How To Pack Wine Bottles
Liquor stores often have leftover wine boxes fit with the separators from their last delivery. However, these boxes are not meant for long-distance travel. Reinforce your boxes or choose styrofoam, plastic or wood wine cases for extra safety. Moving your wine collection particularly if its higher in worth is also about maintaining the quality and integrity of your investments so you dont want to skimp on packing materials here.
Moving Tips: How To Pack Wine & Spirits
If youre getting ready to move, one of the issues youll need to tackle is how to pack and transport your wine and spirits. Whether youre moving a $20 bottle or a $200 bottle, the last thing you want is a mess or to find it ruined when you open it in your new home.
Here are some helpful tips on how to pack your bottles so theyll arrive safe and sound:
Use Firm Inner Partitions
Inner partitions are essential when it comes to shipping more than one bottle of wine. Molded fiber dividers are useful because of their light weight. Firm foam dividers are also great because they fill void space in the box and make boxes easier to stack.
Research materials and figure out whatâs within your budget. Thereâs no right or wrong approach here, other than ensuring bottles donât strike each other mid-shipment or fall over in the box.
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How To Pack And Ship Wine Bottles By Mail Or Courier
Are you a business owner looking for the best way to ship wine to your customers and partners internationally? Or would you like to send a bottle of wine as a gift to your friends and family? Find here the best logistics solutions for shipping wine by courier within Europe or abroad. Check how to properly pack a bottle of wine to ensure safe transit and get the best wine courier service to send it.
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The Right Way To Pack Wine Bottles For Moving
Most of the people think moving wine is an easy task. Unfortunately, they are not aware of the risks involved. The wine bottles can easily break if not packed correctly. Moreover, wine is a perishable item that can lose its flavor if it is not moved under favorable conditions. Whether you are moving the whole cellar or just a case, maintain the integrity of the wine must be on the top of your mind.
Are you thinking about how to pack wine bottles for moving? We have highlighted the right way to pack your wine collection for safely move to your new house. Read on to know more about packing wine bottles.
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If Youre Using Bubble Wrap Use It Over The Tissue Paper
Padding your glasses directly with bubble wrap creates a certain kind of grip between the plastic and crystal, which can mean broken stems or crushed glasses. Dont ask us about the science we just know what happens. Use a layer of tissue paper between the bubble wrap and glassware, and your goblets will be protected.
Wine Shipping Using Wine Shipping Companies
Using specialist wine shipping companies is the safest way to ship your wine back home. If you want to use recognisable brands like UPS and FedEx, do your research first because you will often find that they wont ship your wine unless you have a licence. And thats not to mention that these providers arent specialist wine shipping companies so they may not treat your wine with as much care as the specialists.
Mostly, youre going to have to rely on the wineries you visit and hope they have an established international wine shipping service in place. And then there is the question of cost. Mostly, I have found the international wine shipping services to be almost prohibitively expensive. So, Id really recommend planning ahead contact the wineries if you think youre going to ship a large quantity home.
Hey, it might be cheaper to fly back to the region with your wine suitcase, and would that be such a bad thing? Two trips to Italy thats terrible, said no-one ever.
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Use Padded Wrapping And Void Fill Materials
You want to keep your wine as close to immobile as possible when its in transit. The less it can move, the lower the chances are of it being damaged. Look into the many great shipping materials available for packaging wine for shipment, including:
- Cardboard dividers that fit snugly around the bottles are a classic and cost-effective option.
- Recyclable and biodegradable air pillows are an eco-friendly and reusable void fill solution.
- Dunnage air bags are perfect for preventing large shipments from bumping up against other cargo during transit.
Dont Check In A Cardboard Crate Of Wine
When you buy a case of wine from some vineyards or wineries, you may receive it in a cardboard crate. Even if the crate is packed tightly with dividers in between each bottle, dont check this directly into the hold.
You wouldnt use a few pieces of strong paper to separate your wine in your suitcase, would you? Without proper protection and padding, you run a very real risk of your wine bottles getting smashed before they make it home.
Flying with wine can be a challenge but only if you dont think ahead or have the right luggage. One of the biggest mistakes people make is turning up at a vineyard and thinking they will leave empty-handed. Even the most lightweight packers tend to come away with a bottle or two. The wine at the wineries is far superior to what youll find at home. And what better way to transport you back to your trip when you get home than opening up a bottle of wine that you bought overseas? With these ways of flying with wine, you can do just that.
Do you have experience flying with wine? Got any wine travel bags to recommend or any other wine travelling tips to share? Let me know in the comments below.
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Wrap Each Wine Bottle
If you do not use a wine box or a wine shipping crate to pack your wine bottles, the other option available to you is the regular moving boxes. When using regular boxes, you will need to take special care because they do not have the cells that wine boxes and crates have to protect your wine bottles. This makes it important for you to wrap each wine bottle before placing it in the regular box. Wrap each wine bottle with two or three sheets of packing paper and secure it with tape before placing it in the box. Ensure to cushion the box with sheets of packing paper before placing the wrapped wine bottles in the box.
When you are done placing the wine bottles in the moving box, ensure that there is no space in the moving box. Space n the box will allow for moving and clanking when the items are in transit. If there is space in the box, place extra sheets of packing paper fill up space in the box.
Test Your Box By Tilting It
Once your box can be closed, pick it up and tip it to one side. Do you hear or feel bottles shifting inside the box? If so, your current eCommerce packaging or layout isnât going to suffice.
You should be able to tip your box from side to side without unwanted shifting. While delivery drivers donât handle products carelessly, they still need to be able to rapidly move boxes in and out of trucks. Ensuring your wine shipments can handle a couple bumps in the road equals peace of mind for you and your buyers.
Running an online or hybrid beverage business means youâll be sending packages out frequently. Rather than figuring it all out yourself, take advantage of BlueCart eCommerce and the tools we offer.
BlueCartâs shipping capabilities aggregate our customersâ buying power to negotiate the best possible rates from more than 60 shipping companies. Calculate costs, print labels or a packing slip with a thermal printer, create an RMA number to track returns, and more. Book a demo now to see what BlueCart can do for you.
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How To Ship Bottles Safely
As lockdown continues and we spend more time than ever at home, delivery of wine and spirits has never been more in demand.
The big guns in the world of mail-order drinks such as Laithwaites, Virgin and Naked Wines had to stop sales short-term to cope with the surge while new names to the game are springing up daily, all looking to supply and succeed.
A big factor for all of these companies, old or new, will be how to ship bottles to their customers without damage.
bottle packaging advice
First of all, select an appropriately sized pack for your bottle. Dont try to fit too many in one pack without the appropriate protection for each.
Once youve selected the right pack, the best way to guarantee minimal movement within the package and the intact arrival of the product is by packing the bottle as tightly as possible.
For extra protection, ensure the top, middle and bottom of the bottle are well-protected by its packing material. The weakest points of a wine bottle are the neck and base and these are often the first to break if the package is dropped. Consider a packaging material that protects 100% of the bottle.
Using a thick-walled corrugate carton will give your bottle an extra layer of protection. Occasionally, for heavier, more expensive or multipacks of bottles, a double-walled carton can give more stability and security to your valuable product. This isnt always required for lighter or single bottles, however.
THE SOLUTION
How To Pack Wine In A Suitcase Summary
If youre a wine lover, youre always going to want to bring new and exciting wines home with you.
These wines deserve to be drunk by you, friends, and family, not seeping into your clothes and the lining of your suitcase.
Dont take any chances when you travel. If you know youre likely to bring wine home with you, make sure you prepare beforehand.
All the methods and gear discussed in this guide are simple yet effective ways to pack wine in your suitcase.
Wherever your travels take you next, have fun trying and exploring new wines.
Inevitably, when its time to bring home a bottle or two, youll have plenty of tips at your disposal to deliver them safely, in-tact, and ready for tasting!
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Wine Suitcases Weight Restrictions
The reason that both of these types of wine luggage only hold up to 12 bottles of wine is the hold luggage weight restriction. Either of these bags, when filled, will weigh below the standard weight limit of 23kg/50lb for checking luggage into the hold of a plane, saving you money on overweight luggage fees.
Tip:
- Ive just weighed the 4 bottles of Prosecco I bought back from my last trip to Italy and they were pretty consistently 1.5kg/3.30lb each. That should help you when youre plotting how many bottles of wine you can get in your suitcase.
- I usually do my wine planning before I leave home, calculating approximately how many bottles I want to bring home, deducting the weight from my overall allowance and packing a few kilos under what my return home luggage weight will be.
- I use a cheap set of travel luggage scales to make sure I dont overpack on the way out. These pack really small so you can even take them with you to avoid that awkward repack at the check-in desk.
- Dont forget to use your entire luggage allowance. Even if youre checking a wine suitcase, you probably also have a cabin baggage allowance to use for your clothes and travel-size toiletries. If you can pack light, you may be able to avoid paying for a second checked bag.
Travel With A Hardside Suitcase
Many travelers prefer to travel a hardside suitcase, due to the added protection it gives their luggage.
Whereas traditional suitcases can squash and dent beneath other suitcases, hardside suitcases maintain their structure.
This means they can absorb bigger bumps and hits. For both wine and other fragile items, than can be a worthwhile investment.
There are plenty of quality hardside suitcases on the market, from a range of reputable brands. For frequent travelers, its worth getting a suitcase that lasts longer.
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Choose A Strong Wine Box
Shipping companies set reinforced cardboard boxes with wine bottle separators as well as sleeves and cases for individual boxes. Base your choice on the value of your collection.
Less-expensive bottles can be packed similarly to your wine glasses:
Pricier bottles in your collection are best kept in individual wine cases that then stack within reinforced boxes. Wooden crates and boxes that came with the wine are also good alternatives, as they often include space for additional padding and provide a more eco-friendly option than styrofoam.
Do Not Open Wine Bottles Immediately After The Move
You will need to avoid opening your wine bottles for at least seven days after the move. If the move required driving for more than a day, then you will need to wait for a period longer than seven days. This is because the movement of the truck causes the wine to shake. This vibration can result in bottle shock. The bottles will need sufficient time after the move to recover from the vibrations. Opening them before they have had time to recover can result in loss of flavor. What is your wine worth when it has lost its flavor? It becomes worthless. So, it is good for you to wait a little so as not to lose the quality of your wine.
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How To Pack Wine Bottles For Moving
Wine does not appreciate being disturbed. It is important to do what you can to maintain a consistent temperature for it. If you are planning your move in advance then you have time to order wine shipping containers. These look a lot like egg cartons. Some enclose around a bottle while others stack. Alternately, you can use the cell boxes or liquor boxes for this purpose, as well.
How To Pack Wine Or Liquor In Your Luggage
Wine, liquor, spirits of all sorts these are some of the finest gifts you can purchase while travelling. Many regional varieties of alcohol from around the world are sold as souvenirs, as gifts, as mementos, or just as something nice to bring home. That, though, is always the problem, isnt it? Bringing your purchased beverage home. How should you pack it away for safe travel, so you minimize the risk of a spill, a broken bottle, or another disaster?
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Wine In Checked Luggage Using A Wine Bottle Travel Protector
If you dont trust your clothes alone to protect your wine, another cheap and safe method for packing wine in checked luggage is to invest in a specialist wine bottle travel protector.
Inflatable wine travel protectors or sleeves are a secure way to transport wine in your suitcase without running the risk of breakage. These handy little wine travel protectors come flatpack with a pump and can be blown up when needed to form a thick layer of padding for your wine. Either invest in one or two sturdy self-inflating wine sleeves such as the WineHug, which can be deflated and re-used over and over again, or opt for a multi-pack of inflatable wine sleeves which come with a small pump.
Wine Skins are also great for packing wine in checked luggage. With a bubble-packaging interior and vinyl exterior, Wine Skins are secure, easy to use and leak-resistant in case of an accident. I used one of these on a trip to South Africa and although I only had two bottles, it gave me a lot more confidence than if Id just been using my clothes.
Give Your Wine Time To Settle
Most wines, especially reds, will need time to settle after being moved. Sommeliers call this bottle shock when the flavor of the wine goes off because the acidity and alcohol are disturbed by being shaken or exposed to varying temperatures. So if you want to be sure youre getting the best side of your fine wines, let them sit for at least a week after you move before opening them.
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Think About The All The Moving Parts
Before even thinking about your wine, think about where it is. You need to consider your surroundings.
Ask yourself the following:
- What will you need to navigate during the move?
- Are there stairs? How many flights?
- What is parking like at my current and future home?
- How far is your wine is from the moving vehicle?
Joe said, Each part of the move adds complexity. You start thinking you can move 10-15 cases of wine yourself. Then, you realize youre packing, walking upstairs, down the driveway and into a van thats too small.
We asked Chris Zago, General Manager of Domaine Saint Louis, about moving wine. I always tell the new team members to pace themselves. They sprint out of the gates, and then theyre exhausted. The worst part of is letting them know theyre less than a third done.
Determining how will get your wine from origin to destination is the first step. Once you figure out how, you should ask yourself, Am I going to need help to do this?
