wine shipping for dummies

December 31, 2007 11:07 AM

Please provide recommendations for companies to move my wine collection from Seattle to San Francisco.

I am looking for something temperature controlled, reliable (no broken bottles), reasonably priced, insurable for the value of the wine, etc.

Please share any experiences, contacts and/or ideas. I've tried temperature controlled fedex, but they don't do alcohol. Most major shippers won't, unless you're a wine shop (which I'm not). Moving companies don't seem to want to do it either.

I know someone must be making money moving wine around for people, but my google-fu is weak in this area.

posted by jeffamaphone to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

If I were you, I'd call K&L Wines in San Francisco and ask them their advice. Also don't freak out too much; wine isn't really that delicate unless it's very old.
posted by Nelson at 11:38 AM on December 31, 2007

Response by poster: My main concern is I don't want it to freeze (or approach freezing) along the way. I don't know what sort of wearhouses and/or parking lots the truck may be left in over-night.
posted by jeffamaphone at 11:41 AM on December 31, 2007

Not sure, but the message boards at MovingScam.com might offer some recommendations.
posted by sharkfu at 12:38 PM on December 31, 2007

There are temperature controlled trucks that are rentable. I was looking into using them for some cross country first growths that I purchased, but it has a minimum bulk quantity (usually in the realm of dozens of cases). You can search erobertparker forums or ask the same question there for a more specialized audience that could easily satisfy your needs.
posted by stratastar at 4:04 PM on December 31, 2007

Does your collection fit inside a cargo van? I know you said you were looking for movers, but it may be more efficient/cost effective if you do it yourself by renting a cargo van. You can easily control the temperature in a van. Have a friend go with you and drive nonstop for the 16-hour trip. You can get boxes from the grocery/liquor stores which will keep the bottles from banging into each other. It may be a good idea to wrap things up with the large roll of saran-type wrap (like how things are shipped on pallets) to provide additional stability of the cartons in the van.
posted by parilous at 9:53 AM on January 1, 2008