For many, enjoying a great glass of wine is part of the travel experience in excellent wine countries like France, Spain, Italy and Greece. Finding great wines may have you buying a bottle or two to take back home. There are a few ways to protect wine in your luggage.
Packing Wine Safely
If you’re not a seasoned pro already, here are a few tips to make sure your wine gets home with you.
- Pack it in your checked luggage. Large bottles of liquids are banned from planes. So you have to pack your wine away.
- Consider investing in a hard suitcase to minimize the effects of impact.
- In your hard suitcase, be sure to cushion the wine. Don’t pack the bottles near the sides of the suitcase. Wrap each bottle in a good amount of clothes and place each one in the bag. Pack your luggage as tight as possible to nothing can move around. If you’re an oenophile, you might want to invest in a wine-transport product.
- What’s a wine-transport product? Wine and travel lovers buy these specialist bags and holders to protect wine in luggage. They are also a great idea for olive oils, vinegars and other bottled items susceptible to breakage during a flight. The JetBag and the Wineskin are two examples of sealable bags featuring a protective layer where the bottle sits, so in case the bottle does accidently break there’s no liquid to clean up. Another option is the cleverly designed, self-inflating WineHug.
- If you are really serious about your wine and intend to transport an entire case of it, you can purchase airplane ready options. Start out with a styrofoam containers designed for wine then pack them in wine check luggage. This specialized luggage has been specifically designed for checking up to 15 bottles of wine and is airline approved
Fly with Wine
Also, don’t worry about temperature fluctuations. The plane’s hold is below cabin temperature. Many wines can handle a few hours of cold. The only possible exception is Champagne.
When it comes to precious vintage wines, keep in mind vibration and shaking can destroy them. That is why thick padding around the bottle is very important.
So next time you’re in a lovely wine region of the world, including Greece, don’t hesitate to bring back your favorite wine to enjoy when the trip is over.
Do you have a strategy for packing wine bottles?
