Hands up who's left a great bottle of 'souvenir' wine behind for fear of breakage in the case - if there's spillage, those white jeans will never be the same again. Or you've spent hours wrapping a bottle in arms of sweaters, legs of a pair of tights or leggings or, worse still, had a bottle of wine shatter in your case?
I was introduced to the Wineskin in Argentina, we transported four bottles of fine Malbec 6,920 miles back home and didn't have so much as a dribble. I really wanted to write about them and it wasn't until I had to leave another great bottle of wine behind in Emilia Romagna in Italy that I sought them out. Now I really won't travel abroad without them.
These clever bubble wrapped pouches are made so that IF in the unlikely event a bottle does smash, the liquid stays inside the bag because it's double-sealed. Perfect for shipping, great for transporting in a case full of clothes.
The Wineskin itself is 18" long and 7" wide, and it has an incredibly tough vinyl outer, inside the bottle is protected by a bubble-pack inner, it's shaped for all 750ml bottles and has a unique double-seal system to prevent liquid escaping.
IF a bottle does get treated roughly and breaks, it's advised not to sieve out the alcohol and drink it. Wrap the unopened skin in lots of newspaper and dispose of well.
Perfect for the wine lover, olive oil fan, or indeed the fan of any bottles containing liquid that will squeeze into a 750ml skin. Invaluable to retailers who have turned many sales down because of breakage issues.
They are one-use only, and once they're sealed, you'll need a crowbar to open one. That said, if you cut the seal, the bag will work equally well for short journeys where a little extra padding is required but I wouldn't risk them in a bag full of clothes.
Wineskin is based in the US but their website lists stockists here in the UK.
All photographs of the Wineskin were taken by the author, Rebecca Williams.