A “riddling rack” is used in the champagne fermentation process. Riddling happens towards the end of the traditional method of making Champagne, and it is the process of periodically rotating a bottle a quarter of a turn while simultaneously tilting it until it's upside down. This movement causes sediment accumulating inside the bottle to slide down to the neck.
A client approached me a few years ago and wanted to incorporate a riddling rack he had acquired into a dining table. The challenge was how to use something with big holes in it as table surface. The obvious solution was to put it under glass. The rack rests on supports under the table and I rabbeted a ledge around the rack frame so that the glass sits flush with the surrounding wood frame.
Since then, I have made several versions of this table for clients all over the country. But rather than try to find vintage racks, I decided it was best to make my own so that they fit with the desired size of each table. Construction of the rack involves drilling 3” holes at a 40 degree angle into each plank and then using a nail gun to attach them to a subframe.
Another element of the design is to distress the racks to create a vintage look. To do this I use chains and awls to simulate wear and worm holes, then apply a coat of stain.
The video below shows a little chain action with a recent rack. It was a great way to work out some of the stress of this project.
Using a chain to distress the riddling rack that will be a central feature of a dining table.
See more versions of the Riddling Rack table here