July 24, 2015
The summer is a heavy travel season. Many of us are taking weekend trips and family vacations. If you’re traveling through wine country, you may find a bottle (or several) you want to take home with you. Traveling with bottles of wine (read: breakable, stain potential) isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do, but with these tips you can bring home your favorite vintages from vacation.
- Shipping is easier than packing.
First things first, if the winery or wine shop where you purchase the wine can ship it for you, that eliminates the hassle and risk of traveling with it in your suitcase. Many states allow direct shipping of wine, but there are some that don’t. Visit the Wine Institute’s website for an interactive map indicating the laws and regulations by state.
- Driving with wine.
If you know wineries are on your travel itinerary, bring a divided box along with you or ask the first winery you visit if you can have or purchase one from them. Remember that temperature can affect wine. If it’s sweltering outside, try not to leave your wine in the hot car for extended periods of time. If you know you might have to leave your wine in the car, consider bringing a cooler along for the ride.
- Flying with wine.
The most important thing to remember is that you absolutely cannot pack bottles of wine in your carryon luggage (The may be obvious to frequent travelers, but is still well worth mentioning). You will have to leave that treasured, delicious bottle at security if you try.
However, there are several ways to pack wine in your checked luggage.
- The socks, bubble wrap and a Ziploc bag trick as expertly demonstrated by Peaceful Bend Vineyards on their blog.
- Wineskins are specially shaped wine shippers that can be purchased online or at many wineries. Tip- If you are going to use your wineskin more than once, seal it with duct tape after the first use because the seal won’t be tight after the first use.
- Vinni Bags are also available for purchase online and at some wineries and specialty stores. They inflate around your breakables to provide custom-fit, leak-proof protection.
- Keep in mind that nothing is 100% guaranteed to keep your bottle of wine from breaking, so don’t pack it with clothes you would be devastated to have wine-stained upon arrival.
- If you are really serious about collect wine on your travels, there are specially designed wine suitcases that not only protect your wine from breaking and leaking everywhere, but also withstand the high temperatures of cargo holds during long flights.
For wine that is less than 24% alcohol by volume (most wines are), there is no restriction on how many bottles you can pack. Regular baggage fees do apply.
- Traveling by train with wine.
The same basic rules that apply to flying with wine also apply to riding on a train with wine. However, if you will be traveling in a sleeping car, you can bring a bottle on the train to enjoy during your trip. Don’t forget the corkscrew!
So, plan your next vacation to Missouri wine country, now you know how to get your favorite vintages back home safely.
Missouri wine pairs well with traveling!