Written by Kaitlin Young
I’ve always found it difficult to travel with wine. I like to buy wine as a drinkable souvenir when I travel, but getting it home is sometimes trouble. I put the bottles in a plastic bag, then surround them with all my socks for cushioning, but once I get to the airport and check my bag, all I can do is hope and pray that the baggage loader is in a good mood that day. Whether you’re flying half way around the world, or just going to a party down the street, the Built Two-Bottle Wine Tote takes the worry out of traveling with wine.
The Built 2-Bottle Wine Tote is handy because:
- It’s made out of Neoprene (wet-suit material), which insulates standard wine bottles for up to four hours.
- It’s stain resistant and machine washable, just drip dry.
- It stores flat, so when you’re not hauling wine, it’s not taking up any unnecessary room.
- It’s clink-proof, and holds the bottles snugly, so they won’t rattle against one another.
There’s always something just a little unsightly about taking wine to a party in a paper or plastic bag. Built’s two-bottle wine tote is not only functional, but comes in a variety of colors and patterns. It also helps insulate wines that need to be chilled for up to four hours, so even if you’re embarking on a lengthy trek, chances are, your wine will be cold once you arrive at your destination. We all know that wine bottles come in different shapes and sizes, but the neoprene material stretches to hold everything from stick-straight merlot bottles to curvy bottles of chardonnay. With this in mind, it’s no wonder this two-bottle tote was the winner of the gold award in Business Week’s annual Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) in 2004.
While the Built 2 Bottle Wine Tote is great for carrying standard 750-ml wine bottles, it may not work well with magnums or liquor bottles with unusual shapes, such as Bailey’s or Patron. If beer is more you style, Built also carries a six-pack tote that boasts the same useful qualities as their Two-Bottle Wine Tote.
While plastic and paper bags may be the liquor store standard, that doesn’t mean your standards shouldn’t be higher. Both practical and fashionable, the Built Two Bottle Wine tote will make sure your wine arrives safely at your destination. But after drinking two bottles of wine, you’re left to your own devices remembering to take it home.