Transporting wine, whether a few special bottles or a more extensive wine collection, can be unnerving for the wine enthusiast. From costly bottles to wine with a special meaning, moving wine across town or the country requires trusting others to handle your wine. What are some of the qualities of a wine transportation service you should check on?
Handling Procedures
From preventing the agitation of sediment to preserving corks, proper handling is critical to delivering wine in appropriate condition; you may only see the repercussions of not correctly handling wine once the bottle is open. Ask the move coordinator at your transportation service to walk you through the complete process of handling and moving your wine. If there appear to be any gaps, ask for clarification.
Climate Control
As part of your review of the handling procedures, ensure the movers maintain the wine at the proper temperature and humidity levels. Your mover should share the types of vehicles (with climate control) they will use to transport the wine. Climate control is again essential if you must store the wine before the final destination. Temperature shock will negatively affect the quality of the wine and will not be detectable until you open it.
Monitoring Procedures
Even with all the right equipment for transporting and storing, things can go wrong. If the truck refrigeration for a cross-country shipment loses power, who will be notified, and how will it be addressed? What are the temperature tolerances for shipment and storage? Monitoring and alerts can prevent your wine shipment from being ruined by unforeseen circumstances.
Inventory Your Wine
A pre-move inventory is crucial if your collection still needs to be correctly documented. Photos will be an advantage as well if there are any issues. Your chosen wine transportation service must sign off on the inventory before any moving preparations. Upon arrival, you and your moving company should mutually confirm the delivery against the wine inventory.
As an aside, check with an insurance agent to be sure your wine is covered during the move. Moving companies have various forms of damage and loss coverage, but the unique nature of wine makes having your own insurance coverage a wise move.
Reviews and References
Checking company reviews online is second nature these days. It is a good “first filter” for creating a shortlist of potential wine transportation services. Once you have a shortlist, each service provider should provide multiple references. Ideally, you should receive references whose wine transportation requirements mirror your own.
Ask the providers for past customers whose wine collection, in size and composition, compares to yours and roughly a similar distance; it’d be great if it were a similar destination.
In short, the essential aspects of a wine transportation company are:
- Systems for adequately handling a wine collection
- Climate-controlled trucks and storage
- Reliable monitoring
- Will sign off on wine inventory (or accept your inventory)
- Has experience with satisfied customers with moves like your own
Finally, if moving your wine collection is part of your household move, using a moving service that combines residential moving with expertise in wine transportation will simplify your experience.
Molloy Moving is a full-service moving company. We handle specialty services, like wine transportation, to complete household moves. Contact us for a quote.
