As a wine tourist, you regularly come across that one vintage or grape that you simply can’t resist. Whether it has an exceptional flavour, a beautiful story or simply reminds you of good times, it’s normal for us wine explorers to get attached to particular wines on our travels.
This usually presents us with a problem. The very act of being a wine tourist is about travelling to all of the regions of the world to experience their specialities, meaning that if we fall in love with a specific vintage, storing and taking a bottle home is far from an easy task.
We’ve all been there, which is why this post is designed to give you a few tips and tricks when you next encounter this situation. Hopefully, by the end of this, you’ll be fully equipped to get your cherished bottle back home safe to be enjoyed on a special occasion or when you want to reminisce about your time abroad.
Temporary Storage
When purchasing wine abroad, your first concern is how and where you will store it in your current accommodation. The best solution for you will vary depending on where you are staying whilst away.
For those staying in hotels, it’s strongly advised to find a shelf or designate a space in your hotel room dedicated to bottle storage. This way, everyone staying in your room will know to be careful when entering that space.
For those staying in an Airbnb or some other form of non-hotel accommodation, you should have a few more facilities at your disposal. If you have any wine that needs refrigerating, be sure to lay to designated some fridge space to wine storage and you shouldn’t have a problem keeping it safe and untouched.
An alternative to both of these solutions is simply to buy your bottle of wine on the day that you are leaving the country, avoiding the need for temporary storage because you will be packing it into your suitcase immediately.
Transport
Your journey abroad has come to an end and now you are flying, driving or using some other means of transport to get home. This is the most challenging part of any wine bottle’s journey from the country of origin to your personal wine collection, so it’s important to take all the precautions that you can.
Firstly, you will need a shock-absorbing suitcase. Hard carry cases are a brilliant addition to any wine tourist’s arsenal because they add that extra level of protection during travel. This is particularly important if you are flying to and from your destination, where baggage handlers can be a little rough with your cargo.
Secondly, as an additional layer of protection, you will want to find some form of wine bottle case or cover for some cushioning directly around the water bottle. There are countless different products that do this effectively, some which focus on keeping your wine cool, others on enhanced padding. When searching, be sure to check the reviews to ensure that your wine pouch offers exactly what you’re looking for.
With these two items, you should be able to effectively pack your wine bottle and keep it safe during transit. Be sure to make sure to make sure that you have packed the suitcase tightly so there’s no room for the bottles to move around or break in motion.
Permanent Storage
Finally, you’ve made the journey home and you’re ready to take your wine out and keep it somewhere safe. If you don’t already have some form of wine storage solution, there are many different forms of wine rack furniture across the UK and beyond. Wine racks are a great start, favoured by both casual collectors and dedicated wine connoisseurs.
You can also find dedicated refrigerators for wine storage in your home, though they aren’t always necessary. Regardless of whether you opt for a wine rack, a fridge or some other storage option, ensure that it is stable and safe so that your prized bottles are out of harm’s way.
Following these steps, you should be able to extend your collection and fill your wine cellar with your favourite vintages from across the globe.
