04/06/05 Traveling with wine

Welcome to Vine to Wine, I'm your host Linda Moran and on today's program we will be discussing traveling with wine. There are any number of reasons we have to transport wine. Whether it is a gift when we visit a friend's home for dinner or when we are flying to visit friends and family and we wish to take along something special. No matter what the purpose it is important to be concerned about the temperature of the wine. Making certain that it does not get to warm is your greatest concern. There are some great soft sided travel bags that contain an inset sleeve that houses a chill packet used to keep the wine cool. It is a great idea and really one of my favorites when you wish to arrive with a chilled bottle of bubbly. If you are transporting several bottles with you can buy carriers with a capacity of up to six bottles. But - don't forget - you have to carry it and that can be a very heavy bag. Personally, I limit myself to three bottles on a plane. Only bring wine if it is special  otherwise, go shopping when you arrive at your destination. If you insist on taking several bottles then invest in a Styrofoam shipper. They come in six and 12 bottle boxes and they can be sent ahead of time. You can lay a few of those cold gel packs in between the bottles just to be safe. Have fun sharing your special wines with your friends and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.