How to bring wine home question gets raised frequently. Was just on the Wine Enthusiast (magazine) website and they are selling a hard sided, rolling, suitcase that holds six bottles. For the diehards, the only way to travel.
Or roll the wine bottles in your dirty laundry in a regular suitcase. You can buy special sleeves to put the bottles in too.
But that is not a guarantee solution either. I wore pink underwear for about a year when one of my bottles didn't make it. The suitcase is a great solution.
I recall reading about a wine suitcase and wine bottle sleeves that can be purchased on Amazon.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/bringing-home-wine-bfa47273-eee9-4d18-b28d-de2199d14f4e
Or you can get the 10k specialty wine suitcase! Oh, it’s a real thing…
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/rimowa-lebron-james-wine-suitcase/amp
After a bottle of port and olive oil didn’t make it back in the sleeves, I haven’t risked it since. The entire contents of the case were destroyed by the liquids or shredded by glass plus the case had to go. It’s not worth it.
Interesting idea, but it’s not for me.
I bought the special wine sleeves for wine and have transported wine to several destinations with no issues so far. Norway and Egypt are 2 destinations I brought my own.
The suitcase is a great solution.
I guess given my rate of success, and willing to take a loss if it ever happens, I will stick with my strategy (pack wine in carry-on bag, take duffle for soft overflow). Beats hauling around a second suitcase, I don't even like the wineskins.
It does take a bit of care in packing with with clothes, rolling is only one step, cushioning the sides, top, and bottom are vital to account for impacts, which would be the same with the skins.
We had a relative that carried a slightly smaller suitcase inside her regular suitcase. The larger suitcase could be used to carry her purchases on the trip. Another alternative is to take old clothes and throw them away upon departure from Europe.
I travel lightly and have no desire to haul more than a 21" rolling bag.
We have done all of the above. Less than 7 bottles we prefer to just pack in our suitcase and more then we have decided it easier to ship. The wine suitcase is a pain in the neck - IMO. We just got rid of ours.
A few years ago, upon landing from Edinburgh into USA, everyone arose to retrieve bags in overhead compartments. The family behind us opened their carry on compartment door filling the entire cabin with the aroma of whisky.
The whisky ran across compartments into the compartment behind them. Which illicited loud protests from that row of folks as they retrieved whisky soaked backpacks from the overhead.
Amazing no one didn’t smell the whisky during the flight.