‘Indestructible’ wine suitcase coming to the UK

A “virtually indestructible” suitcase that helps wine lovers bring their beloved bottles home from their travels is soon to go on sale in the UK.

Creator of the case Barry Wax told the drinks business that he had secured a distribution centre in Cambridge due to demand from Brits for the gadget.

“A 40ft container of our newest model (VGV02) is on the water and expected to arrive around 20 August. Within 2-3 weeks of arrival, perhaps sooner, we expect to be able to ship products to consumers, wine retailers and trade professionals,” Wax told db.

A UK website for the product is also due to go live in the next month. Costing £229, the VinGardeValise is a rolling hard shell suitcase lined with high-density, temperature-regulating foam that protects bottles while in transit.

It weighs 20kg when packed with a dozen 75cl bottles, making it under the limit for a checked bag with airlines like Air France, British Airways, KLM and Alitalia.

If you only want to take a couple of bottles home, the remaining foam can be removed from the 45 x 30 x 66cm case to make room for other travel essentials.

The foam cavities are designed to hold an array of different bottle shapes from Bordeaux and Burgundy, to Champagne and Riesling bottles.

The VinGardeValise took Wax three years to develop. Special foam inserts for magnums can be purchased for the case for £18.