Wine Transportation

Throughout the year I have used various tactics to ‘smuggle’ bottles of Californian wine back to Dublin.  You see, I have a huge problem of not having access to my favorite Californian wines that were so readily available to me in the States.  The wine shops across Ireland have heaps of good wine from Old World regions and from the New World regions of Australia, Chile and South America. However, when it comes to importing wine from the States, the Goliath’s of the wine industry: Gallo and Kendal Jackson, dominate the US selection. 

The inventive wrapping forms I have used to transport wine across the Atlantic have included sweaters, towels, plastic bags, socks and t-shirts.  I wrap the bottle(s) in these items and when I check my luggage at the gate, pray that they don’t bust and leak all over the contents of my suitcase.  NOW, I have found an invention to resolve my wine packing needs.  No, it is not drink it and transport it in my belly.  It’s called Wine Skin (http://www.ftscontent.com/) and is a custom-made bubble wrap for wine bottles.  At $10.99 for a 5-pack, I think it’s not too bad a deal considering how much it costs to ship wine through USPS. 

It works fairly simply – insert wine bottle, seal end, and wallah – your wine bottle is protected.  Also, if the bottle happens to bust, the contents of your suitcase will be safe from deep red wine stains.  I guess a simpler and perhaps cheaper method would be to just use duct tape and bubble wrap, but the handy shape and seal makes this little invention quite appealing.