Whether you’re planning to visit the Cape Winelands in South Africa or Tunisia’s Cape Bon Peninsula, you probably want to bring some of the delicious wine back with you.
But to avoid any problems in transport, here are some tips on how to pack wine in your suitcase.
Before you even begin to pack, you should ask the winery if they have any molds or wine boxes meant for transport in a suitcase.
These will normally do the trick, but they are often not available or overpriced.
Definitely inquire about any shipping costs as well, as some wineries offer deals depending on how much wine you buy.
Assuming you don’t go with either of those routes, you’ll need to pack.
You should never pack any wine bottles in your carry on as they will likely ask you to leave it when you go through security.
Next, be sure to check your restrictions depending on what country your traveling to and from.
Once you begin packing, one of the simplest methods of packing a wine bottle is to put it in a sock, then put several pieced of clothing around the bottle to protect it.
Adding bubble wrap around the wine and placing it in the middle of your bag adds extra security.
If you do this method, you’ll also want to put a sealed plastic bag around them, just in case they happen to break and ruin your clothes.
This usually works, but things can move around a lot when the bag is being off loaded from the plane to baggage claim.
An even better solution is to purchase special wine gear for traveling.
Several companies make bags and transport cases specifically designed for wine, including WineSkin, WineBags, VinniBag and Brookstone — some of the cases can carry up to a dozen bottles.
