Packing wine for a move may seem like a scary prospect for those who have valuable collections. If you are an investor or a wine lover, you'll want your bottles to be completely protected during transport. As skilled Miami movers with specialty crating services, A-1 Fargo Van and Storage knows how much care goes into delivering a fine bottle of wine to its destination.

To ensure your wine collection makes it to that new home safely, you might want to review these steps for preparing and packing wine bottles before that move.

Calculate the Total Value of Your Collection

When you first contact A-1 Fargo about moving your wine collection, one of our move estimators will work with you to establish a total value. This can be helpful when paying for valuation insurance for the trip. If you have the wine insured already, speak with your insurance company too. They can let you know if the insurance needs to be changed before shipping.

Request a Climate-Controlled Vehicle from Your Miami Movers

If you have a valuable wine collection, the potential for loss when moving during extreme temperatures can be devastating. Consider asking our Miami moving company about shipping the collection in climate-controlled vans to help keep the wine at stable temperatures.

How to Pack a Wine Collection

Our movers are trained experts who know how to pack a wine collection for safe transport. You won't have to worry about how they treat the bottles when packing or how the bottles fair during shipping.

If you are planning on packing the collection yourself, the process is simple. Start by picking up the right materials. Styrofoam or corrugated wine packing boxes are best. Fill the boxes, tape shut on all seams, and label the outside.

When you are loading the packed wine, place the box on its side, so that the wine travels on the side. This keeps the corks moist and prevents air from reaching the wine.

Packing wine for a local move is also easy. If you are only headed across town, you might want to try this method that doesn't require a wine packing box:

  • Use a simple cardboard box and tissue paper or newsprint.
  • Lay two sheets of paper in the bottom of the box for padding.
  • Wrap each bottle of wine in two sheets of paper and fold the sides down.
  • Lay each bottle of wine on its side in the bottom of the box.
  • Lay two pieces of tissue paper between each layer of stacked wine bottles.
  • Leave a few inches of open space at the top of the box.
  • Fill the empty space with folded or crumpled up tissue paper.
  • Tape the box closed on all seams and label as 'Fragile: Wine."

After you arrive at the destination give your wine at least seven days to rest before opening the bottles. Older wine may develop a temporary condition called, "bottle shock," where the flavors are muted and sediments are mixed into the liquid during travel. The resting period allows the wine to recover and retain its complex flavors.

Do you want a little more help with moving that pricey wine collection?

Reach out to A-1 Fargo Van and Storage about helping with the process of shipping your wine to another location. We have specialized moving services that include custom crating of valuables, such as wine. Our climate-controlled warehouse facilities are also available for short or long term storage, when needed.

Give us a call or fill out our online quote form to speak with a representative right away. We'll answer your questions and arrange a free onsite consultation and estimate with our Miami movers.