Wine Travel: Prevent Wine Bottle Breakage with This Wine Backpack
How many times have you traveled, found a wine you like and want to bring home, but are worried about transporting it safely? As a wine lover who makes it a point to go wine tasting at every destination, this happens to me a lot. I could ship wine home, but I typically have to buy a lot to make it worthwhile. I end up doing nothing, because I can’t put it in a carry-on and I am afraid it will break in my checked bag. Now, thanks to the amazing FlyWithWine wine products, problem solved!
When we went to France, we spent a day in Chablis, and I found two bottles I wanted to bring home. Problem is, they wouldn’t ship less than six bottles and I didn’t want to fork out the money for six. One was a gift, one was for us to savor while reminiscing about how gorgeous Paris was. We ended up coming home with none, and I’ve kicked myself ever since, because I can’t find a distributor here in the states. I knew we were going wine tasting, so if I’d known about the FlyWineWith insert or wine suitcase line, I’d have brought home a piece of Chablis with me.
What is a wine backpack? How does it prevent wine bottle breakage when traveling?
FlyWithWine has numerous types of suitcases, wine carrying inserts and backpacks to choose from. I was given the VinXplorer, a wine and beverage backpack bundled with a Vin2Go case. I love this bag! It’s an easy way for me to safely transport two bottles of wine anywhere without worrying a bottle will break. I tested it out on a picnic recently, more of a working lunch…aka I drink some wine while writing a creative piece. I packed up two bottles of wine, a to-go wine glass, and my laptop.
The VinXplorer backpack comes with the two-bottle carrying case, which has it’s own carrying handle, so I was able to lay it in my trunk for the ride. If I want to be even fancier though, the VinXplorer has a wine bladder pocket, which you can fill with a bottle of wine, stow it back in the backpack, and refill your glass straight via the nozzle in the tiny pocket on the front! It’s SO COOL.
Plastic bladders like this are not only convenient and unbreakable, but they’re also really good for your wine, because they decrease the air exposure. Aerating your wine when you open it is a good thing for many varietals, but if you’re not going to drink it all right away, you want to be able to control how much air it is exposed to. Bladders like this don’t really retain air, so your wine will stay fresher.
This type of wine dispensing is great when you’re tailgating, camping, on a boat, or even hiking. Hold that plastic cup up and drink good wine without worrying about a bottle to break or carry. Bonus: the backpack still has plenty of space to hold a lot of belongings!
The backpack and the Vin2Go case don’t need to be used together, but if you’re not using the bladder (which is recyclable and you can purchase additional nozzle/bags from FlyWithWine), it’s so nice to know that no jostling will break your wine. That blue bottle in the photo? One of my favorite Tobin James wine, priced at $150 per bottle.
Until I had this Vin2Go, when I need to take wine to a dinner party or other event, I’d stick a bottle in the little well in the trunk of the car, and pad it with a spare hoodie I keep back there. It worked, but it’s not ideal. Now I don’t have to worry anymore! The wine bottles are still sealed, so I can even stow the Vin2Go in the back seat and be on my way. (Once the bottles are opened, they MUST go in your trunk. Also, do not drink and drive.)
Speaking of not drinking and driving, this backpack is a great way to take a hike! Pack your snacks or lunch inside the backpack, go for a walk and you’ll have all you need. (Follow all rules about where you’re allowed to have alcohol though! Not all public parks and/or beaches allow it.)
Go visit FlyWithWine.com and look at all their products! The suitcase that has one half for six bottles of wine, with the other half being all clothes? Want. We’re visiting Spain in two years and I plan on buying a LOT of wine while there. And Hungary next year? I may need the whole separate suitcase JUST for wine. (Did you know how much wine is made in Hungary??)
