Best Way to Ship Wine | Tips to Protect Wine During Transit

Whether you are shipping wine as part of your business or simply sending a few of your favorite bottles to a friend, you definitely want to make sure it gets there safely. It can be normal for wine to become damaged or broken during transit. However, by knowing how to protect wine during packaging, you can ensure that your bottles get to their destination safely. Here are some things to consider. 

A Sturdy Box is a Necessity

When shipping wine, you want to ensure that you are using a durable, sturdy box. Corrugated cardboard is a great way to go as this provides a good blend of strength and flexibility that can help keep your bottles safe. 

If you don’t opt for a corrugated box, use relatively new cardboard that is fairly sturdy. Newer boxes are much less likely to become damaged during transit. Protecting the precious contents inside means having external packaging less likely to become damaged. 

Pack the Contents Carefully

A strong outside layer of protection is only the first step regarding how to ship wine. You also need to make sure the wine is carefully packed inside. If bottles jostle against one another during transport, they can break, leading to unhappy recipients. 

There are many ways people have historically tried to do this including packing peanuts, Styrofoam, and other things. However, one of the most effective and eco-friendly solutions is using pulp wine shippers. These packaging kits are carefully molded to perfectly hold your wine bottles, preventing movement. Since they are made of molded pulp, they are also completely biodegradable, unlike many other options. 

Temperature Matters Too

There are many parts of the shipping process that you cannot completely control. Temperature stands out as one thing you have the least control over. The ideal temperature for wine varies from one wine to the other. However, most wine tends to be best stored between 50 and 60 degrees. 

Using proper packaging can help insulate wine during shipment. This is particularly important during hot summers or cold winters. Molded pulp wine shippers and other protective layers can help insulate wine against temperature loss or absorbing too much heat. 

Consider Double Boxing Your Wine

A great way to ship wine safely involves using the double box method. Here you would pack your wine in an interior cardboard box containing the wine and related protective items like pulp wine shippers.

Then, you would take an additional container that is slightly larger than the first. Place a few inches of filler material before placing the internal box holding the wine. Add additional filler to the sides and top before closing. Double-boxed wine can be even more protected from damage during transit. Plus, if the outer box gets damaged, you still have a second layer of protection.