You flatter yourself. I do enjoy your helpless ignorance, though.

Whatever helps you achieve your obvious need to feel superior. Glad I can help.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TomNYC,

I am travelling tomorrow by air to spend the holidays in a destination where it is difficult to find decent wines. I am packing a case in one of those travel shipping boxes so it will be checked luggage. I am not taking anything older than 2006 so there should not be a lot of sediment in these bottles. Three whites, the remainders all red with nothing truly expensive.

For how long would you let the wines "rest/settle" after arrival? Do you believe in or have experienced travel shock?

Thanks.

At least 3 - 4 days

Randy Sloan nails it in post #7. Bottle shock occurs at the time of bottling, it's real, and there is science behind it (exposure to oxygen and SO2). My fuzzy recollection is that it lasts a few weeks to months, but wont be encountered by consumers unless wineries ship immediately after bottling. I think I've seen what might be considered a longer lasting variant of bottle shock in a few highly-sulfited German wines.

Travel shock is different. It probably affects older wines with sediment but may be a myth with little/no science behind it other than speculation for younger wines.

From a practical perspective, I wouldn't hesitate to open a young wine immediately after travel or shipping if it was needed for a tasting, but I rarely find myself in that situation. I try to avoid bringing old wines with sediment to tastings if it involves a plane ride and less than a few days for them to settle down. Shipping a week or two ahead would be a better choice in that case.

Then again, if it's a Mollydooker, you can ignore all of the above and just put it in a blender before serving...