Transporting Your Wine

Temperature Is the Biggest Risk

Wine is happiest between about 55°F and 65°F. Just a few minutes in extreme heat -- the inside of a closed vehicle in an Arizona summer, for example -- can be enough to damage an entire collection. Heat causes wine to expand, which can push the cork out or dry it out, and repeated exposure to oxygen through a compromised cork is what eventually makes wine taste flat or vinegary.

Keep It Stable, Not Just Cool

Consistency matters almost as much as the number on the thermometer. Try to keep the ambient temperature from swinging more than about 5 degrees during transport -- repeated expansion and contraction from temperature changes wears down a wine's freshness over time, even if it never gets dangerously hot.

Humidity Matters Too

Relative humidity below 50% can dry out and shrink corks, letting air into the bottle. Above about 80% for extended periods risks mildew. Somewhere in the middle of that range is the safe zone.

Packing It Yourself

If you're packing your own wine, specialized shipping cartons with foam inserts that separate and cushion each bottle are worth the investment -- available through wine supply stores or shipping-supply retailers. Bottles should travel on their side, the same way they'd be stored, and handled to minimize shaking. Some sediment stirring up during transport is normal and won't hurt the wine, but it's part of why a short rest period before opening matters.

Know What You're Moving

If any bottles in the collection have appreciated meaningfully in value over the years, it's worth getting a professional appraisal before the move -- a local wine shop or distributor can usually point you to someone qualified.

After the Move

Let the collection rest in a stable spot for 7 to 10 days before opening anything. This gives any sediment time to settle and the wine time to recover from the vibration of transport.

Our crew can safely pack and load a wine collection as part of your move -- talk to us about your collection's size and value when you request a quote so we can plan accordingly.