USVI-On-Line

Can those of you who have shipped cases of wine ahead tell me the pros/cons of doing this? The four of us are huge Merlot imbibers and are thinking about the important stuff ahead of time! If you think it won't make the ship in one piece or would get hot, etc. let me know. Would you ship it to the rental office or the post office and how far ahead should I send it? If you think buying it on island is a better decision, where's the best place as far as price? I thought if we shipped it by the case we could get a better deal through our local Total Wine Warehouse. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

We've done wine as checked luggage in shipper boxes with no problem. Shipping wine is likely more expensive than buying it on STT or at Starfish Gourmet. I mean, its Merlot, how picky can you be?

Cheers, RickG

We shipped a box with our snorkel gear and several books to Connections. They charged a flat $10.00 fee for holding it until we picked it up. I called them direct (340-776-6922) and found them to be very helpful... the nice lady I spoke to even gave pointers on how to correctly write the address so that it wouldn't be rejected by the computer in PR and consequently take longer to arrive on St. John....all block letters and absolutely NO punctuation.

I would have liked to ship a case of our favorite wines...but I was apprehensve... too worried about the heat and possible careless handling. Perhaps other forum members can advise you about shipping wine.

Hi Greyhoundmom---I'm a wine lover too, and have thought about shipping a case, but haven't tried it yet.

You might try calling Gary Moses at Mixology Warehouse. I found that with a couple of weeks advance notice he could get a pretty good selection of wine from his distributor in St. Thomas. Its more expensive than in the US but shipping it isn't cheap either. And Gary will deliver it to your villa door free of charge.

I've also wrapped one or two bottles well, and included it with my shipped luggage. Having Merlot over your entire suitcase could be a huge mess, though, if a bottle breaks!

Hmmm....I don't think I would chance shipping wine down. I think you'd be taking a chance of it sitting out on the tarmac/the back of a delivery vehicle, etc. and getting overheated. If you wanted to bring your own down, I would do what Rick said and get some of those styrofoam wine shippers and check it through as luggage.

I think you will find, though, that you'll be able to find what you are looking for on the island. There's that new gourmet food and wine shop associated with Starfish, and if you call in advance, Mixology can get in whatever wine you want. I did not find the prices on the wine to be that much higher than here in Boston. Some stuff was even cheaper on St. John than here! (Not the California wines, though, FYI)

RickG wrote: I mean, its Merlot, how picky can you be?

Low blow Rick -

I also find some of the more expensive wines to be cheaper on St. John then in PA. Our everyday drinking stuff is very comparable in price.

We purchased wine on our last trip at Starfish Market. The gourment store wasn't open yet in August. We were happy with the selection they had and found a couple that we really enjoyed for reasonable prices!

Thanks for all the great advice! I've decided to buy it once we are on island - less hassle. Loved the last sentence of your comment, Rick - you and my friend David would get along great - he says there is no such thing as a "good Merlot"!

My husband and I save special bottles of wine for our trips, and purchased a special wine carton with foam inserts and a canvas cover, with handles and lock, to check with our luggage. It has worked beautifully for 3 trips to STJ. I checked the International Wine Accessory (IWA) website, which was where we bought it years ago, and I couldn't find it. They do have all sorts of other options, though, including 6- and 12-bottle wheelies...Check it out and have a wonderful (and wine-y!) trip. http://www.iwawine.com/orstore/bagstote ... l&sort=pop

I don't know you guys - I think "Sideways" really did an injustice to the grape. So many people think it is a joke now - but Merlot is a key component in some of the world's best wines. See <a href="http://www.cookeryonline.com/mealexperi ... his</b></a> .
Granted the CA varietal Merlot may not be a purists wine (in Bordeaux it is used for blending mostly) but there are some great wines made from purely Merlot. We had a Japanese friend bring a bottle (magnum - $400!!) of <a href="http://www.castellodiama.com/english/ap ... his</b></a> to dinner at our house - it is truly an exceptional bottle of wine. Single vineyard, special trellising of the vines, hand picked, etc. etc. I have visited Castello di Ama and it is a special place - I will have to post some pictures for you all.