Protecting Bottles and the Wine Inside Them

Would you pay $28 to protect a $10 bottle of wine that you’re hauling from one place to another?

Probably not.

Would you pay that much to protect a $100 bottle?

Perhaps.

$28 is the MSRP of VinniBag, a heavy plastic bag (requiring some inflating) designed to protect a wine bottle (or other fragile vessel) in transit. It’s ideal for checked luggage, although it’s likely to draw the attention of TSA screeners.

Over the years, I’ve tried literally dozens of devices and gadgets designed either to protect bottles of wine in transit, or to protect the wine inside a bottle after that bottle has been opened.

In the latter case, the goal is to keep oxygen from entering the bottle, because oxygen is the enemy of wine. Once wine is exposed to air, the aging process hastens, which is why most bottles of wine are “good” for only a few days after being opened.

Could I name one device that I’d select over all others for the purpose of protecting the remaining wine in an opened bottle? It would be difficult. I’d say I’ve had moderate success with most of the gadgets.

What about you? What do you do to help keep that opened bottle fresh and vibrant for another day? How do you get a bottle of wine from Point A to Point B in one piece?

*All except the makers and sellers of devices made for that purpose are encouraged to comment below.