Do you love wine and love to travel? Then you need a VinGardeValise!
Two years ago now (actually 26 months) I ordered my VinGardeValise. I’d just come back from a family vacation where I had really wished I had brought some of our wines along. While preparing for that trip I discovered two unfortunate things: First, it is very complicated to ship wine if you don’t have a license and second, it is almost as tough to coordinate a shipment from your favorite winery to your hotel and to have it arrive during your week-long holiday.
I came home from that trip determined to find a way to travel with my wine and discovered the VinGardeValise website. I ordered the Grande 04, twelve-bottle size, on that first site visit!
Now I have completed my 27th roundtrip using my VinGardValise (VGV) and believe it’s been adequately tested now for me to give an honest view and review of this marvelous invention.
I have made my trips with it via planes, trains, and automobiles. I cannot count the times it has been gawked at by folks wondering what my ‘cool suitcase’ is for. It has been pampered on those occasions I’ve been in charge of it, dropped from a bellman’s cart bouncing down a marble staircase, and at times roughed up, especially as I’ve happened to see it being loaded or unloaded in the holds of airplanes.
Each and every time I have opened my VGV I smile! In all those trips every wonderful bottle has arrived safe and sound at its destination! Every bottle – every trip! In those trips I have packed champagne, pinot, traditional red, traditional white, and extra hefty red bottles. They each fit neatly in their premade slots and I have found what I call the ‘neck nubs’ very valuable to help insure nice, snug fits. Only once did I have a weight issue and that was on a trip where I packed an entire case of a Napa Cab in those lovely, extra thick bottles and stuffed in a few clothes too! Removed the clothes and made weight just fine! No problem other than a rather chubby carryon!
The VGV has also held up far better than any other of my past suitcases. The quality of the exterior shell material used wonderful and the wheels are continuing to perform flawlessly.
My VGV has been opened and inspected by TSA on several flights and each time the inside has been closed back up just as it should. Only once did some unknown TSA person decide not to re-clip the clasps on the exterior belts. However, thanks to the way the belts are secured to the case they arrived still attached to my VGV, even though unclipped. I also appreciate being able to remove the inserts if you are taking less than a case along and it is more often than not the only suitcase I travel with.
I like to say my VGV is my favorite of all the non-drinkable wine items I have ever bought. The tiniest of knocks is the ID tag holder got beat the very first of my trips and needed some ‘home repair’. No biggie though. The wines always been safe and secure!
Between saving on having wine shipped to where I will be and not having to pay liquor store prices it has far more than paid for itself! Plus we all get to enjoy our favorite wines, which are more often than not unavailable where we are on holiday.
Not being a fan of the outmoded points system for wine ‘grading’ wine I won’t use it here for my VinGardeValise. I will, however, say I give it a combined ‘love it’ vote, double ‘thumbs up’, and a full five stars!
