What I Pack: Gabrielle Simmers

Gabrielle Simmers. Photo / Supplied

Do you travel light or heavy?

Light.

Cattle or first class?

Cattle. I just launched a wine company - say no more.

I can't travel without...

My Alessi bottle opener - to open The Supernatural.

What type of suitcase do you carry?

My suitcase is a Tumi Alpha carry-on - without it I would be lost. Amazing design which keeps me sane on sales trips.

Are you a planner or last minute packer?

I have to plan down to the last kg because each bottle of wine weighs 1.4kg, and I can fit 11 bottles in my Tumi, so that leaves me about 3kg for clothes - kind of solves the packing problem!

Favourite or most exciting airport to land in?

A lot of bad ones spring to mind. Paris-Charles de Gaulle is romantic but Oslo is gorgeous and it runs on time - so Oslo wins.

Best packing tip?

Pack light and black - no exceptions.

Most memorable trip?

Lots of train rides spring to mind - especially India and Japan. My dream holiday is to take the Cassiopeia Luxury Train from Tokyo to Sapporo (after three days eating and shopping) and then go skiing and lie in hot pools drinking Japanese beer. I also want to take the new Allegro express train from Helsinki to Saint Petersburg. It opened last month. I've never been to Russia.

Gabrielle Simmers is a winemaker and owner of &Co wine, luxury Hawkes Bay accommodation Millar Road and design company Esther Diamond.