Tips for When Moving Wine Boxes to Your New Home

If you have a wine collection that needs to be moved, it is important to be very careful in handling it. Whether the bottles are in wine boxes or not, you should adhere to certain safety guidelines to ensure these easily breakable items can get to their destination in one piece. Broken wine bottles can create a huge mess, not to mention the heartbreaking loss of valuable drinks. Here are a few essential tips that can help along the way.

Clear Opened Stock

If you have a few bottles that are already open, try to simply consume them before moving day. It is not advisable to repack already open bottles, especially if the relocation will take more than a day. Most wines will start to go bad within a week of opening and are best kept refrigerated. Having them in a moving truck that is warm will just increase the rate of spoilage. Consider them the same way you would other perishable items in your refrigerator.

Box Them Up

If you do not buy your wine in boxes, get some. Corrugated cardboard boxes are great for protecting the bottles and giving them insulation. Ensure you use an insert so that the bottles do not end up banging into each other. Styrofoam can also be useful as an insert in wine boxes. Perform a shake test before you load up the box on the truck. If you hear the bottles clanging about, add more packing material so they remain stable. Also, consider reinforcing the edges of the box. You can use tape to do this along the bottom edges and corners.

Label Clearly

Be sure to label every wine box as fragile and to be handled carefully. Also, have an arrow and indicate which way is up. This will ensure your movers know how to correctly handle the box and ensure they do not add anything on top. You will want it properly secured without stacking.

Positioning in Wine Boxes

For bottles with corks rather than metal caps, be sure to position the wine box in a way that will keep the cork moist. That means laying it on its side or even upside down while in transit. This will prevent the cork from drying out and compromising the seal.

For larger wine collections kept in a cellar and being transported further, consider refrigerated transport. A refrigerated truck will provide a controlled environment you can match to your cellar conditions. This is especially needed if the weather is hotter.