check box of wine to usa

I successfully brought back five 12 ounce bottles of ale from Belgium a couple of years back.
I wrapped eveything in paper and dirty clothes and two bottles in pairs of size 12 shoes
My bag has a padded space to protect a laptop if I were to check one. I
I put 3 bottles in that space with the bottles wrapped in paper and dirty clothes so the bottles would not bang together.

It might be easier and less expensive to buy a cheap suitcase from a thrift or discount store instead of a purpose-made box. We successfully brought back wine in our luggage. Similar to previous poster, we just wrapped well with clothes and put toward middle of suitcase. You might not have a suitcase but you'll have some dirty clothes you can use for cushion. Then you can load your backpack with other goodies. :)
I've checked wine in a wine box here in the U.S. and it did not complete the trip. I was told it was damaged but never saw evidence, and I suspect that someone along the way enjoyed our wine. Disguising it in a suitcase could potentially deter misappropriation.

It’s a romantic notion, bringing back that special wine. But, shipping is very expensive and, even if you buy the stuff and check it, you’ve got to carry it around, get it to the airport, and, be prepared to have a bottle break (you’ve seen how they handle luggage). May I suggest you enjoy your wine there, take tasting notes, pictures of labels, and get to know a knowledgeable wine merchant in your home town and ways to buy wine on the Internet. Chances are you can buy it here, or, knowing what you enjoyed the wine merchant can get you something similar.

I have not checked in cases of wine, only a couple of bottles, mainly because I have a good wine store near home that can get many of the wines I try internationally, saving checking wine for those not available.

There are a couple of things to note, including amounts allowed in the US and duty owed on wine over 750ml. Here is a link to the regulations: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/190/kw/alcohol%20allowance/session/L3RpbWUvMTU0Njk3OTE3MS9zaWQvNDdOcDhsNG8%3D

In addition to regulations, you do want to consider weight, a bottle of wine is on average 6kg (sparkling a bit higher) for 750ml bottles, so you should be well under the 50lb weight limit if you are only checking wine. If you don’t want to lug a special wine suitcase, then you can purchase a suitcase locally.

If you are planning on puchasing a case at a single winery, you can ask them to pack it for check-in. If you don’t want to purchase a suitcase, you may ask one of the winery for one of their case boxes or pick up a box at DHL or other equivalent mail store. To be on the safe side, I would bring over some bubble wrap protectors (they are light and won’t take up much in your backpacks).

Check with your airline. They may have special rates for wine. (Alaska ships wine for free between CA and WA). Also check with the winery. They should be able to pack it for you at little or no cost. (Wineries in CA do this as a matter of course.)

What I love at the French wineries is that most wine is packed in 6 bottle cartons, easier to pack in suitcases! I’ve usually bought a cheap suitcase, bubble wrap, packing tape and a few garbage bags to contain leaks in France. If you’re leaving from Paris, the BHV basement will have most everything you need.

If the wineries in France are as customer friendly as those in the US (and I assume they would be), you can probably get the shipping supplies from them for a nominal fee. Be aware that in the US, TSA wants to inspect the bottles before they go into the baggage hold. It might be the same in France. Check with the winery, they should know.

We know many people who have shipped a box of wine as hold luggage; while the US customs CAN charge duty, they generally don't on wine you carry with you for personal use. Shipping it separately would be another story. Ship it as a piece of luggage and declare it on entry and. you are good. There are plenty of places in Paris to get cheap suitcases, and if you buy from a winery you can probably get a case suitable for shipping.

I am a bit of an expert on this having packed 6 bottles to Norway last summer and most recently on our Disney cruise. We are serious about our wine! So far, no breakage.
I bought wine sleeves on Amazon and bring a carry on size piece of luggage to pack it in. Of course, that bag is checked. The wine is consumed on our trip and the extra empty carry on is used for dirty clothes or soveniers on the return trip home or if I were going to France, I would just do the opposite. If I were going to France, I would most definately bring back some wine!

I've seen coolers of various types on luggage belts. It might be cheaper to buy a cooler than a suitcase. Obviously, it can't be one of the cheap Styrofoam coolers.

I have no comment on the practicality of this idea. As a non-wine-drinker, I don't get a vote.

Lots of advice so far, But here is mine...I have brought back lots of wine, typically a dozen bottles of either wine or beer, but much more time to time, up to 60 Bottles.

First, do your research, do not buy a wine readily available in the US, unless it is at a steep discount. As an example, I have picked up bottles of Brunello di Montalcino and other super Tuscans, but the lesser known wineries and for less than half the going price in the US.

While many say you can get nearly anything if the US...yes, you can get something close, but the small winery you visit likely is not distributed in the US, so if it is special, bring it back for a special occasion.

Buy only stout bottles with a punt or divot in the bottom, cheap thin bottles will only break.

Declare your wine when prompted, but even with the 60 bottles, from Europe, i was not asked to pay duties. From Mexico, Canada, or the Caribbean, rules are different, but there really is no "limit" from Europe.

You mention that you will not have "luggage", but I will relate for reference that I can safely pack 6 750 ml bottles in a carry-on size bag, packing with dirty clothes. Many wineries will pack for shipping, so you can easily buy supplies there, or they may provide for the fee of a dozen bottles. Otherwise, we have bought suitcases there, sometimes a hard plastic case (from IKEA I think), but for $20 dollars or so, if you can keep it under 50 lbs, it is cheap shipping.

We've brought back as many as 10 or 11 bottles of wine from France dozens of times, always as hold baggage since the prohibition on liquids as carry-on started. We've always used one of the carry-on sized bags we brought with us, but since you won't be doing that, buying a cheap bag in France is the best solution. We've never bought special packing materials. We've just used boxes from wineries that the wines came in, plus clothing packed around the bottles. Nothing has ever broken. And despite always declaring the wine, we've never been asked to pay duty. The duty on bottles of wine is minuscule, so it's hardly worth the while of customs officials to process it.

Beware of connections through other countries. Way back... (pre 9/11), I was returning from Europe with a companion. I may get the numbers a little wrong, but basically I had a few bottles in my backpack, my companion had a couple in hers, and I was carrying a two bottle cardboard carrier. I think we were within the limit for the US, but we connected through Toronto. When they saw the undeclared handheld carrier of two bottles (I believe that alone was their limit), they were upset that we hadn't declared them. But they let us go after we informed them they were the only two bottles we had...

Beware of connections through other countries.

Although that could be a problem, it would be rare. Hold baggage is normally simply transferred between flights, so there is no Customs issue during the connection.

1 litre of water (or wine) weighs 1Kg (useful fact to know)
1 bottle is 750 ml (¾ litre), so the wine will weigh ¾Kg, add the bottle and it comes to a bit over 1Kg. More for the thicker bottles used for sparkling wines.
Cardboard (or Styrofoam) is minimal weight, so a 6 bottle pack is ~8-10 Kg. Well under your weight limit.

Yes, I have seen styrofoam wine packing in France, go to a big Hypermarché. You still have to add some outer packing, tape it all up securely and carry it until you get to the airport. You would not be "backpacks only" after you have bought your wine.

check wine isn’t so great, whether in bottle or box, I wouldn’t bother. check beer is great though, enjoy!

You're flying soon, so you probably DO have a free checked baggage allowance, but for others note that the inexpensive "basic economy" fares do NOT include a checked bag so you need to factor in an additional $60 charge for the wine suitcase.

Take a roll of duct tape with you. You can obtain a box or two with foam or pulp inserts from a winery (2 - 6 packs are easier to carry). Then fashion sturdy handles with duct table to carry. Before checking the 2 six packs, tape them together, to create 1 box with 12 bottles for 1 piece of checked luggage. Be sure to declare, but with duty over 1 L per person with only 2% duty, odds are high customs would just wave you through.

We’ve checked many cases of wine as well as bottles in suitcase (surrounded by dirty clothes) over the years and have yet to have a bottle break. Glass wine bottles are actually quite strong.

Even though I was in the California wine business, there is something special about opening and enjoying a bottle of wine acquired on a fabulous vacation. (Especially Brunello)

If you're visiting a winery, they almost always have the shipping containers you can buy. We did then on an Oregon - Atlanta flight. The box felt rather flimsy but it made it just fine in checked bags.