How To Ship Alcohol
There are four major shipping companies that are most commonly used by sellers shipping alcohol: UPS, FedEx, USPS, and DHL. All carriers that accept alcohol shipments will have a few things in common. First and foremost, you must indicate that the shipment contains alcohol, as a surcharge will be added to the delivery. And naturally, an adult over 21 must sign for the shipment. Besides these few similarities, these carriers will vary in quite a few ways.
How To Pack Wine In A Suitcase 12 Smart & Easy Tips
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Knowing how to pack wine in a suitcase can save you a lot of money, headaches, and heartache, when it comes to your favorite foreign wines.
From vineyard visits to bar tours, there are so many ways to discover delicious wines abroad. Often, these wines are too good not to buy a bottle or two.
But unlike new clothes or novelty gifts, wine bottles are not something you just throw into your suitcase. They are fragile, and they need to be packed with care.
To help ease the anxiety as you wait for your suitcase at the luggage belt, our 12 top tips for packing wine in a suitcase will help you pack your bottles with confidence.
A little know-how will help assure your quality wines grace your wine glasses at home, and not the bottom of your suitcase!
How Much To Ship Bottle Of Wine
A wine bottle weighing three pounds or less costs anywhere from $8 to $16 to ship in most scenarios. This information is particularly handy if youâre more likely to ship out single bottles of wine at a time.
The heavier the package and the longer the distance, the more it will cost to ship. You can mitigate such expenses by looking for bulk shipping rates and having dedicated picking and packing shifts.
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Wine Shipping: Travelling With More Than 12 Bottles Of Wine
If youre a real wine lover, or simply found an amazing wine that you just have to stock up on, and are planning on bringing over 12 bottles of wine back home with you, youre probably going to want to opt for wine shipping rather than wine luggage bags. This may be the most complicated method, however, it may be the most convenient and economical way for transporting large quantities of wine across borders.
Wait To Open Wine Bottles For At Least Seven Days After You Move
Do not open any wine right after you move. The general rule of thumb is to wait about a week after your move, but if your wine was in transport for more than one day, wait even longer. Opening a wine bottle, particularly an old one, immediately after transporting it can result in a loss of flavor or disjointed flavor due to vibrations. This is also known as bottle shock.
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Bspcs Tips For Moving Wine To Your New House Include:
- Dont pack wine bottles that have been opened
- Avoid wrapping bottles in newspaper, using small foam micro beads or bio-degradable packing made from cornstarch as if theres condensation the latter two will break down and do little to protect your bottles and may even cause staining on the labels
- Instead use acid and chemical free tissue paper if you need to wrap any bottles
- Use specialised wine packaging equipment like the inflatable airbags explained in the above section on shipping wine, alongside this, the Styrofoam or corrugated cardboard wine packaging boxes protect bottles well
- Make sure the bottles dont rattle around in whatever they are packaged in, do the gentle shake test and if you can hear movement, add some extra padding material
- If the bottles will be in transit for some time, make sure bottles with corks in are packed either sideways or upside down to ensure the cork stays moist
- Avoid moving during hot weather, to keep wine in the best condition its important to keep then at a constant temperature for wine storage that matches your cellar conditions
- If you are using removalists make sure you clearly label any wine boxes with FRAGILE and THIS WAY UP to avoid any issues
- If you are a serious collector and have invested a lot into your wine collection, we would highly recommend seeking professionals to help make sure your wines are packed correctly and transported in climate controlled vehicles
Expert tip:
Use Padded Wrapping And Void Fill Materials
- 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.
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Use Firm Inner Dividers
Sturdy inner partitions are essential if your wine shipment consists of multiple bottles. You can use cardboard dividers as a cost-effective option, molded fiber dividers are great because they are much lighter, and firm foam dividers will fill the void space in your shipping box.
Evaluate your options, and select the material that meets your needs and is within your budget. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure your bottles are secured and dont strike each other mid-shipment.
Wrap Each Wine Bottle Properly
You must first ensure your wine bottles are tightly corked before wrapping them. To ensure they dont loosen in transit, you can secure corks with wire cork cages. This is particularly important for sparkling wines like champagne.
To wrap your wine bottle properly:
- Lay your wine bottle in two or three sheets of wrapping paper with at least 8 inches overhang on the top and about four inches on the bottom of the bottle.
- Attach the edge of the wrapping paper to a side of the bottle and as you roll, mold or fold the top of the paper to the neck of the bottle to ensure it’s properly wrapped.
- Roll the bottle forward until it’s fully covered and tape it closed.
- Tuck the paper beneath the bottle, and mold it into a triangle shape before securing it with tape.
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Use White Tissue Papers Not Newspapers
The ink from newspapers can easily smear on your glasses, leaving you with a lot of clean up to do when youd rather just unpack and enjoy a celebratory glass. Instead, re-use or buy a new stack of white tissue paper for the occasion. You dont need to go crazy with each glass, just one sheet will be enough to protect them from scratches or dings!
How To Pack Wine Bottles For Moving
Wine is a living thing. It changes over time, and if it is not kept in the right conditions, it can be ruined. This is why it requires special attention during a move.
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 or even $2,000 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 wine bottles for moving:
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Wrap Your Wine Bottle In A Plastic Bag
Naturally, were aiming to stop your wine bottle breaking at all. However, you want to make sure you have a failsafe in place, in case it does.
For each bottle youre packing, place it inside a plastic bag, then tightly tie the top of the bag.
That way, if your bottle does unfortunately break, the plastic bag will hold the spilled liquid. You may lose your wine, but at least you wont ruin a suitcase of clothes.
Sealing And Labeling The Box
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Can I Ship Wine
If youre a wine retailer, youve certainly thought about how to send your wine to different places. In many cases, you will be able to send your wine across the world quite easily. But, the key is knowing all the restrictions and regulations so you understand how to navigate them. Here are a few things to know:
- Since all countries have different rules about shipping wine, its helpful to brush up on the wine export and import rules of the areas you ship to most frequently.
- In the US, you cant mail wine as a gift through the post office – you have to use commercial carriers like UPS or FedEx.
- Youll need to make sure your carrier is fully aware that your shipment contains wine
- Youll need to fill out paperwork like customs declarations, whether you intend the wine as a gift or as a commercial consignment.
- Check whether there are any additional taxes or duties that youll need to pay on the wine shipment – and if the answer is yes, find out how much itll cost and how you can make the payment.
Get The Right Packing Supplies
The most secure way to pack wine bottles is to use a specialty wine shipping box. You can find them online and have them shipped to you, or pick some up at a local shipping office.
Wine boxes are available in different sizes that will hold either one, six, or 12 bottles. Most include Styrofoam dividers that keep the bottles cradled snugly and prevent them from bumping against one another. These boxes are surprisingly expensive, but they are the best way to ensure your bottles will arrive without breaking. You can also keep the boxes and use them for trips home from the wine shop or to ship wine as a gift.
If you’re not terribly concerned about breakage, you can save some money and simply use cardboard cell boxes, which have cardboard dividers to separate the bottles. You can get these free at liquor stores or purchase them from shipping offices.
In addition to boxes, you’ll also need packing tape, packing paper , and a marker for labeling.
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Moving Wine To Your New Home
Whether you have hundreds or a few handfuls of bottle to move to your new home, its important the bottles are well looked after and make it in one piece.
Improper packaging can result in broken bottles and loss of flavor resulting in bottle shock .
Whenever wine goes on a decent trip its always recommended to let the wine rest for 7 days prior to opening just in case bottle shock has occurred.
The alternative is to drink as many of them as you can to reduce what you must move .
Keep Bubble Wrap Optional
When packing wine, bubble wrap should be treated as optional. Here are a few reasons why:
- It takes up a lot of space. Itâs no surprise that bubble wrap fills a lot of space, especially when itâs already wrapped around another item. If used excessively, bubble wrap can reduce your number of units shipped per box, which decreases your profit per sale.
- Itâs not the best cushioning material for wine. Objects of a different nature, like pottery or handmade jewelry, benefit more from bubble wrap than wine does. Due to its cylindrical shape, a wine bottle can easily slip out of bubble wrap or simply not stay put. Itâs best to have your box sizes down pat and only use firm partitions to keep wine bottles spaced out.
If you must use bubble wrap for any reason, wrap the bottles and lay them lengthwise in a box. This gives the bottles maximum safety and stability–a crucial part of learning how to package wine for shipping.
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Best Way To Pack Wine Glasses And Bottles: A Rundown
Though this part of packing takes a bit more time than your book boxes, youll be happy you took the time when moving day comes. Remember to always:
- Purchase the best packing materials
- Take extra care with antique items
- Wrap all parts of the wine glass gently
- Reinforce your box
- Label clearly and track with an inventory list
Spend a calm afternoon packing wine glasses way ahead of your move to be sure youre not rushed in the end. You can even enjoy a nice glass of wine as you go!
Tim Krupp
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Wine In Checked Luggage Using A Wine Tote Bag
A wine tote is a small sturdy bag which usually fits one or two bottles of wine and seals securely at the top. A wine tote will not only provide protection when you travel with wine in checked luggage, but its handle also makes it practical for transporting wine around with you when youre out exploring the vineyards and wineries during your trip.
What I especially like about this wine tote is that its built byBuilt who specialise in laptop sleeves. If they can make a protective product thats good enough for me to drop my +£1,000 Macbook from hip height and not even dent it , I feel like I can trust them with my wine. For some reason, Im more skilled at not dropping my wine. Practice, probably.
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The Correct Way To Pack Wine Glasses For A Move
Prevent toasting to your home from a plastic cup by saving your delicate wine glasses with these packing techniques.
Guest post by Co-Founder NorthStar Moving Company Laura McHolm
If you are one of the lucky folks on the move this month, you are probably up to your knees in boxes and packing paper. Youre trying to figure out how to pack everything so it ends up in one piece in your new home. Well, let us help you with one of the most difficult items to pack: wine glasses. Because of their odd shape they are often packed incorrectly and their delicate glass and long stems get broken in the moving process.
We have seen too many new homeowners sipping out of plastic cups after a move. Let the plastic frat house red cups be gone! Lets put some elegance into that new home from the start. Heres a simple step-by-step guide on how to properly pack wine glasses to keep them in one piece and easily accessible after move day
How To Package Wine For Shipping
Unlike t-shirts, electronics, and even other kinds of food, wine storage and serving temperature needs to be accounted for. Individual bottles are weighty, fragile, and temperature-sensitive, so they have to be handled properly to prevent bottle shock in wine.
Be sure to check out our wine storage guide, too–whether for your own establishment, advising customers, or both. For now, check out these tips on how to package wine for shipping and handling.
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When To Open Your Wine
Once your wine bottles arrive safely at your new home, it is best to wait seven days before opening. During the move, wine is in a state of unrest, and, as a result, opening the bottle of wine before it fully settles down will ruin your wine. You do not want to drink wine that has lost its flavor.
With these seven steps above in place, then you are ready to go. It will give you a peace of mind to know that your wine will arrive safely to its destination.
