You may have seen that one of our wines is taking a trip this week. I would love to vacation, but for some reason I always seem to get stuck at home instead. “You’re too big, Winston,” they say, or “Why don’t you stay home and guard the house?” I guess it never occurred to anyone that I might want to go chase waves at the ocean or gaze out at beautiful landscapes while I stand majestically on the mountaintop. Oh well! One of the most wonderful parts of my job as mascot and wine maestro of Brix & Columns is that I get to meet people from around the country (and sometimes the world!); and I think that the people you meet on your journeys are by far more important than any sights you can see.
When Erin took the bottle of Petit Manseng on her trip this week, she packed it safely in a WineSkin that kept it cushioned, and sealed tightly to prevent any accidental leaks. We sell reusable ones in our tasting room, and we definitely recommend that you pick one up the next time you are planning a trip, either for vacation or to go visit loved ones. Being the cultured canine I am, I also have a few other tips on how you can make sure your wine is just as delicious and intact as it was when you left our tasting room with it.
Any time you are planning on visiting a vineyard, it is a good idea to have an insulated container in your car to safely store the bottles as you go from vineyard to vineyard. This has a few advantages:
- By keeping the bottles contained, you prevent them from clanking around in your vehicle. This keeps the labels from getting banged up, creating too much noise, or even causing a bottle to break.
- The insulation will help prevent your wines from being damaged from exposure to extreme temperatures.
- On a hot day it is easy to throw in an ice pack to keep the bottles cool until you get them home.
- Your trunk is NOT cooler than the passenger area of your car. If at no other time but on an especially hot day, consider storing any wine that you have bought in the passenger area instead of in the trunk.
- Place your container on a level surface away from vibrating wheel wells to avoid giving your wine “bottle shock”.
- If you are traveling for long distances in the car with wine, you may want to wait a few weeks before you crack open a bottle to allow any potential bottle shock to settle back down.
Hopefully this advice helps your future travels with wine to go more smoothly. Now that you know just how easy it is to travel with wine, I know we will see you soon, so you can stock up before you go on the next adventure!
Just one request guys… can some of you research some tips on how to easily travel with Great Danes and share it with my mom?
