Whether you're a wine connoisseur or just a casual sipper, being prepared to take your favorite bottles on the go pays off. What kind of bag you need will be up to the occasion — and the wine. Weekend wine trips usually call for higher capacity bags, but if you're just grabbing a bottle or two out of the fridge or from the store to take to a party, you'll probably want something stylish and insulated to keep things cool. Flying with wine? Preventing bottle breakage in the cargo is your number one priority.
We've rounded up the best travel wine bags to use whether you're looking to transport wine from around the world or just down the street. Our overall best pick is the True Brands 2-Bottle Wine Tote. It makes it easy to pack and carry up to two bottles and can be used in a variety of situations. It also includes an insulated lining to keep your wines at the ideal temperature and a handful of basic accessories so you can open your wine and enjoy it right when you get to your final destination.
If this tote doesn't have quite what you need, we've also picked out the best wine travel bags on the market for air travel, picnicking, parties, beach days, discretion, and more.
Why We Love It: Numerous accessories make this an ideal grab-and-go wine bag for last-minute outings or parties.
What to Consider: It's not designed for protecting bottles during air travel.
True Brand's Metropolitan Insulated Wine Tote is our favorite ready-when-you-are wine bag that checks boxes for a variety of occasions. From picnics to outdoor events to parties, it comes complete with the basic accessories you'll need to enjoy your wine, including two short-stemmed acrylic wine glasses, two cloth napkins, a corkscrew, and a bottle stopper — the key to keeping opened wine fresh.
The bag's main compartment can hold up to two 750-milliliter bottles of wine or one champagne magnum. A separate front zippered compartment holds the accessories. There's a removable insert divider to prevent the bottles from clinking up against each other in transit. The waterproof polyester material is ideal for handling any spills (inside or out) and the insulated compartments keep pre-chilled wine cold for up to two hours. The only downsides are that the hard plastic grip-through handle starts feeling uncomfortable after a while, and the tote isn't designed for keeping bottles safe during air travel.
Dimensions: 18 x 4.5 x 9.5 inches | Capacity: 2 bottles | Weight: 1.95 pounds | Insulated: Yes
Why We Love It: The pack-flat and lightweight pouches are ideal for tossing into your suitcase, shoulder bag, or backseat.
What to Consider: You may need an actual bag to carry your bubble-protected haul.
The Vinolock Reusable Wine Protector Bag was designed for travelers looking to keep their wine bottles safe while flying, but these bubble-wrapped lined pouches are also clutch to have on roadtrips and cycling trips — basically any bumpy situation where you need to transport wine over long distances. Securing your wine bottle is as easy as sliding it into the Vinolock pouch, sealing the double-zip lock on the end, and then folding over the velcroed edge for a final level of leak-proof protection.
The best part about these wine protector bags is that they take up minimal space and weight, so you can throw one (or more) in your bag when packing, just in case you run into a bottle you have to have. However, unlike other picks on the list, these reusable wine protector bags don't come with handles or straps, so you might need to have a tote on hand to hold your bottle-filled wine sleeves.
Dimensions: 17.68 x 7.36 x 2.01 inches | Capacity: 1 bottle per pouch | Weight: 9.9 ounces | Insulated: No
Why We Love It: The classic style and soft leather give a chic look to carrying around wine.
What to Consider: It's not waterproof and may stain.
The Tilvini Leather 2 Bottle Insulated Wine Bag is the luxury travel tote where style meets function. This bag is meant to be seen and is most ideal for bringing along on wine tasting trips, to dinner parties, and even trips to the local wine store. It comes in three colors: black, dark brown, and pink, and there is a small engravable metal plate on the front to personalize the bag.
Each bag is made from 100% genuine soft leather and comes with a matching, removable, and adjustable strap, or you can carry it by the leather handle on top. The fully insulated interior compartment can hold up to two bottles of wine. Two stainless steel wine tumblers are also included and are designed to fit upside down on top of the bottle in the bag. You'll need to supply your own corkscrew and bottle stopper.
Dimensions: 8 X 4 X 15 inches | Capacity: 2 bottles | Weight: 2.81 pounds | Insulated: Yes
Related: T+L Group's New Wine Club Is Ready to Help You Sip, Savor, and Explore More
Also available at Neiman Marcus
Why We Love It: It has a TSA-approved lock to safeguard your wine in transit.
What to Consider: Inserts are precut to specific bottle shapes.
This wine suitcase pulls double duty, functioning as either a sturdy, reliable roller bag or a secure way to transport wine on a flight — or both. The clamshell design of the VinGardeValise V.5 includes high-density foam inserts that can be customized to carry between zero or two to 12 bottles of wine on either or both sides of the suitcase. Wine bottles fit snugly inside the precut foam inserts and are secured with a divider board, luggage straps, and zippered compartment cover. A hard PET shell exterior gives added protection to your wine, a TSA-approved lock keeps it safe, and four hinomoto wheels keep the ride smooth. You can also buy additional inserts for magnum-sized bottles, chilling sheets, wine glasses, or to make custom cutout shapes.
Dimensions: 7 x 17.5 x 13.5 inches | Capacity: 2 to 12 bottles | Weight: 13.75 pounds | Insulated: No
Why We Love It: The backpack design is ideal for carrying bottles for prolonged periods of time.
What to Consider: Material is thinner than expected.
Actual backpack-style wine travel bags are hard to come by, so this Sunix Insulated Wine Tote is a unique gem. This waterproof wine travel bag has a simple and contemporary messenger bag-backpack style with a zippered flap for top loading up to two bottles of wine into the main compartment. The inside is insulated so it will keep pre-chilled bottles of wine cool during transport, while using its two included ice packs will help keep bottles chilled even longer. Note that this bag has different pre-fit pockets for storing additional (but flat) items such as a cutting board or thin picnic blanket. It's also got two extra storage spaces next to the bottle pockets that can hold wine glasses (not included). The bag is sturdy enough for the price but the thin material can make the bag feel less durable.
Dimensions: 16.22 x 13.98 x 2.76 inches | Capacity: 2 bottles | Weight: 1.06 pounds | Insulated: Yes
Why We Love It: It looks more expensive than it is.
What to Consider: Magnum-sized bottles will not fit in this bag.
We love this single-bottle wine travel bag because of its clean design, insulation, and portability. It's ideal for traveling with a bottle of chilled champagne or wine back from the store or to a party. Aluminum thermal insulation helps keep a chilled temperature, while 5 millimeters of layered padding helps prevent bottle breakage. While this is designed for chilled bottles of wine, it works for room temperature wine, too.
There's enough extra room at the top of the bag to fit a corked bottle or even an upside down tumbler on top of your wine and still zip the bag closed. Carry it with the easy-grab top handle or comfortably over your shoulder via the adjustable padded shoulder strap. The stylish Oxford Nylon material and the added real leather logo plate keep the bag looking chic.
Dimensions: 13.35 x 6.57 x 2.05 inches | Capacity: 1 bottle | Weight: 7.8 ounces | Insulated: Yes
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Why We Love It: It's waterproof and insulated, making it a natural for pool parties.
What to Consider: Carrying four bottles on your shoulder can get uncomfortable.
The Hamilo Waterproof Expandable Wine Tote is an ideal and stylish way to carry a couple of bottles to and from the wine store, a wine tasting, or to a party. The customizable EPE interior foam divider makes sure bottles don't clank while in transit, helping to protect them from breakage. The waterproof canvas material and insulation make this a go-to travel wine bag for taking bottles to splashy destinations like the pool or beach. When not in use, the bag folds flat for easy storage or packing into your suitcase. We also like this bag because the expandable top can accommodate corked and magnum-sized bottles. Our one hesitation is that even with the adjustable shoulder pad, carrying four bottles on your shoulders can feel heavy after a while — but you could always switch to using the bag's top handle.
Dimensions: 8.66 X 7.28 X 12.59 inches | Capacity: 4 bottles | Weight: 1.56 pounds Insulated: Yes
Why We Love It: The clever design can also be used as a regular purse.
What to Consider: You have to use a new wine pouch every time.
We love this vegan leather wine clutch because it's got a hidden interior pouch that can hold one 750-milliliter bottle of wine — and you'd never know just by looking at it. The dual functionality of the purse means you can take your clutch out for a night on the town loaded up with or without wine. If you decide to fill it with wine, simply pull out the hidden dispenser and discreetly pour yourself a glass before popping it back behind the built-in flap. The wine pouch is removable and slips easily into a zippered, insulated pouch, leaving the main compartment of the purse free to hold all of your regular purse items. The only downside is the pouches are not reusable, so you'll need to use a different one each time.
Dimensions: 10.3 x 4 x 6 inches | Capacity: Up to 1 bottle | Weight: 1.04 pounds | Insulated: Yes
Why We Love It: It's a fully-loaded, high quality picnic set.
What to Consider: The bottle-on-the-side design makes for a lopsided weight distribution.
Sunflora's Picnic Backpack for 4 With Insulated Wine Pouch is an all-in-one picnic set with a backpack design. Not only does it come with a specific insulated side pocket for holding wine (not to mention a corkscrew), it's stocked with all the picnic fixin's for a party of four, down to the salt and pepper shakers. This set stands out by offering dishwasher-safe full stainless steel flatware, durable unibody thermoplastic wine glasses (versus plastic), ceramic-like melamine plates (versus plastic), removable, waterproof food pouch, and a 5.9-inch bamboo cutting board (versus wood). Additionally, the set comes with a cheese knife, picnic blanket, and insulated main pouch. It also comes in six different colors.
Dimensions: 16.3 x 12.7 x 7.9 inches | Capacity: 1 bottle | Weight: 6.59 pounds | Insulated: Yes
Related: Barbecue and Summer Picnic Essentials
Also at PortoVino and Walmart
Why We Love It: It doubles as a beach bag and insulated wine dispenser.
What to Consider: The fillable wine pouches are not reusable.
This waterproof cotton beach bag features a nautical design of blue and white strips and twisted rope straps, giving it major nautical vibes. Unlike most other wine bags on this list, the PortoVino Beach Wine Purse utilizes a fillable wine bladder instead of a space for holding wine bottles. The bag's wine pouch is hidden inside an insulated, zippered pocket and holds up to two 750-milliliter bottles of wine. Wine is dispensed through a side pouring spout that can be hidden behind a discreet built-in flap.
The best part is that the bag can be used simultaneously as a wine tote and a beach bag thanks to its spacious main center compartment. This is an ideal bag for beach parties or other situations where glass bottles are prohibited or dangerous. Once used, the wine pouches need to be thrown away, so plan on continually purchasing the fillable pouches.
Dimensions: 16 x 1.75 x 12.5 inches | Capacity: Up to 2 bottles | Weight: 1.34 pounds | Insulated: Yes
Travel wine bags come in all capacities, holding just one bottle up to a case of 12. Wine lovers who are building a collection or take frequent trips may want to consider bags with adjustable or higher bottle capacities to cover their bases. For buyers in the market for a well-designed and functional wine travel tote for transporting wine to parties, a one or two-bottle capacity may work best.
While considering the number of bottles you'll be carrying, also consider the type of bottles you're most likely to be carrying. Most bags are designed to fit your average 750-milliliter bottle, so if you're a champagne or magnum enthusiast, it's worth finding a bag that can accommodate larger bottles.
Where you are going and how you are getting there is an extremely important consideration when purchasing the right travel wine bag. Wine bottles of any size are over the limit for carrying onto the plane so all wine must fly as checked luggage. Since things can get a bit bumpy in the cargo (or the hull of a boat, for that matter), you'll need a wine bag with excellent bottle protection against impact. On the other end of the spectrum, you'll only need a light amount of padding if you'll be hand-carrying bottles with you. Think about the potential for the bottles to move around, bump into things (or each other) while in transit, and look for bags that will provide the best shock absorption for the journey.
Picking out a travel wine bag can be an investment, and if you think you'll be traveling with wine more than once, it's worth thinking about how you may want to use your new wine travel bag in the future. You may be using it to transport a few bottles to a party this time, but would you ever want to use your wine bag to take some vino on your next picnic? Similarly, you may not need a bag with insulation right now, but it'll be key if you're ever traveling with wine that needs to be chilled. Depending on how often you plan on traveling with wine, it may be worth considering a multi-functional wine travel bag that can double as a purse or tote or suitcase as well, regardless if it is being used as a wine tote.
Travel + Leisure writers are shopping, fashion, and product experts who use personal experience and customer recommendations to choose the best items for shoppers. For this article, Katherine Alex Beaven researched dozens of travel wine bags and used her expertise as a travel writer and wine lover to curate the best list of wine travel bags for your next trip.
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