I’ve been traveling a lot lately, mainly by plane and car, for both work and play. And with a crazy work schedule continuing in the next couple of months, there will be even more travel in my future – and with the holidays just weeks away, most likely in your future, too.

Well, there is a way to take that bottle or two of amazing Washington wine with you to share with friends and colleagues in other states, provinces and countries. You can also buy local wine on a trip or take a gift home.

How can that be? Airport security restrictions require us to pack wine bottles in our checked suitcases. I used to worry that my clothes and other items would be wrecked if a bottle broke en route and a mess was made. In the past, I tried wineskins and other containers for my precious cargo. They offered some protection, but occasionally stuff happens, right?

Then I heard about the Jet Bag, which promises to protect your wine, even if your checked suitcase is thrown onto luggage belts or tossed around an airport. So I packed a special bottle of Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from Goosecross Cellars in a Jet Bag and placed it in my checked luggage, so we could toast Dave’s birthday while we were on vacation last month. It worked!

What makes this travel solution better than others is the same reason why the Jet Bag used to be described as a “wine diaper” — it’s lined with the same absorbent materials found in baby diapers. So if by chance a bottle does break, the Jet Bag rapidly absorbs the spill and keeps the messy liquid away from your clothing and other important articles that you packed in your suitcase.

This handy, biodegradable carrier is 18 inches tall, weighs only a third of an ounce and can easily hold a 750 mL bottle of wine within its protective padding. With a re-sealable closure, you also can use it over and over – as long as a bottle doesn’t break in it. Ours didn’t.

It’s reasonably priced, too – so it’s perfect to give as a gift or to share with friends and family who are traveling with you. The company’s official Web site offers a three-pack of Jet Bags for $15.

Of course, you can also use the Jet Bag in the car or on a boat; and you can carry other liquids, from water bottles to liquor, in it, too.

Note: I was given a free sample of a JetBag, which I took on our recent trip.

Safe travels, and happy times!

Cheers!