How to Safely Transport Wine
Packing wine bottles for transport is simple with the correct supplies. When packed correctly, your wine collection is sure to arrive at its destination safely.
Materials needed:
Box with dividers - You can purchase these from moving companies or get them free at wineries, liquor stores, grocery stores, and restaurants.
Shipping tape
Wrapping paper or bubble wrap
Packing peanuts or newspaper
Marker
First, tape the bottom of the box generously to strengthen the box. The majority of the weight of the bottles will be distributed across the bottom of the box, so be sure to reinforce it thoroughly.
Wrap the bottles with the wrapping paper or bubble wrap. Begin by placing the bottle perpendicular to one of the corners of the paper and begin to roll the bottle. Fold the excess wrap on the sides toward the center as you roll the bottle. When done rolling, circle the bundle a few times with shipping tape to secure the wrap and any loose ends.
Place the wrapped bottles into the box dividers and fill in empty spaces with packing peanuts or newspaper. Be sure the bottles fit snugly in the dividers. When done packing the box, seal it with packing tape and label the box as fragile in big, visible letters.
During the transport, try to keep the box as stationary as possible and make sure there are not other boxes on top of it. Some like to place the box on its side so that the weight of the wine is distributed over a greater surface area of the wine bottles. Also, to prevent wine damage, try to keep the temperature as cold as possible. The ideal temperature to keep wine is generally accepted to be around 55°F.
Follow these simple steps, and you’ll soon be making a toast to successfully transporting your wine.
This article was written by Joseph Ho of uShip.com, an online marketplace for moving companies.
Nice article. Ambient environmental temperature is one other thing to keep in mind as you ship wine. How hot or cold will the wine get in transit? I have had a great deal of wone shipped to me the last several years, I tend to limit the shipments to late fall/early winter and later winter/early spring. The distance the wine has to travel also plays a role in my decision on which method to ship - ground vs air. Of course, ths will effect the total cost, so the value of the wine also plays a role in my decision on how I long I want it to travel in a box.