To prevent spillage making a mess, I bottle over the top of my dishwasher. Set the bucket up on the counter above, open the dishwasher door, and use the open dishwasher door as kind of a table for your bottles. Then, any spillage gets cleaned the next time you run the dishwasher.
My first batch of wine was moscato (from a kit) and it seemed much higher than 11% ABV. I think that there are some side products sometimes that are made, that make homemade wine more intoxicating... maybe fusels or something? I don't know, but I had the same experience with my first batch.
My last batch of Island Mist was the Blackberry Merlot and it didn't get us drunk nearly as fast as that batch of moscato did.
I know the Island Mist is only supposed to be 6% and the moscato was supposed to be 11%, but the moscato was way more than twice as strong somehow.
Congratulations on your brew, and I highly recommend the apfelwein!