Moving Tips Moving Your Wine | North American Van Lines

Wine bottles are valuable and must be handled with care during a move. Even relatively small collections of 5, 15, or 25 bottles can equate to thousands of dollars. Professional movers can show you how to pack wine bottles for moving, protect your investment and ensure every bottle arrives at your destination safely.

Moving Wine with North American

The moving team at North American Van Lines has been moving wine bottles for individuals and families for over 90 years. We know your wine collection is important to you, so we handle moving wine and packing wine bottles with care and compassion. Our professional movers have hands-on experience transporting fragile items locally, across the country, and internationally.

Whether you’re a wine historian or simply live for the taste, we’ll help make sure your collection survives your next move in perfect condition. Contact us today for a free quote.

Tips for Packing Wine Bottles

If you decide to start packing your wine bottles yourself, you'll need to take a few crucial steps to ensure your collection is protected and ready to be transported.

Get an Appraisal

High-value wine collections should be professionally appraised prior to shipping. The best way to locate an appraiser is to contact a local fine-wine shop or distributor.

If you have a small wine collection, it is recommended that you move the wine in your car. This will allow you to control the temperature.

Extreme Temperatures

If you’re moving your wine collection in the summer or winter months when temperatures can be extreme, you may want to request an estimate for a climate-controlled shipping service. One of our Relocation Specialists can tell you more about the availability and cost.

Avoid Unpacking Right Away

Once you arrive at your new destination, you may feel the urge to unpack your wine bottles or open one to celebrate your new home. However, it's best to wait a few days or weeks before unpacking or opening any bottles. This allows your wine to rest and acclimate to the new environment.

Even if the move was smooth and everything was packed correctly, wine bottle shock may still occur. If the wine shakes during transit, you may lose some flavor if you open the bottle. Always give your wine collection at least seven days of rest before opening or moving.

Hire Professional Help

After you’ve calculated the total value of the collection, you can decide whether to move your wine in a traditional moving van or a climate-controlled vehicle. A full-service moving company will be able to guide you in this decision. Professional movers are qualified to pack wine bottles correctly. We can guide you through the process of successfully moving wine bottles.

How to Pack Wine Bottles

If you're learning how to pack wine bottles for moving on your own, the first step is to consider how fragile wine bottles actually are. Always aim to protect your inventory and treat your wine bottles like an investment. Take special care and precautions when transporting wine bottles to maintain the flavor and avoid losing any bottles during transportation.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when learning how to pack wine bottles for moving:

Always pack red and white wines horizontally, the same way you store them in your home.
Champagne and sparkling wine should be packed upright inside a box.
Never pack opened and unopened bottles together. Instead, use separate boxes.
Use tons of packing cushion to avoid breakage in transit.

If you’re packing wine bottles yourself, you may want to consider obtaining wine-packing boxes used to transport wine by the case on commercial airlines. These are made of Styrofoam or corrugated cardboard and protect the bottles well. You can purchase them at stores that sell wine in your area. You can also order wine-packing materials from: California Glass Co, 155 98th Avenue, Oakland, CA 94603, (510) 635-7700

Need help moving wine bottles into your new home? North American Van Lines is on the job. Our professional movers are highly trained and qualified to handle packing and transporting your investment.

For more information about moving wine collections, visit these Web sites: