Mastering the art of wine shipping: how expert freight forwarders ensure compliance and seamless operations

Shipping wine involves adhering to a multitude of regulations that vary from country to country. These regulations include licensing requirements, age verification, labelling standards, import restrictions and tax obligations. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in fines, shipment delays or even the seizure of goods. Freight forwarders well-versed in wine shipping regulations know how to navigate these intricacies, safeguarding businesses from legal complications.

Experienced wine freight forwarders possess a network of carriers and logistics partners familiar with the unique requirements of wine transportation. This expertise ensures that wines are handled and transported in compliance with temperature-controlled environments, minimising the risk of spoilage. By leveraging their connections and knowledge, freight forwarders can optimise shipping routes, avoid delays and deliver wines promptly to their destinations.

A partnership built on trust

For Paolo Sandri, Managing Director of Convivium Wine Consultancy, that freight forwarder is Avion Australia. Convivium works with Italian wine producers who share respect for the land, choosing to enhance it, rather than exploit it. Paolo is enthusiastic and devoted about introducing as-yet unknown wines from Italy to Australian customers. As a sommelier, his expertise helps guide clients to find the perfect wine for their taste and budget.

“I wasn’t happy with the previous company I was dealing for my imports, so I asked a few friends in the industry for a more reliable business partner to import my stock,” he says.

“I was impressed by Avion’s easy approach to the business. Nothing was a problem, it was a ‘can do’ approach that convinced me to try their services.”

Four years later and Avion remains his freight forwarder for his business.

“Their attention to detail, communication, flexibility and reliability isalways on point,” says Paolo.

“They are honest and do not change the rules of engagement in course of business. In business for me this is very important.”

Avion collects orders from Convivium’s warehouse in Sesto Fiorentino and carefully ensures correct handling in refrigerated containers to ensure goods are safe for the long journey by sea to Sydney.

The Avion team ensures luxury wine consignments are safely forwarded from the country of origin to dinner tables, bars and restaurants around the world while ensuring that hygiene and health standards are applied and maintained.

Paolo says the entire team always goes the extra mile to ensure a quality experience.

Bespoke solutions for wine importers

Avion offers tailored solutions of international air, ocean and road freight services to meet the needs for the national and international wine market.

From storage to final delivery, Avion ensures temperature-controlled solutions throughout the entire freight and logistic chain. They provide both reefer and dry isothermal containers, temperature controlled and cooling masses for fresh and frozen product transportation to prevent breaks in the cold chain.

Avion Australia offers a range of options for shipments of wine and other cold products including:

•​ Temperature-controlled and insulated platforms

•​ Tailor-made, double-layer insulation for FCL / LCL shipments

•​ In transit and warehousing temperature-controlled solutions

•​ Dry and reefer temperature-controlled containers

•​ Data loggers, sensors for monitoring and recording environments, to ensure the quality of the food and perishable products during the journey transport

•​ Flexitank solutions, disposable and recyclable, equipped with EVOH or aluminium permeation barriers that preserve the quantity and quality of transported liquid products.

By partnering with freight forwarders with a comprehensive understanding of wine shipping regulations, wine importers can expect efficient deliveries that have been handled correctly at every step of the journey, while navigating the complexities of wine shipping regulations with confidence.

Download Avion Australia food and wine fact sheet here!

For more information on how Avion Australia can assist your business with importing and exporting wine please get in touch.