Best way to pack wine in a suitcase

Very carefully. Actually wine bottles are pretty tough. Pack it in the middle of the bag. If softsided bags, make sure the bottle does not touch the side of suitcase. Should not be a problem with two or three bottles.

You might want to pack a roll of bubble wrap in your suitcase just for that purpose.

I also occasionally saw some two-bottle sets of wine from the same winery -- they were pre-packaged in one sturdy cardboard box. The front of the box had a large cutout so you could read the labels, but the rest of the bottle was pretty well protected.

We brought back several bottles this past March by first packing them with the cardboard that came in the carrying case. Then we put it in the middle of our bag inside a large ziploc in case it broke. The wrapped jeans around it.

Last year we didn't even use cardboard, just an extra ziploc with jeans. We haven't had anything break yet.

Heidi, I've brought back many, many bottles of wine in the luggage from Italy and France. Keep the wine in the center of the suitcase and make use of cardboard your wine came with. You want to ensure a sharp impact doesn't make it to your wine, so spread the blow with your shoes or any large flat items (I used cutting boards I had purchased last time.) Travel paperback books are very useful here. Pack your laundry around and between the wine bottles, firmly but not too iron-tight..and you don't want any hard objects against the glass. Think shock absorber, not rigidity. If you've ever seen the winning entries in egg-drop contests, you know what I mean. Also, make use of the internal straps in your suitcase to keep things from moving around.

There is a product available called WineSkin (one word). It's essentially a bubble wrap envelope shaped like a wine bottle. I have no experience with it myself, but the reviews have been positive.

Their site is here: WineSkin

You can buy it at: Magellans

We bring California wine to my husband's Czech relatives every year when we visit & bring home Czech alcohol. So far not a single bottle has broken in the last 10 years. My husband puts the bottles in about 3 layers of socks and then nestles them in his clothes.

I have transported a few bottles by wrapping all my clothes around them and then cinching the compressopn straps around them. I have never had a problem. I do like the bubble wrap idea though and will bring some for my next trip!!

Thank you all for your hints and suggestions. They have been very helpful. I will definiely get some big ziploc bags and bubble wrap.

Just came back from Germany and successfully brought back 2 bottles in Rick's convertible bag (we checked because of the wine). I know we went a bit overboard with the protection, but I wanted to make sure it made it here. Bought at a post office bubble wrap and cardboard "flask" boxes used for shipping liquids. They have double walls. Wrapped the wine in bubble wrap, put in the boxes, and put dirty laundry all around the boxes before using the compression straps in the bag to make sure everything was snug. We also brought back 3 jars of this wonderful mustard we found and wrapped in bubble wrap before putting in zip lock bags. Like I said, probably a bit overboard, but we got the wine home safely, which is all that mattered!

This sounds unusual, but it works for us. When we travel, I put some of our clothes in a cat litter bucket. Then when we are ready to come home, we wrap clothing around the bottles and place them in the bucket. We have yet to loose a bottle. It has also worked for breakable dishes.

I picked up "water wings" or "floaties" from the dollar store to slightly blow up after the wine bottle was in place but never used them since the bottles we bought were the bockbuetel (sp?) shape. They were short and fat bottles. So we wrapped them in bubble wrap and then in a bag and they arrived in one piece just fine.

Well, this is all great; I wish I could have done it and gotten away with it. What did you tell airport security when they asked you, "Are there any liquids in your baggage?"

Well you can only do it in luggage that you check. Thus the need for really packing it well. We have brought back wine from France every time and we do like most have said - wrap in a lot of clothes and make sure they are in the middle.
But I still hold my breath worrying that we will find a suitcase full of wine soaked clothing. I am going to take a large sealable plastic bag this time which might at least keep any leaking to a minimum if a bottle should break. Don't know why I never thought of that!

FYI I have carried hundreds of bottles home and never broke one so the odds are good . if not back to walmart i guess i am no fashion boy