Traveling with Wine: Single Bottles (part 2)

Yesterday I talked about getting a case of wine to and from (usually from) one location to another. Today let’s talk about the slightly more common practice of getting just a couple of bottles from place to place, without having them shatter in your suitcase.

Remember, wine (and corkscrews) have to be checked luggage, so you need to find a way to pad your bottles. Make sure they aren’t on the edges of your suitcase (where other bags can bang into them) and are well padded on all sides.

• T-shirts and socks. Wrap your wine in a plastic bag and then wrap it up in t-shirts, pajamas, and/or socks. The plastic is to semi-protect your clothing if the bottle does break. When we first started checking wine, this was our de facto way of getting it places (usually getting it home).  Between the two of us, Kevin and I have brought back a case this way from California.
• Wine skins. Honestly, wine skins are sort of hard to find if you’re not a winery. I’ve been trying to find a way to sell them myself, branded as Wine-Girl, but the manufacturer makes it very hard. Kevin and I love wine skins, but they are a one-time deal. Once you double-seal that package, you cannot re-use it. In the past, I’ve duct taped the thing closed, so that I could use it again, but that’s really not all that effective. Our Flickr slideshow on Wine Skins:
• Wine diapers. I positively hate the name of this product, but it really does work. Back in the autumn, I was sent several Wine Diapers and I’m still using them.  They are plastic bags with several layers of padding inside. Wine diapers seal with a ziplock, so they are re-usable. I’ve been able to get about 4-5 trips out of each wine diaper. So far, nothing has broken or spilled, so I can’t attest to how well it protects your clothing if there is breakage, but so far it protects the wine.
  YouTube Video on the Wine Diaper:

Finally, keep the weight in mind. I use a luggage scale when I travel. Wine definitely adds to the weight of my suitcase. Just remember that it matters when you show up at the airport and you’re suddenly at 50.5 lbs, and Delta wants to charge you for Excess Weight.

With all this hassle, is it worth it? Personally, yes. Whether I’ve discovered new wine I want to share back at home or I’m just trying to have a bottle in my hotel room over several nights, I can’t imagine not traveling with wine.

Full disclosure: The Wine Diaper folks sent me the
wine diapers at no charge.
Suitcase image used under Creative Commons from Paul Lowry.