You will be entering a market segment that already has three major 12-bottle wine case brands in it. All three of those brands offer cases in other sizes as well. 1. The VGV which has been on the market since 2014 2. The Vino-Voyage which is Wine Enthusiasts knock-off of the VGV and 3. The 25# CasePro. The first two have 4 spinner wheels. The CasePro has 2 wheels.
The jury will remain out on the 2 wheel versus 4 wheel debate. 4 wheel suitcases are better balanced, depending on how you pack, if the weight distribution is out of whack in a 2 wheel case they can tip over, 4 wheel cases don’t have this problem. They require much less effort to ‘wheel’ – as they wheel along beside you rather than being dragged; although they can be pulled behind you like a 2 wheeler when conditions warrant.
The 2 wheel argument tends to focus on perceived ergonomics (pulled behind instead of rollled alongside although when needed, a 4 wheel spinner can be pulled behind) and wheel design and strength on 4 wheel spinners. Wheel designs and strength have come a long way since the introduction of spinner cases so perception is for the most part, no longer reality. In the end it gets down to preference.
The questions you have arleady answered or will answer soon, are do you want to enter this market? Is the market big enough to support another product? What Wine Check has going for it should you decide to enter the market is a large base of consumer clients and a large presence in winery tasting rooms.
Here’s the beauty of working with legit engineers at a major corporation…they figure ALL this stuff out! We’ve seen already a number of graphs and tests on various materials being considered including the possible inclusion of ice. All this data will come in time…
There’s a VERY GOOD chance we may have a sample at IPNC - come find me there, will be at the Alaska Airlines tent. It won’t be available for sale yet, just a prototype.
I also own a Pelican outfitted for wine. It is indeed indestructible, although for loading it is not very flexible. I have another case which is just like a hardcover full size suitcase. The flexibility of carrying several bottles of Champagne is a definite feature.
Cool product. I completed the entire survey. But I wouldn’t pay more than $200 for it. I cannot see myself paying 300-400 for a bag to carry wine, especially considering how infrequently I would need to move that amount of wine to a new location. If I was attending a dinner or an offline, it’s 100% free for me to just reuse an existing box, put it in my car, and carry it with me.
If the appeal of this bag is exclusively for traveling on a plane, I can see more value in it, but considering how infrequently I fly with wine, especially 12 bottles of wine, any price over $200 is a huge turn off for me.
