This guest post was written by Paul Budny of Lazenne exclusively for Social Vignerons.
Lazenne is a European company born from a desire to help wine-loving travellers transport wine.
The company was co-founded by Bénédicte Rigollot, a granddaughter of a Champagne producer and Paul Budny, a wine-loving Canadian who settled in France.
They had discovered the frustration international travellers were having visiting wine regions, tasting amazing wines, often from small non-exporting producers, with no adequate solution to purchase and take some bottles back.
Paul: “It started with a personal frustration. Bénédicte was showing me around the Aube region in Champagne, France, where she was born and raised. We were tasting during La Route du Champagne, an annual festival at the end of July where Champagne houses open their doors inviting visitors to taste their creations. After tasting many amazing producer Champagnes, and being told that they did not sell outside of the region, let alone export to Canada or the US, I realized I needed a way to take some of these bottles home! I looked into shipping, and learned that it was illegal to ship alcohol to Canada, not to mention the cost for such a heavy parcel. This is where we had the aha moment, and looked at the concept of luggage specially designed for transporting wine bottles on the airplane. We teamed up with a Californian company who developed a great solution in the US, called the Wine Check and adopted it for the European market, fabricating a range of modules for different sizes and number of bottles. We now have a portfolio of wine travel products, which enable travellers to safely take from one or two bottles to fifteen at a time. “
Lazenne’s bestseller continues to be the Wine Check airplane luggage.
This airline-approved wine carrier is for those purchasing wine on vacation or who want to take some on a trip.
The Wine Check helps with traveling with wine. It has wheels and a pull strap to take it to and from the airport. It offers protection against the worst of baggage handlers, with crash-tested and ISTA certified polystyrene inserts that also protect the wine against extreme temperature variations (from the heat of the summer or the cold of the winter).
The modules come in three varieties:
- for 12 classic-style bottles like Bordeaux
- 12 Burgundy or Champagne style bottles
- or a mix of up to 15.
The suitcase’s minimalist and lightweight design means that the baggage, fully loaded with wine, weighs between 19 and 23 kg. This falls under the international airline weight limit, so there is no worry of excess baggage fees. With the insert removed, the carrier collapses for easy storage, and can be easily brought back to another wine destination.
Lazenne can quickly ship you another polystyrene insert, (or Styrofoam wine shipper, as they are commonly referred to), and you can take your wine back again and again.
Bénédicte: “European wine regions are full of wines from small producers just waiting to be discovered. You just cannot get these wines outside of winery. Even for the wineries that do export there are always specific wines or vintages that are impossible to get elsewhere. This is why I love this product because it allows visitors to take back something unique from their trip that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise.”
Lazenne’s Wine Check and other wine travel products can be purchased directly through their website, or through their network of resellers in France, Italy, Spain, and other countries. They can deliver throughout Europe, including to travellers’ hotels.
Check out all of our posts about Interesting Wine Accessories.
Get a quick overview how the luggage works with the following video:
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