Jolene heading out to host a wine dinner.
Are you a wine sales rep in search of an attractive insulated wine purse for daily on-the-job use? Or maybe you’re a wine enthusiast looking for a wine purse for carrying some bottles to the beach or to a special event? Or maybe you’re looking for a whimsical wine tote for an upcoming birthday gift. We’ve got you covered in this review of the best wine purses for every need.
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Do I Need a Wine Purse?
If you are in the wine trade - perhaps as a sommelier, an event planner, or host of wine classes - an insulated and professional wine purse is a must. These insulated wine purses have enough structure to keep wine bottles upright. As these wine totes are a necessary tool for the trade, they should have some style elements enjoyed by the owner in addition to practical features like insulation, structure, and wear-resistant fabrics.
If you are a wine enthusiast or buying for a friend who is a wine lover, then you are looking for one of two types of wine purses. The same companies that make professional wine purses also make smaller handbags that fit two or three bottles, keeping them upright and chilled. The second type of wine purse is what we call a recreational wine purse - one intended for carrying wine in a discreet manner with the wine itself inside a food grade bag with dispenser.
Wine Purses: What to Consider
Once you’ve determined the style of wine purse you’re looking for - a professional wine purse to hold one or more bottles, or a fun wine purse to discreetly transport wine to an event or party - there are a few more things to consider.
Construction and Aesthetic of Wine Purses
Wine purses are typically constructed from vinyl, leather, or faux-leather (also called vegan leather). If there is potential for the wine purse to be exposed to water, you may want to consider avoiding leather. Alternatively, if you are taking wines to show to a wine bottle shop or wedding planner, then you might want to consider the finer aesthetics of a leather or faux-leather wine purse.
Number of Bottles the Wine Purse Contains
Will you (or the recipient in the case of a gift) need to carry one, three or six bottles of wine for appointments?
In the case of recreational wine purses - where a hidden bag holds the wine instead of the original box or bag - consider how much volume you need for the event.
Should my Wine Purse be Insulated or Uninsulated?
Most wine purses offer both insulated and uninsulated compartments. You’ll need to consider whether you want a bag that simply helps pre-chilled wine remain cold - much like those insulated grocery bags you see in the freezer section of the grocery store - or if you want a bag that uses ice packs which can be removed from the wine purse in cooler weather.
Wine purses without removable ice packs frequently cannot be kept cool by placing ice directly into the purse. Placing ice directly in many wine purses often results in leaking or dampness of surrounding materials and could discolor or damage leather bags.
Does My Wine Purse Need a Spout?
If you plan on serving wine from a spout connected to a discreet bladder inside the wine bag, then yes, you will need a wine purse with a built-in spout. Professional wine purses don’t have wine spouts.
Overall Top Wine Purse
The chill-n-go family of professional wine bags has been making wine purses, totes, and luggage for 30 years. Jolene has had this bag for almost two years and would purchase again if her original wine tote disappeared.
With good construction, removable ice packs, and pouches for storing maps, handouts, corkscrews, and more, one could easily get 2-3 years of everyday use out of these sturdy nylon bags available in many colors.
Best Wine Purse for Wine Professionals
Chill-n-go has been making the go-to wine purse (or tote) for sommeliers, instructors, and wine salespeople for years. Consider this wine bag (available in several colors) if you have frequent need of a wine purse and want a high-quality bag that will be a trusted partner for years.
Why do we like it? This bag was clearly designed with the professional in mind. The nylon construction is very sturdy and easy to clean regardless of your travel conditions - dusty roads, sticky floors, errant wine splashes from excited wine tasters - no problem. Also, the design is unisex (not too feminine, not too masculine).
We like that the ice packs are removable and easily stored in the freezer between uses (or one can go without the ice packs in cooler weather). There’s a zippered pouch for storing an extra corkscrew, a champagne stopper or two, or a credit card swipe device that attaches to your cell phone for any off-premise sales.
Nylon fabric separates the ice pack from the bottles and any literature you might have, so no more wet labels or wet literature if you’ve been compensating with other bags. With this bag, we’ve easily carried wine maps measuring up to 14” in height. We’ve also used the tote for grocery shopping.
Pros:
Easy to clean
Sturdy bag and handle, including shoulder strap
Structured bag holds one to six bottles upright easily
Cons:
The classic design in nylon might be too “plain” for those seeking a luxury look
Chill-no-go does offer a similar tote in Italian leather for those wanting to splurge on a Made in USA wine purse bag including this red leather snake print.
Best Wine Clutch Purse
Perhaps you are looking to discreetly carry just one chilled bottle to an event (sans paper bag). When you’re not using it for wine, this wine clutch purse can also be used to carry medicines requiring insulation.
Pros:
Clutch is a discreet way for wine enthusiasts to carry one bottle of wine
Available in many trending colors and prints, including cork
Use to carry other beverages in addition to wine, including craft beer bomber or a couple of smaller beers.
Cons:
Don’t put ice in the bag, as thawed ice will leave water spots
Good looking, but not robust.
Designed for infrequent use, not as an “everyday” bag
The PortoVino Wine Bag, the Best Wine Bag for the Beach
While originally designed for wine, any beverage can be placed in this discreet wine purse when glass wine bottles are not allowed.
Inside the PortoVino purse is a pouch that you pour wine into. In the front of the purse is a spout hidden behind a flap that allows one to pour wine out of the purse into a wine glass.
Check out this video to learn more about what you can store in the wine bag and how to fill it with wine. It is also possible purchase replacement BPA-free bags in case you forget to clean out the bag or you rupture the bag accidentally with a sharp object.
PortoVino Wine Bag, the Best Fashionable Wine Purse With Hidden Spout, Insulation, and Leather Construction
Like the beach bag, this purse has a compartment for up to 1.5 L of wine. Unlike the other PortoVino wine bags, the leather bag interiors look more like a traditional purse, with pockets for a cell phone and other accessories. Made of Italian leather, this bag would make a great gift for someone who wants to bring wine with them to outdoor concerts or to pool parties in an elegant carrier.
Pros:
Italian leather construction
Fashionable and discreet
Reliable customer service if there are any issues
Cons:
Does not hold bottles, only wine poured into a bag inside the purse.
Our Favorite Overall Wine Purse
Each of these wine purses has unique, favorable qualities that we appreciate. Still, our favorite wine purse is still the chill-n-go wine tote, and that distinction is based on our two years of experience with the bag.
Here’s an overview of what we love about this wine purse:
This bag will last for years, is available in several colors, and an upgrade to leather is available.
The design is not too feminine or too masculine.
The bag itself does not look or feel “cheap,” but rather has the timeless look and feel of something from a premium outdoor retailer like REI.
The Chill-n-go wine purse holds up to six bottles of wine and has the flexibility to be insulated or not, depending upon your environment.
If it gets dirty, clean up is easy.
There is a handy compartment (separate from the bottles within) into which you can easily place a wallet and wine accessories like a corkscrew.
When you are not using it to carry wine, it can be used for a grocery tote.
Whether you’re a sommelier, a host of wine classes, or a just a wine enthusiast seeking the perfect wine tote for special events, we hope you found what you were looking for in this review.
Have other recommendations? Share them in the comments below!
Cheers, from KnowWines!