The Best Gear for Wine Travel

A wine trip can immerse you in a place like no other experience, as you learn about the grapes, soil, climate and production techniques that go into creating a beautiful bottle of wine in that particular region. While preparing for wine-related travel involves packing some of the same things you would take with you on any trip, there are a few specific things that wine pros say you should never leave behind—especially if you’re visiting several wineries or vineyards in a day.

To help your vacation go smoothly while optimizing luggage space, we asked industry experts—from wine importers who travel to see their producers to wine tour professionals—to share their must-haves for any wine-related journey.

1. A Good Pair of Sneakers

Expect to walk a lot on wine trips. Depending on the tour or event, you could be strolling through all sorts of terrain, so bring close-toed shoes that can support you throughout the day. 

Brittany Carlisi, sommelier and founder of Contessa Consulting, slips into her Brooks sneakers when she knows she’ll be walking long distances, from the airport to the vineyard. 

“Even if you don’t wind up using [sneakers], you always want to have them in case all of a sudden you are working harvest or running through volcanic pumice and stones or … going on a hike,” she says. 

Amanda Carpenter, who manages the Washington D.C. region for natural wine distributor and importer Native Selections, wears waterproof shoes like HOKA GTX shoes or Salomon Gore-Tex footwear. 

“I only buy sneakers that are Gore-Tex now because it makes such a huge difference if you’re going into a vineyard, especially if there’s been a recent rain,” she says. Waterproof shoes also pack more easily than rubber boots, she adds.

2. A Scarf

It’s better to dress in too many layers than too few when visiting wineries. Many vineyards are located in areas with broad temperature swings, so you can often go from feeling hot to cold quickly during a tour. 

For that reason, Sarah Pierre, owner of 3 Parks Wine Shop in Atlanta, always packs a scarf. “That’s also for the airplane as well,” she says. “But it also helps so I don’t have to pack a jacket.”

Carlisi, an Italian wine specialist whose tour company focuses on vineyards around Sicily, specifically loves linen scarves for temperature regulation throughout the day. 

3. A Cashmere Sweater

Along with a scarf, Pierre loves these $50 cashmere sweaters from Quince for extra warmth. “I always bring at least one or two Quince sweaters, and they pack really tight,” she says. The brand’s cashmere is sourced from goats in Inner Mongolia and gives you a little more warmth than wool. You can also get Quince’s cashmere in different styles like cardigans, hoodies, turtlenecks, sweater vests and even ponchos.

4. A Raincoat

If you’re going somewhere that’s rainy but not too cold, a light raincoat, rather than an umbrella, is the way to go. 

“[If] you bring an umbrella on a wine trip, you’re not coming back with your umbrella,” Pierre says. “So, I usually just skip the umbrellas, and I just bring one of those raincoats that folds into itself.” That way you can come prepared without taking up too much space in your luggage.

5. A Water Bottle

Since hydration is key when you’re tasting wine, this is one you should always plan to pack. 

Pierre likes her 25-ounce bottle S’well water bottle since she drinks a gallon of water a day and the vacuum-insulated design that keeps water cold for 36 hours. 

“Every single winery you go to, there will always be water,” says Pierre, who’s also a fan of YETI water bottles. “But you want to make sure you just hydrate at all times.”

6. Upset Stomach Medication

Pierre, whose monthly travels are about one-third wine-related, suggests bringing some sort of acid reflux or digestion relief with you in case of heartburn or an unsettled stomach. She usually has Pepto Bismol chewable tablets on hand, but she’s seen other people bring Imodium or Tums, too. 

7. Electrolyte Drink Mix

As an avid runner, Pierre always makes sure she’s extra hydrated when on a wine trip. She likes to take two electrolyte packets—her go-tos are Liquid IV and LMNT—a day. “I put one on my nightstand before I walk out to go do the winery stuff, so that in case I come back a little slightly halfway cross-eyed, I can make sure that it’s right on my nightstand so I’ll never forget to take it at night,” she says. “And then every single morning, I take one before my run.”

8. Stain Remover

When accidents happen, Carlisi turns to Chateau Spill Red Wine Stain Remover first. You can get the wipe packets specifically for traveling, so you can easily dab any wine you accidentally spill on your clothes. 

Tide To Go pens or wipes also work. “I go to Vinitaly with two Tide pens and usually wind up giving one away in Verona,” Carlisi says.

9. Hydrating Skincare

Along with plenty of water, Carlisi loves to pack some hydrating skincare essentials on her wine trips. She reaches for Dermal Korean face sheet masks and Maskiss under-eye masks, which are individually packed for travel. “​”I love those de-puffers,” she says. “I’ll put them on first thing in the morning.” She also likes to complement those with a hydrating lip mask.

10. Sanitary Kit

Depending on where you’re traveling, it may be helpful to pack some sanitary basics. “I typically travel the—for a lack of better words—’rustic’ regional trains, so I prepare for the worst,” says Alex Gables, co-founder of Natty Wine, a wine importing and distribution company. When he’s traveling across Italy to visit producers, he packs tissues and hand sanitizer in case bathrooms and sinks aren’t well stocked or working properly. Deodorant is also a must, whether you’re simply walking a lot in the heat or visiting places without air conditioning.

11. A Portable Phone Charger

When you’re spending the whole day out, this comes in handy to keep your phone battery charged. “The charger is especially helpful not just for the train, but if you’re in the middle of a vineyard and you need to take photos, or [you’re] stuck at a bus station with no outlets and you need to send emails,” Gables says. Different countries also have different sockets, so your wall charger block may not be compatible outside the U.S., making this a useful gadget to have on hand. 

When visiting a winery during a hotter season or a warmer part of the day, Pierre and Gables suggest packing a portable fan. It’ll help keep you cool when you may have dressed in layers to accommodate the cooler hours of the day. This chargeable one is Pierre’s pick and folds into itself for easy packing.

If you’ll be opening any bottles yourself on your trip—for a picnic or sharing with a group—pack a wine key with you. 

Carlisi likes the professional double-hinged style in particular. Just remember to put it in your checked luggage since TSA doesn’t allow it in your carry-on.

Whether you’re traveling as an importer, sommelier or a wine lover, Carlisi recommends bringing a notebook or journal. Sometimes she uses hers to write down notes on specific wine producers or restaurants she visits. Other times she’s jotting down more technical details during vineyard tours. 

“When I take notes, I scratch out real fast as the producer’s talking…each wine name, the vintage, the percentage of the grapes, how it’s vinified and then my tasting notes,” Carlisi says. 

Even if you’re not listing tasting notes, a notebook is still useful for documenting the names of any bottles you enjoyed or details of your travels in general. 

Carpenter adds that a notebook is more fitting for wine trips than using your phone. “I think that the tactile writing [of] a note [and] having a pen and paper in hand is more congruent with what the experience is,” she says.

15. A Large Tote Bag

Depending on where you’re going, how many stops you’ll be taking and how much you want to carry with you, some sort of bag may be helpful so you don’t leave little things behind. 

Pierre usually opts for her medium-sided TELFAR shopping bag. “It folds flat, so it fits in my luggage and takes up very little space,” she says. “[It’s] large enough to hold my water bottle, sweater, my reMarkable, which comes with me everywhere, marketing material from wineries, etc.” 

If it’s going to be rainy, she’ll bring a waterproof backpack instead. Longchamp bags are popular on wine trips too, she says.

16. Snacks

Carpenter recommends packing dry goods that you’d typically bring on a hike—things that pack easily like trail mix or protein bars.

“Especially if you’re in a different country and your circadian rhythm is on a different frequency, sometimes you just need to pop in some calories,” she says. These snacks can help hold you over between meals, especially if you’re visiting several vineyards or wineries back to back.

If you like to bring wine home with you from trips that involve a flight, delicate bottles especially, then a wine suitcase is worth the investment. Bonnary Lek, Wine Enthusiast’s director of communications and a frequent wine traveler, recommends the Vino Voyage suitcase, which comes in six-bottle and twelve-bottle sizes. “I can safely and easily transport my favorite bottles. It’s both durable and lightweight. And when I’m not traveling with wine—these are rare times—I can remove the foam inserts and have an amazing carry-on. It checks all the boxes.”

18. A Wine Bag

For weekend trips that might involve a stop at a winery or destination bottle shop, consider a wine bag. Look for one with removable bottle liners for versatility.

“I took this bag with me on virtually every weekend trip last summer,” says Marco Bruno, Wine Enthusiast’s social media strategist. “It has space for a change of clothes, and three bottles of wine that I usually pick up at the store as the first stop of my drive. My favorite part is the extra padded interior. I never worry about bottles banging up against each other, or any other junk that I have stored in my car’s trunk.”

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Published: September 19, 2024