It's a safeguard for anyone in the business of shipping wine because it covers losses or damages during transit. Hillebrand Gori specialises in the transportation of wine, beer and spirits, so we offer an insurance policy that specifically covers those products and the risks associated with them — like heat damage.
Preserving the quality of the wine shipped is vital for brand owners because it protects their reputation in the market. Insurance is also your safety net against financial hardship, should any wine be damaged en route - No one can afford to ship a container of wine they can't sell.
We used our experience to help one of our customers transport their wine to auction safely and securely. But before explaining the wine insurance used for this particular auction shipment, it's important to understand what it covers and when to buy it.
Wine insurance: Benefits and coverage
The main benefit of wine insurance is the peace of mind it offers.
If an unforeseen event results in you not being able to sell your product, you won't suffer a financial loss if you can prove liability.
Here are a couple more reasons to get wine insurance.
It's affordable. The estimated price of the insurance premium is $250 for wine collections valued at $50,000.
It's flexible. Wine insurance can be customised to meet the needs of each shipmentand is available for wine shipments of all sizes and values. Plus it offers full compensation if the claim is successful.
Wine insurance covers:
Cost for disposal or demolition
Civil commotion, riots or strikes
Debris removal
Duties and taxes (subject to additional premium)
General average costs
Physical damages to goods (accident on terminal, breakage, leakage, road accident)
Robbery
Terrorism risk, war
When to consider purchasing wine insurance
You should always consider insurance when shipping wine.
If a wine shipment is lost,damaged or stolen during transit, wine insurance covers the cost of replacing the wine and the transport associated with it. No matter the size and value of your wine shipment, wine insurance can be a financial lifesaver.
So when transporting wine, wine insurance is not a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have!
A case study on shipping 600,000 euros of wine to auction
The mission: Transport 130 fine and rare wine bottles from a private collector, 1500 metres above sea level in the snowy Austrian mountains, for sale at one of the most prestigious auction houses in Hong Kong.
No matter the route, a shipment of this value under the care of Hillebrand is managed by a dedicated fine and rare cargo team. Unlike regular shipments, a lot of the process is unique and customised.
In the case of this shipment, our team were physically on-site to gently pack the wine bottles into cartons alongside a representative from the auction house. This was done in the cellar to maintain the temperature at which the product was already being stored, which is important in the preservation of the wine’s quality!
Being a private collector, our customer was unaware they needed to be a registered exporter and have an Economic Operators' Registration and Identification number (EORI) number to move their wines. Hillebrand Gori arranged this for them as part of our high-value cargo service.
The packing cartons, on this occasion, were provided by Hillebrand Gori — the global shipping crisis had delayed the original inbound packaging. Moreover, once palletised, the cases were safeguarded by one of our insulation liner pallet covers to protect the wine’s freshness and quality as it travels to its destination.
Collected day one, delivered day 3
This precious pallet took to the skies via Frankfurt airport, following its high-security transport across the border into Germany.
At this time, Austria was also in a full country lockdown, so Hillebrand Gori needed to coordinate various travel restrictions to move it locally. The journey was made in a refrigerated trailer for to-the-degree temperature control.
Two drivers took care of this pallet, stopping only once to swap seats. A common practise for our fine and rare cargo to ensure its safety and move it quickly.
How Hillebrand Gori's wine insurance policy can help protect your investment
All high-value cargo shipments can be covered by Hillebrand Gori’s insurance policy, designed specifically for the beverage industry and tailored to each consignment.
We provide a comprehensive wine insurance policy that covers all transport related risks, from theft to heat damage. Our wine insurance covers wine being transported by land, sea, air or rail.
Contact us today if you're looking for insurance to help protect your investment. Let's explore the perfect wine transport solution to keep your wine safe and secure.
