hi all, going to Provence, anyone familiar with the shipping of wines back to the states? Cost and hassle. Will be in Cassis, Rousillion, Vaison la Romaine, Arles.
Merci
Michel
Posted by
Houston, TX
173 posts
I had 12 bottles shipped from Beaune to Houston, my splurge purchase of the trip to France! Pricey with shipping and insurance, but worth every euro. No hassle at all. Just swipe the American Express and the winery handled everything. It took several weeks for it to arrive. Nothing broken. Unpacking it felt like Christmas morning. Once it arrived at US Customs, we got a tracking number. Also, someone over 21 had to sign for delivery. It has been wonderful to share it with family and friends. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Chicago
8556 posts
It will depend on your state whether you can arrange direct shipment. This is governed by state laws. (this doesn't mean they won't sell it to you and charge it but entry and access will depend on state laws; some states require importing wines to be done by a licensed agent) You can bring a case as luggage on the plane; we know many people who have done this and no one yet has paid customs on a single case. There are packing cartons designed to do this safetly.
Posted by
Portland, Maine
2916 posts
If you just buy wines in France and then pack them up and take them somewhere (post office, UPS, etc.) for shipment to the US, there's a good chance that it's illegal. That's not to say it won't work, though. On the other hand, if you do it through the seller, like the earlier commenter did, they can probably do the paperwork for it to be legit. In Italy I've seen people buy wine from a shop, which then packaged it in a box and labelled it "olive oil." But that's Italy. On the other hand, as one other commenter noted, you can bring it as checked baggage. Just yesterday we returned with 7 bottles from France, told Customs, and they had no interest. Same with the dozen cheeses we brought back.