How to Move a Wine Collection
Maybe you’re a wine collector who’s amassed countless bottles of Chardonnay in your cellar, or maybe you just like to enjoy an occasional sip of fine wine from a variety of brands and labels. Regardless of how you’ve acquired your wine collection, you want to ensure your numerous hours and financial investment is not ruined by damaged or fractured bottles during a move.
Whether you’re a self-ascribed wine expert or like to indulge in a flavorful beverage experience only the taste of wine can provide, your wine collection is something you hold near and dear to your heart. Like any collection, you want your belongings to remain intact and in pristine condition — especially since you intend to consume your wine one day! Whether you’re relocating entirely or want to move your collection to a safer location during seasonal weather, make sure you always handle your valuable investment with care.
Packing Wine for a Move
You have everything ready and packed for your latest move: your furniture, your clothing and even your blankets and pillows. But what about your wine collection? When packaging wine, it is essential to remember that extreme care must be taken during the moving process to guarantee your wine stays as it should — completely immaculate without one drop spilling.
If you’re moving your collection in extremely warm or cold temperature drops associated with summer or winter weather, it’s recommended to move your collection in a climate-controlled vehicle. Even if you choose to relocate your wine in non-extreme weather environments, it may be best to speak with a professional mover beforehand.
Your wine is likely high-value, so it deserves to be treated as such. Hire an appraiser who can place a value on your collection before moving. Reach out to your local wine shops or distributors to locate an individual who would be able to better assist you in assessing your collection’s value.
Wine Packing Tips
Wine is often packaged in delicate glass bottles. Due to its fragile nature, special care must always be taken beforehand when transporting your wine collection from one location to the next. If you have a smaller, more manageable collection, keep in mind the following wine packing tips before relocating your collection:
- Purchase specialized boxes: When transporting wine, you need to pay special attention to caring for the contents inside your bottle. Boxes that specifically protect fragile materials from breakage are ideal.
- Insulation: Changes in environment can greatly affect the taste of your wine. Even if you take extra caution packing the glass, however, it’s also important to take care of the contents within your bottles. While transporting wine, aim to use insulation or a thermal container that can keep your wine at a constant temperature of roughly 55 degrees F.
- Pack wine on its side: It’s essential to keep your wine on its side during relocation to ensure the bottle’s cork remains wet. When you turn your bottles on their side, or upside down, the corks retain their wetness during their move, ensuring that the flavor is not altered during a bumpy ride or trip.
Unfortunately, damage may still occur even when extra precautionary measures are taken before the move. For example, your wine may agitate within the bottle, causing bottle shock and diminishing the flavor as a result. However, the risk is greatly reduced when wine is packaged correctly.
Hire a Professional Moving Company
For valuable or extensive wine collections, it is ideal to hire a professional moving company that can pack wine for a move. Professional movers are skilled in transporting a variety of fragile materials — wine included. Packing wine yourself may seem easier, but professional assistance gives you that much needed added peace of mind that all of your possessions will be taken care of and arrive safely at their intended destination.
At Mid Atlantic Van Lines, we do more than just transport furniture and boxes. If you have special items, such as your wine collection, that need extra tender love and care during its move, review all of Mid Atlantic Van Lines’ moving and packing services, before taking matters into your own hands.
Whether you’re moving within the state or across the country, Mid Atlantic Van lines offers you exceptional service in handling your belongings with the utmost care and precision.
