Between corks and bottles, there are a million innovative ways to recycle wine stuff. Here are some of my current favorites:

The 15,000-cork wall: In NYC, Frankly Wines has made a wall out of corks--15,000 of them, to be exact. And I thought my collection was big.

The Wine Bottle Terrarium: If you've got a green thumb, consider trying Dr. Vino's garden-in-a-bottle. A clear bottle works best.

The Plant Nanny: I actually have these and a. love them because I rarely have to water and b. get comments from envious visitors all the time. If you've seen those globe plant-watering thingamagigies, this is just like that only instead of an expensive globe, you just stick a wine bottle into the Plant Nanny, which slowly releases the water into your plant. My dwarf lemon and lime trees love them.

Wine bottle candle holder: Handy with DIY? Make these easy candle holders by slicing off the bottoms of wine bottles. (Pictured)

Recycled wine glass counters: Redoing your kitchen? Make your next counter extra-special with these counters made from recycled wine bottles. Talk about different--every counter has a unique pattern because it's recycled.

Refillable bottles: Remember the refillable mugs at gas stations? I used to have one that I could refill for $.50 in college (and I did, all the time). An Idaho winery is selling refillable wine bottles with the same concept: take it back in, get a refill for less.

Getting the cork out of a bottle of champagne can be a challenge, especially if you don't have the bubbly stuff enough to actually practice. If the bottle has (accidentally) had a shake or two, the cork could fly out with enough force to break one of your flutes - and what would you use to serve your champagne, then?

Fortunately, Dv. Vino has a very helpful guide to opening champagne on his site, complete with pictures that will give you an idea of what you're aiming for. First, he covers how to "look like an aggressive moron" - in other words, he tells you what to avoid doing - before really telling you how to smoothly pop the cork out like a sommelier (place your hand over the cork as you gently twist, as Jonathan mentioned the other day) and how to use a champagne saber to look really slick at a party.

My own method involves putting a thin dishtowel on top of the bottle. Not only does it help me to keep a grip on the cork as I work it out, but it prevents flyaways and will catch any bubbly that decides to fizz its way out of the bottle.

The more you spend on a bottle of wine, the higher your expectations are for it. After all, if you are going to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a bottle, the wine should really give you an experience that is worth the cost. If it doesn't, you may as well stick with the $10 and under bottles. The biggest risk with an old bottle of wine is not just with the flavor, however, it is with storage. A wine that has been improperly stored can be ruined - and there is no way of knowing until you open up the bottle.

Dr. Vino recent got together with a vintner who personally uncorks every wine, testing it before it leaves the cellar, to make sure that it is good. He also tops them up with the current vintage if they pass inspection, and adds a shot of SO2 before recorking them. A buyer is guaranteed to get good wine, but as Dr. Vino asked, do the additions somehow take away from the original wine? The answer depends on whether your goal is to get an "authentic", but risky wine, or one that is guaranteed to be drinkable and delicious.