Travelling and world-class wine almost always go hand-in-hand. Especially if you’ve planned a special wine tour in a far-away location.
But, what about if this happens:
You’ve just spent one of the best weeks of your life touring around the Loire Valley, sampling some of the best wines money can buy. A few bottles really spoke to you, so you bought them to take home.
Now, you have to take them home. What to do?
Do you wrap the bottles in a towel, shove them in the middle of your suitcase, then hope for the best with your fingers and toes crossed?
This might get the bottle home, but who knows what condition it will be in.
- The bottle might crack and break. ‘Throwers’ (baggage handlers) aren’t known for their gentleness. In the words of one baggage handler I knew, “if it looks like it might fit in a stack, it’s going in that stack, one way or another.” Can your towel protect the wine bottles from a determined shoulder-check?
- The bottle will be exposed to extreme temperatures. Baggage cabins just aren’t insulated or pressurized the same way internal cabins are. The drastic temperature shift can change the wine itself. It’s cold at 30,000 feet!
- The bottle will be shaken. Ever wonder why baggage handlers are called ‘throwers’? They do what they have to, to load the plane as fast as possible.
Travelling with Wine in Your Bags Step #1: Check the Airline Rules
Airlines now have strict rules about liquids.
Years ago, you could take bottles on the plane with you. Not anymore.
When going through customs, the agents may confiscate your $100 bottle of wine due to regulations. They’re just doing their jobs, keeping people safe according to policies. But, that may mean your bottle has to go.
It will be up to the guards to dispose of the wine. And they can’t drink it. After all, they’re removing it because it could be explosive.
Travelling with Wine in Your Bags Step #2: Check the Country Rules
Every country has a unique set of rules about how much alcohol you can bring back.
By law, you’ll have to declare all of the bottles you buy. If you’re not truthful and the customs agents search and seize the ‘excess’ wine, you won’t be a very happy connoisseur.
Don’t think that you can hide your wine in your suitcase either.
If you’re only allowed 2 bottles and the x-ray technician sees three, they’ll be sure to say something.
Even if the extra bottle is for your dying grandmother, who just wanted one last glass from her home country before she passes on from this world… customs agents have their rules to follow. They don’t care.
Travelling with Wine in Your Bags #3: Arrange for Transport
Worst-case scenario, you’re shoving the bottle in your luggage and hoping for the best. Here’s what to do in that case, but I can’t make any guarantees.
- First, wrap the bottle in something water-tight. A plastic bag could do. That way if it breaks, your white shirts won’t all become red wine coloured.
- Second, put the bottle in a sock, then pad with other clothing items. Place the bottle right in the middle of your luggage. It’s your packing job vs. the throwers.
- Third, a soft cooler could help with the temperature change and better protect the bottle in the process.
The next step up in protection is a specially made wine sleeve. These sleeves are water-tight, padded well, and resistant to temperature flux. Some are even pretty easy to carry. Price range runs about $20 to $50.
The last thing you could do is to talk to the vineyard instead of buying the bottle outright. They may be able to ship the bottle to your house overseas, for a fee.
Ask yourself… “Is it worth it, to have that bottle back home to remind me of my trip?” Sometimes, it really is.
Good luck, and enjoy!
