Shipping Wine/Champage

[tsays]

Hi Chowhounds!

HELP! We're moving from AZ to Hawaii in a couple of weeks..everything is packed, but our small collection (15 bottles) of wine + 2 bottles of Champagne worth shipping and saving.

What is the best way to ship our wines? Obviously, we need to ship the wine with as little time in transport as possible.

Any suggestions on the best service (UPS seems to have some aggressive stipulations), does anyone know of a company that provides this service?

THANK YOU!!

[macaday]

Hi, tsays. I found this thread via google because I now find myself in the same situation you were in a couple of years ago. How did you solve the problem of moving your wine from Az to HI?
Thanks,
mac

[tsays]

HI Mac -

We packed them in the styro containers mentioned. I checked it. Nothing broke. I thought then that it was expensive. Looking back at it, compared to the over all expense of moving, it was nothing.

Good luck on your move! Are you moving to the islands?

[Bill Hunt]

Pre-9-11, I always traveled with 2-3 styro-shippers, and brought them back filled. Since then, I usually make a roadtrip, and bring back more. I use fibre tape, then use a luggage strap, or one can buy the shipping straps at Office Depot, to secure the box very well.

I agree with Jason. A styro-shipper will cost ~US$5 at most major wine retailers. I donate my excess to a local wine store, to give (or sell - I do not know which) to good customers. Since you are in AZ, if you need them, e-mail me at [e-mail]. I always have more, than I can gift, or use. For large bottles, I have some smaller boxes, for 2-3 btls.

Second to checked baggage, I'd have a friend hold them, until they knew that I had arrived, then send overnight, but it'll be a tad expensive - about the same as "excess baggage" on the airline.

To date, I've never had a single bottle lost, in a styro-shipper.

Hunt

[zin1953]

Pack it in styro and ship it as checked baggage when you fly over.

If for some reason that isn't feasible, there are a number of ways and companies that will do it, but unless you are shipping your household goods in a refrigerated container, it means you'll have to pay to have it shipped by air. That's pricey, unless you check it as baggage.

[aacharya]

Excellent recommendation, and I agree. Twelve bottles per styro, so you would use one of your four allowed bags. You could also pay for an extra box/luggage if you were going to have a lot of luggage.

Looking at a random airline (Hawaiian), it looks like an extra luggage is $80. Overweight is $25.

[zin1953]

Especially considering it's only 17 bottles total -- that's one 12-pack and a 6-pack. Shouldn't be any trouble at all.

Now if one is talking about moving a 600+ bottle cellar . . . .