San Gimignano Travel Forum

We'll be visiting some wineries in this region as well as Chianti and would like to ship wine home. Is this possible or is the cost just too high? Does anyone know how much wine you can take home with your luggage? Thanks!

You can take as much as you can carry as long as you pay duty on the overlimit of 1 liter per person.

Your state may not allow shipping. See website:http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/dutyfree_exemption.xml

travelgourmet's answers are right...the limit is one liter duty free, and you pay the duty on additional wine so long as it's clear that it's for personal consumption...note that the Customs people frequently don't bother charging for small amounts over the 1 liter limit (like 2 or 3, not 20)...but it's important that you disclose the amount of alcohol in full in any case, since they don't like to be fibbed to.

I am assuming that you don't want to put the wine in your checked luggage; there could have an unfortunate "eau du vin" smell in all your clothes when you get home ;-) And carrying wine on the plane gets to be a hassle if it's more than 2 or 3 bottles.

Yep, shipping wine home can be problematic - not that the Italians won't ship it, but that it may get impounded somewhere along the way.

Listen, before you leave, why don't you call a local wine importer? Years ago, a distributor here in Dallas told me that he would get any wine I wanted in lots of as little as 3 cases. You may find that you want to bring back a lot of wine from different places, and it will probably be easier to have an importer do it, if you have the names that the importer needs...

Bill

My state does not allow shipping and the cost was high, I think around 125 dollars for a case. I usually bring home about 12 as that is as much as the 2 of us can carry, I have never lied about how much I have but I have never had to pay taxes or duty. If you do, it is very little and I have heard if its under 10 dollars they do not bother with it. So get your Brunello di Montalcino for $30 that would cost you over $100 in the states! Get one for me too!

Ellen, they only charge about 34 cents a liter if the customs agent charges you for excess. I will be in Italy next week and plan to bring back a couple of cases, egg crate packed and sent as luggage. It's worked before and even have rope handles to carry.

just a tiny bit jealous!

seriously megsmel it is a good question that is hard to find an answer to. I looked for hours on the internet to find these answers, not much info out there.
tvavelgourmet and I are telling you, its no big deal, if you have to pay it amounts to pennies, to ship cost a fortune. But you do have to carry it! my brunello came on board with me but my 3 to 10 dollar bottles got packed. no problem, just declare it.

When we were in Montalcino last fall, there were signs all over the place that they would ship for you. However, when we asked, they all said it was far too expensive. Of course they were willing to do it if we were willing to pay. Our advice is the same as everyone above this post . . . carry it back with you.

. . . and enjoy the tasting. 8^)

sorry Bill I never even saw you there!

Italy...wine...where else would I be? ;-)

Bill

no I meant we posted at the same time and I didn't even see yours above mine.
oh how I wish that is where we all were.