How to Pack Wine Bottles for Moving

You love wine and have a personal wine collection that you’re quite proud of. That’s great.

But when a house move comes around the corner, one of your main concerns will be how to protect your precious wine bottles so that they reach the new home in perfect condition.

Moving wine across the country can be a challenging task due to the extra fragile nature of the glass bottles and the super-delicate character of your wine too. Improper packing and careless transportation may result in broken wine bottles or ruined wine.  

Regardless of whether you’re a casual wine collector or a serious one with a considerable amount of money invested in your private wine collection, the goal remains the same – to pack and move the wine bottles in the safest way possible.

Read on to learn the best way to pack wine bottles for a move.

What to do before packing your wine collection

It’s important to bear in mind that the success of the wine shipping job will depend largely on your degree of preparation for the actual haul. Here are a few essential things to do before packing your wine bottles for a move.

1. Check the regulations of the destination state

If you happen to be moving to another state in the country, you must remember that each U.S. state has different regulations regarding the amount of alcohol that a person can bring into that state for personal use.

In general, you shouldn’t have any problems moving your wine collection across the country but you must also make sure that you’re not breaking any laws in the destination state. That’s why one of the most important things to do before packing and moving wine across the country is to check that you are allowed to do so.

Different states tend to regulate alcoholic beverages differently.

So, to be on the safe side and avoid legal troubles, check with the alcohol beverage authorities in your destination state whether it’s ok to ship wine past its borders.

Here you can check the list of the alcohol beverage authorities in the country by state.

2. Inventory your wine collection

Before you can start packing up your wine bottles for shipping, you’re strongly recommended to make a detailed inventory of your wine collection.

Unless you’re moving just a handful of bottles, a wine inventory will help you keep track of your bottles in case something happens to any of them during the transportation stage.

Also, a detailed wine inventory should help optimize your wine collection just before the move – a shrewd decision that’s supposed to save you a bit of money.

Wine bottles are heavy – for example, a box of 12 bottles will weigh approximately 40 pounds.

So, if you happen to have duplicates or wine bottles that you may not wish to take with you for some reason or another, then you may choose to sell those particular bottles or give them away to close friends as moving-away gifts.

So, how do you inventory a wine collection?

• Download a free wine inventory sheet from the Internet or use a specialized wine inventory app on your smartphone.
• Take a photograph of each wine bottle you own and mark them in the wine inventory you’re compiling.
• Be sure to note any rare or vintage wine bottles in your collection.

3. Get your wine collection appraised

If you’re moving a small wine collection that is not too expensive, then you should be able to pack up those wine bottles safely (see below) and transport them either in your own car or on the moving truck you’ve rented in case of a DIY move.

However, in case you’re moving a wine collection that’s worth plenty of money, you will need to know its current market value so that you can purchase an adequate type of insurance.

So, if you’re a passionate wine collector with an impressive collection of expensive wine, then you’re going to have to get your wine collection appraised by a professional wine appraiser before you pack it and transport it.

By knowing the actual market worth of your wine, you’d be entitled to file a claim if something unexpectedly bad happened to some of your bottles while being transported by professional wine moving services.

So, find a reputable wine appraiser in your city, if applicable. In general, those professionals charge by the hour but you may succeed in finding one that charges a flat fee as well – whichever way you think will work best for you.

4. Prepare the proper packing supplies

Before you can learn how to protect each wine bottle individually, you’ll need to acquire the necessary packing materials to complete the task quickly and safely. Of course, it’s all about getting your hands on the proper wine shipping boxes.

Wine shipping kits

Those are cardboard boxes that have a protective Styrofoam insert with holes, with each opening designed to hold one wine bottle.

Wine shipping kits can transport up to 12 glass bottles at a time and cost between $7 and $12.

You can purchase those specialized wine carriers online or from a local wine store.

Wine shippers

Corrugated wine shippers are a step up compared to the common-looking wine shipping kits. Those wine shipping boxes provide better overall protection for your wine bottles thanks to the fact that the protective inserts – manufactured from durable Kraft paper – cover the entire length of the bottles.

A 12-bottle wine shipper costs around $12 – the same price as a wine shipping kit but with a better level of protection for your valuable wine.

You can purchase those specialized wine transporters online or from a local wine store.

Wine shipping crates

Without a doubt, those wooden crates will provide the best protection for wine collection, especially in the case of extremely valuable collector’s wine.

As you can imagine, wooden crates designed to transport wine bottles are very durable. However, they do take plenty of space and are rather expensive to purchase.

Get in touch with a good wine store in your area if you really wish to get the best protection possible for your wine bottles.

In addition to the wine shipping boxes, you’re also going to need plenty of soft packing paper and regular packing tape.

20 Things to Do Before Moving: Ultimate Moving Checklist

How to pack wine bottles like a pro packer

One thing you should know is that in case of a large and expensive wine collection, your best bet is to hire experienced professionals to pack and move your wine bottles to the new address.

Trusting professionals is the safest wine transportation option of them all… unless you’re moving only a small, humble wine collection and you feel confident that you can manage the wine packing task by yourself.

Packing wine bottles for moving can be a bit tricky due to the extra-fragile nature of the glass containers.

Here’s the best way to pack wine bottles when moving to another home:

• Step 1. USE packing tape to reinforce the bottoms of all wine shipping boxes that you intend to use. As mentioned above, full wine bottles are heavy so you have to ensure that the containers can withhold the load without breaking. NEVER USE second-hand boxes when transporting expensive wine bottles.
• Step 2. WRAP each wine bottle separately in two sheets of clean soft wrapping paper. USE small pieces of tape to fix the paper in place.
• Step 3. PLACE each paper-wrapped wine bottle into an empty Styrofoam base hole (when using wine shipping kits) or into an empty cardboard insert (when using corrugated wine shippers).
• Step 4. NEVER PACK wine bottles that have already been opened (uncorked) because they are not safe for transport. Instead, USE UP any opened bottles before Moving day but not on the Big day itself.
• Step 5. DO NOT PACK more bottles in a wine shipping container than the latter has been designed to hold.
• Step 6. FILL IN any empty gaps inside those wine shipping boxes to fix the bottles in one place so that they do not shift, not even a little bit, during the haul. All glass bottles should be spaced sufficiently apart without any chance of making contact with each other.
• Step 7. CLOSE UP each box and use packing tape to seal the container.
• Step 8. LABEL each wine shipping container with FRAGILE and HANDLE WITH CARE (the use of a red marker is preferable) on two sides of the box.
• Step 9. TURN each packed wine box to its side and KEEP it like that until it’s time to unpack the wine shipping containers in the new home. Read on to learn why you need to do that.

How to Pack Fragile Items for Moving

What to know when moving wine bottles

There are several very important things to keep in mind when you’re moving a wine collection from one home to another.

• LOAD and TRANSPORT your packed wine shipping boxes in a horizontal position (on their sides) so that the corks of the bottles remain wet and swelled throughout the move. The reason for that is that dry corks tend to shrink in size and may allow air to get through and reach the wine so that air cannot get in and ruin the wine. Thus said, sparkling wines and Champagne have to be packed and transported upright.
• DO NOT EXPOSE your wine collection to extreme temperatures. As a rule of thumb, the optimal temperature for storing wine is about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The best times of the year for moving wine from one location to another without using a climate-controlled vehicle are spring and fall. Therefore, if you’re moving your wine collection in summer or winter, it’s best to hire professional movers with a climate-controlled moving truck.
• DO NOT OPEN any wine bottles too soon after the move is over – instead, you should let the wine rest for at least one week. The reason for that is that all the shaking that’s about to occur during a house move can lead to a condition known as bottle shock – the loss of flavor of your wine.

How to Pack Wine Glasses for Moving

Explore your wine shipping options

Of course, one of the most important things when moving wine to another home is to decide who’s going to pack the wine bottles in the first place (you or professional packers) and who’s going to move those fragile bottles to the new address (again, you or professional wine movers).

Basically, you’ve got 2 options and which one you’re going to pick depends mostly on how valuable and how large your wine collection really is.

Option 1: Pack and move your wine collection by yourself

When you own a small wine collection that is not very valuable, then you can definitely try to move the wine bottles in your own vehicle or inside a truck rental, for that matter.

Needless to say, your DIY move will be even easier if you happen to be moving only a short distance away. Simply follow the best tips for packing wine bottles for a move and you should be completely fine.

How to Move by Yourself

Option 2: Hire a specialized wine moving company

If you do own a large and very valuable collection of wine bottles, then your best option is to hire a company that specializes in moving wine across the country.

An experienced wine mover will know exactly what it takes to pack and transport expensive wine bottles over long distances, providing the best possible protection for each and every bottle and using a climate-controlled moving vehicle for optimal results at any time of the year.

Get free quotes from several moving companies in order to pick the offer that best suits your budget and requirements.