on a hill.
It turns out they weren’t the only people interested in such a concoction.
The Kirkendalls also run an alpaca farm on their property and had a booth for their animals at the Christmas Fair last year. They decided to bring along some WineStems.
“We took them down there to see if they’d sell,” Allan Kirkendall said, “And they sold.”
‘KEEP BENDING’
The initial design wasn’t complicated or fancy.
“Set up jigs. Keep bending,” Kirkendall said of how he made the prototype.
The chrome steel poles were bent to form a circular holder that could support a typical piece of stemware. At first, though, they didn’t go into the ground smoothly.
Kirkendall added a thumb loop — or handle — to make staking them into the ground simple. The pieces each weigh only 2 1/2 ounces.
“If you don’t hit a tree root, you can put it in pretty darn hard ground,” he said.
The initial designs didn’t really stand out, either.
While they were made to prevent spilling, they could easily be missed by passers-by and knocked over. So, Sheryl added an artistic touch.
She wrapped copper wire around the handle and hung glass beads off it from a nickel-plated chain. Eventually, she replaced the beads with gemstones.
“As soon as Sheryl decorated it, they got plenty of attention,” her husband said.
The couple put their invention to use at the last few shows of last year’s local concert season. People started asking about them.
That encouraged the Kirkendalls to try them out at the Christmas Fair. They then took the WineStems to a Portland attorney, who told them it could be patented.
From there, the Kirkendalls took their invention to the McMinnville Wine & Food Classic in March.
They were told 3,000 people went through the show. They have also been told that selling to 1 percent of people at any given show should be a goal, if not a lofty one.
They sold 70 in McMinnville, or more than double that target.
“We were just met with overwhelming response,” Sheryl Kirkendall said.
FAMILY BUSINESS
Their children have also gotten involved. Son Geoff Kirkendall and daughter Andrea Downing, along with her husband Elliott, form the “southwest division” of the company, living in Arizona.
They’ve also been taking the WineStems to food and wine shows, and even had it admitted at a Phoenix art show.
Allan Kirkendall said their motto has been, “it’s art — with a purpose.”
“It’s more than something that’s just functional,” he said. “It looks nice. It’s a feel-good product.”
WineStems are sold for $9.50, plus shipping, at www.winestemcompany.com. The Kirkendalls said they’d like to get them positioned in catalogues, wineries and boutique shops.
The product will have a presence at the Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival in Washington Aug. 25-27, as well as the LA Wine Fest 2006 in Los Angeles Sept. 16-17.
Allan Kirkendall said they are also planning to work with a manufacturer, as it’s reaching a point where it’s too time consuming to make them by hand.
He said he works for “probably 20 cents an hour” when he figures the time he’s put into making the pieces.
They aren’t turning a profit on the invention yet, as “patents are expensive,” Allan Kirkendall said.
Right now, though, the WineStems are more than just an attempt to make money.
“This is a family effort and that is probably the biggest draw,” Sheryl Kirkendall said. “It’s something that we’re going to pass on.”
• You can reach reporter Paul Craig at 957-4211 or by e-mail at pcraig@newsreview.info.
