So where IS Vinni? We know that Vinni is traveling to some amazing places…

Because we’re too often stuck at our desks, we especially like to travel vicariously through our customers – tell us your VinniBag travel stories, whether to exotic places or around the corner. Periodically we’ll pick the most unusual trip or the most creative use and send the winner a free VinniBag.

So – I was very excited to get my Vinni-Bags! I ordereed 2 to start, from the good feedback I got from the internet on travel web-sites, and a friend who had a few.

These are stocking stuffer gifts for the BF and Dad;

Dad runs a multi national, and travels all over the world, and is a wine guy, so if I could give him a simple product to bring home a bottle from travles, then awesome. I ordered one for him, knowing he was in January headed to South African wine country and has friends there… taking home one bottle is not as great as a case, but as he and I have talked about, often, he doesn’t have time to organize shipping a case, and I thought taking home a bottle in his luggage sans-worry would be fun. Stay tuned for report on how Vinni performs.

As for other inflatable Vinni, it is for French BF, headed for Paris for most of Dec.; he often wants to take home wine, so we shall see what he does with it.

My hope is, he goes to Producteur Market in the Marais district next weekend, and buys me the mustard and walnut viniager I want for take-homes from his trip, and he will use his Vinni for those!

Stay tuned again.

When I was preparing to send a priceless heirloom Christmas ornament from the Midwest to Florida, I consulted with the VinniBag people as to the advisability of using their product. I was told to wrap the 4inch long ornament in tissue paper and place it in the middle of the inner chamber of the vinnibag. After inflating the bag, I put it in a box well-cushioned with newspaper. It was sent FedEx ground–and arrived in one piece. I was thrilled that the bag worked so well for such an important keepsake. I will definitely use it again without hesitation!

– Sharon

Vinni went with me to Florida to visit my father. Of course I couldn’t go without bringing a bottle of his favorite wine. Everything arrived in perfect condition. For all his hard work I thought Vinni could use a little r n r at the beach – Take that Corona!

– Donna

Thanks, Vinni!! I was able to protect my favorite bottle of Kistler Pinot from the Airlines when I went from LA to Denver recently! The suitcase was battered and bruised but the wine was perfect!! Good Job!!!!

– Micheal

Having returned two days ago from Burma (OK, so they call it Myanmar now) with a ATHAYA 2012 Red Wine and a small split of another Burmese wine, I was appalled to find that some of the wine had leaked out of the tiny bottle (contained, however, by the newspaper, plastic sheet and zip lock bag I had wrapped around them as protection). Then, I saw your posting in the September/October 2013 “Virtuoso Life” magazine yesterday, and ripped it out to save the website address. I just ordered two of your bags so I don’t have to take up 1/2 my bag to get a couple bottles of wine, vinegar, and/or perfume (when I get back from Paris) into California! Why oh why didn’t I see something about your product BEFORE I took off for 32 days to Asia! Will let you know how things fare when traveling back from Ceylon (I know, I know, it is Sri Lanka now) next trip! I’m certain to get something fragile there, too!

– Diane

I was traveling cross country 3 weeks ago when I rolled my pickup truck in the Mojave desert. Windows were smashed, luggage was strewn across the desert floor and the truck was a total loss. In an accident that cracked a few ribs and destroyed a lot of things, my VinniBag and the bottle of bourbon it was protecting came out the other side none the worse for wear. Thank you!

GREAT bag, my sister-in-law gave me one last year for a gift and now I keep buying them for my friends and family. I travel to europe often and brign it with me every time. My latest bottle is from the Veneto, Amarone….can not wait to drink it. Thank you for being made in the USA.

– Cindy

I bought several VinniBags..but I kept one and use it all the time. The one’s I did give away were gratefully accepted and used as well. One of my staff takes his on every (convention) trip. He’s on a budget and it is way less expensive to “BYOB” when staying at a hotel. I’ve taken mine all over the US and to Hawaii last November. One of my favorite memories of the trip was drinking my favorite valley wine and watching the sun set in front of the tiny beach cottage we rented. I even used it coming home: I brought a bottle of locally brewed rum! What a versatile travel companion!

What is a Chateau Margaux 2004 doing washed up on the red sand shores of PEI? This is the land of the best lobsters in North America and has no place for a red wine of any kind. A Sancerre or Pouilly Fume, one of the fruits of the Loire Valley, would be a more welcomed find here. I snagged the VinniBag encased Margaux to make one last trip across Canada to Vancouver before popping the cork. The VinniBag, it turns out, was just as valuable a find as the Margaux. I see many more trips in this VinniBag’s future. Perhaps it will need a traveling companion.

– Gayle

Wise Men Use Vinni Bags! Happy Holidays

Just got back from a surf trip to San Juanico, Baja. It’s a one burro town filled with Tecate and not much in the way of wine. No problem. Took my favorite bottle of cabernet with me on my checked luggage from LAX to Loreto, where it arrived just fine. Vinni Bag is a terrific product, and I plan to get more to take gifts of my favorite Santa Barbara wines to friends around the country.

– Andy

The VinniBag – man what an awesome product! I recently spent a long weekend on a trip to Arizona to see a close friend and decided to bring a nice bottle of wine back to my wife as a present. I used your VinniBag product for the airplane trip home to Florida – and not a scratch was on the bottle! It was easy to use and definitely delivered on its promise to keep the bottle safe, secure and ready for enjoyment. I look forward to future products you guys may offer. Take care and keep up the great work!

– Luke & Laura

I am writing this letter to share my appreciation and the excitement VinniBag gave me the first time I used it. I recently traveled from Los Angeles, CA to Augusta, GA for the Masters golf tournament and wanted to take along many of my nicer wines. To my pleasant surprise I found VinniBag and ordered 5; let me tell you it was worth every penny! It protected my wine perfectly and was the topic of discussion every dinner we enjoyed. The VinniBag also stores flat and took up no room in my suitcase, which was perfect for all my souvenirs as I traveled back to Los Angeles, CA.

I highly recommend this product and look forward to using my VinniBag’s for many years to come. Thanks so much for the excellent design work, quality and value your product has brought to my travels around the globe.

Cheers!!!

– Chad

I flew from LAX to JFK on a certain airline and checked one bag with a bottle of wine in it; of course, I used the VinniBag. It was a sturdy hard case when I checked it in but it was hardly a case when it came out on the conveyor belt. Externally the bag was destroyed and internally many items were damaged. However, my bottle of wine that was in the VinniBag was fine. Words are not enough to explain just how destroyed my bag was but thrashed, chewed up by Godzilla, and/or possibly run over will have to do.

Thanks,

Spencer

Living in a small community I can rarely get direct flights out of the country. Although you can take “duty free” alcohol on the plane with you, once exiting customs you have about five minutes to stow it in your luggage and sling it on the conveyor belt for your connecting flight. You know it made it this far but whether or not you’ve hastily packed it securely enough to survive the rest of your journey is in someone else’s hands. This is no longer an issue! I simply take my Vinnibag in my carry- on and have the package readily secured to pop into my suitcase for it’s continuing travels. No hassle, no worry. Gotta love it! I recently purchased three more as gifts. I’m sure they’ll be much appreciated : )

– Patrici

The Vinni Bag worked like a charm on my most recent trip in Italy. I’m a tour guide for La Contadina Travel and Tours (www.lacontadina.com), so I am always on the look-out for products that will work well for international travel. I decided to use the Vinni Bag to transport a very special bottle of wine, because once I inflated the VinniBag, I could tell how well-made a product it was and how securely it protected the bottle inside. When fully-inflated (which is soooo easy to do!!), it is very plump and firm. I used it while in Italy to transport my favorite bottle from town to town and then placed it in my checked luggage for the trip home. My suitcase was international carry-on size, so there was not a lot of extra padding around the VinniBag, yet it still protected my purchase perfectly. Now I can enjoy my special Italian treasure! I highly recommend this product and look forward to using it again and again on future trips abroad! Thank you for offering this unique, useful, and high-quality product. I’m going to tell all my tour guests about this product, too. Come visit me on my blog to see what else I use on my Italian adventures! http://mbitalytour.blogspot.com

Party like a ROX-star.

LOVE the Vinnibag! Its perfect for traveling which I do a lot of (especially during the holidays), and its totally reusable (which is easy on the conscience). I am giving one to all the special people in my life this Christmas (and with a bottle of wine, I know it will win me some favors)! What a fabulous gift! Thanks Vinni Bag.

– L. Lange

We used our VinniBag to successfully transport wine we purchased from a vineyard west of Santiago to Puerto Mont by plane and later as we criss-crossed Region X by car. We found the bag to be well built and easy to operate, allowing us to quickly remove the bottle to pour a glass of wine, and re-secure within the bag in a matter of a few minutes. Although we did have a jar of preserved apples open during our return flight to the U.S. (due to a poorly sealed lid), the contents were fully contained within the VinniBag and did not leak onto our clothing or gear, saving us hundreds of dollars. We believe VinniBag is a must-have for any traveler and we will be recommending it to our friends.

To learn more about our VinniBag review, or find recipes and additional reviews, visit our website at http://www.TheOverlandGourmet.com.

I have taken local wine and vodka to friends overseas and brought back scotch on the return trip without problems. The bag also protects other fragile items like an heirloom horn and souvenir cups and jams. I pack a layer of clothing below and above to provide extra protection. You can fully deflate the bag and store it for your next trip. I usually hang them on a hanger so that they don’t get creased and potentially damaged. My Vinnibags have made six international trips and are still ready for more.

– Jenny

Vinni is a very special companion – we’ve found so many ways to use it… Here we are on Lake Como in Italy with our VinniBag preserving a rose!

– Alice