Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeanine Lum.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My husband Jeff and I were driving to the desert for a weekend with a case of carefully selected wines packed in a cardboard box. One sharp turn on a winding road sent the entire case tumbling. In that moment, nearly $1,400 worth of wine was at risk, and I realized how vulnerable wine becomes the moment it leaves the winery, cellar, or wine shop.
Like most people, I assumed there had to be a better solution. So I started buying wine bags. I purchased nearly every option I could find, but none of them solved the problem I was trying to fix. Most protected the bottles from breaking, but not the wine itself. They were flimsy, poorly insulated, or relied on loose ice that eventually melted into a soggy mess.
The more I looked, the more surprised I became. Wine has been transported for thousands of years, yet virtually every wine bag on the market focuses on protecting the glass rather than preserving the wine’s quality. Heat exposure, temperature fluctuations, and bottle movement can all affect a wine’s condition during transport, but no one seemed to address these challenges.
As a former flight attendant and passionate wine traveler, I’ve spent years visiting wine regions around the world, traveling with bottles, and seeing firsthand how often great wines are exposed to heat and rough travel conditions. I knew there had to be a better way.
So I created the product I wished existed: a premium wine transport system engineered specifically to protect the wine, not just carry the bottle. The result was 3rd Bottle, a wine cooler bag featuring patent-pending interlocking ice packs that create a structured cooling chamber around each bottle, helping maintain temperature stability for several hours without loose ice or waterlogged labels.
Today, 3rd Bottle travels everywhere wine lovers do, from winery visits or road trips to RV adventures, boating excursions, tailgates, beachside gatherings, and flights home from wine country around the world. It delivers premium performance, thoughtful design, and peace of mind for people who take their wine as seriously as their adventures.
Simply put, I created 3rd Bottle wine cooler bag with interlocking ice packs, because I couldn’t find a wine bag that protected what mattered most: the wine itself.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ha! Not even close. I’ve never cried so much as I have the past three years!
Like many first-time inventors, I assumed that once I had a great idea, the hard part was over. It turns out the real challenge was bringing that idea to life.
I’ve worked with two manufacturers and three attorneys along the way. One attorney wouldn’t even look at the concept. Another allowed important trademark and patent deadlines to lapse, forcing me to spend valuable time and money correcting the situation with a third lawyer.
On the manufacturing side, I learned that not every partner understands the problem you’re trying to solve. One manufacturer continually changed design elements I had carefully developed, despite repeated discussions about why they mattered. As someone who transports, collects, and enjoys wine, I knew exactly what wine lovers needed. Unfortunately, my project manager wasn’t a wine drinker, and there was often a disconnect between what looked good on paper and what actually worked in the real world.
Eventually, I made the difficult decision to start over with a new manufacturing partner. It was one of the best decisions I made. The second manufacturer immediately understood the vision, appreciated the problem I was solving, and worked collaboratively to bring the concept to life. Instead of redesigning the product, they helped refine it. Their expertise, combined with my firsthand experience as a wine consumer, ultimately transformed 3rd Bottle from an idea into the premium product it is today. This entire process took two years to get the wine bags to market.
There were also moments when it felt like everything that could go wrong did. In the middle of November, right before the holiday season and one of the busiest times of the year, my fulfillment center unexpectedly gave me a 30-day notice that they were shutting down operations. At the same time, my husband was hospitalized. Suddenly, I wasn’t just managing a startup; I was scrambling to relocate inventory, keep orders moving during the holiday rush, and take care of my family all at once.
The biggest lesson I learned is that nobody will care about your product as much as you do. I had to become an expert in manufacturing, patents, trademarks, logistics, fulfillment, product development, and branding skills, which I never expected to learn when I first started.
Looking back, every setback ultimately improved the product and made me a stronger founder. Each challenge forced me to become more resourceful, more resilient, and more committed to the vision.
Today, 3rd Bottle exists because I refused to quit when quitting would have been the easier option.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My career path has certainly not been a straight line, and that’s probably what makes it unique.
I retired as a Sergeant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department after a career built on leadership, problem-solving, and making critical decisions under pressure.
After law enforcement, I fulfilled a lifelong love of travel as a flight attendant with SkyWest Airlines, which gave me the opportunity to explore the world, experience different cultures, and visit some of the most incredible wine regions on the planet.
Today, I am also the co-owner and CEO of a commercial construction company, where I oversee projects, operations, and business development. Construction taught me how to manage complex projects, work with manufacturers and vendors, and turn ideas into reality.
So naturally, the next logical step was inventing a wine product in my spare time!
What sets me apart is that I don’t come from the wine industry or the product development world. I come from a background of identifying problems and finding practical solutions. When I couldn’t find a wine bag that protected the wine itself, not just the bottle, I approached the challenge the same way I approached every problem throughout my career: understand the issue, develop a solution, and don’t quit until it’s solved.
What I’m most proud of isn’t the patent-pending design or the product itself. It’s having the courage to start something completely outside my comfort zone and seeing it through despite the setbacks and pain. 3rd Bottle is proof that you don’t have to follow a traditional path to create something meaningful; you just have to be willing to solve a problem and stay persistent enough to make it happen.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Our wine cooler bags with interlocking ice packs come in two sizes: 6 pack and 12 pack and two colors, black or maroon.
Every 3rd Bottle wine bag includes our patent-pending interlocking ice packs. Additional ice packs are also available separately for replacement, extra cooling capacity, or keeping a second set frozen and ready to go.
Pricing:
- 345.00
- 295.00
- 55.00
- 45.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://3rdbottle.com
- Instagram: 3rdbottle.winebag
- Facebook: 3rdbottle.wine
