I am curious what others have done in terms of purchasing and bringing home wines. Has anyone shipped, if so did you do through a vineyard or DHL yourself? Do you just try to pack in your checked bag and if so how many could you fit? I am trying to pack my checked bag at 40 lbs so I will have 10lbs to play with. I know most on here probably don't do a checked bag as that is Rick Steve's protocol, but that doesn't work for me or my 25 year old daughter, even though we do generally pack pretty light. I like to just check my bag and not have to carry it through airports for long layovers and changing planes. I would love to hear what others have done in terms of brining home wine and olive oil! I have 4 wine tastings reserved already and this is my very first time doing wine tasting, never been to Napa either
Posted by
Ooltewah, Tennessee
181 posts
Hello,
If my memory is correct (and someone please tell me if it isn’t) but I believe you’re allowed 2 bottles per suitcase. I’m too worried about busting a bottle so the agriturismo I stayed at mailed a case. It’s pricey but when you break down the cost per bottle, it’s not terrible especially since it’s usually a brand that can’t be found in the states
Good luck
Amanda
Posted by
16 posts
I usually buy some kind of wine or other regional liquor on my way home on trips. For me, it depends on the situation.
If we're only buying 2-5 bottles total, we take them with us on checked luggage. (If we're doing carry on only, we take foldable duffel bags with us, use those for our carry-on on the way home, and check our carry-on luggage which are the liquor bottles, food jars or other souvenirs surrounded by our dirty laundry.
I only get a case if I'm getting it all from the same vendor, so in that case it makes more sense to just let them do it.
Posted by
seattle
2048 posts
We always pack a foldable duffle bag so se can move items as needed to pack liquor in our check bag. Seems like you can buy more than 2 bottles of wine or liquor at duty free shops. If we buy duty free we carry into our departing flight then put in checked bag at our first domestic stop.
Posted by
Sunriver
1321 posts
We have shipped using a third party shipper, we have each checked a case as luggage and we have just put a couple bottles in each of our checked luggage depending on how much we are sending home.
Posted by
The Heartland USA
8520 posts
If you find a wine you like, ask the maker if they have a US distributor. We found a local restaurant who would sell us the wine we liked from a trip.
Many of us check bags on the return flight. We do like others and bring an empty duffle for wine and olive oil, etc. Or we check what was out carryon, if its sturdier. We use the plastic bubble protectors (WineSkins is one brand) to help protect them. If you pack them tightly, the danger is not so much from them catching a shaper edge and breaking, but from hitting each other if they're loose.
Posted by
Alpharetta, Ga, USA
267 posts
Our first trip to Italy we checked wine home in baggage, also shipped wine home from Napa. Learned quickly that Total Wine has those same bottles on the shelves almost always, and way cheaper than purchased on vacation accounting for shipping.
I have a good friend who calls a shop in Orvieto and has olive oil shipped to Atlanta. Whatever works for you for sure, but probably not necessary.
Posted by
Utah via SF Bay Area
320 posts
As another poster mentioned--you may be able to find the wine in the states and don't have to ship. For instance Constellation Brands owns Ruffino-- we went to Ruffino, had a great time, and learned we can buy it in the States. google search your wineries and find out who their distributor is. Example:
https://globalbrandcenter.cbrands.com/
I bought pastiche at duty free a few yeas ago-- carried it on board, thinking I was golden with my booze carryon to SFO, only to find that changing planes at JFK necessitated security-- I put it in my golf bag as it was being checked and it survived, but I wouldn't personally do this again.
Have fun wine tasting - it's easy to get carried away. Sometimes its nice to just take a picture of the label and wait for it to come stateside, or just enjoy the memory of the experience.
Posted by
16 posts
I guess my counterpoint would be that if the wine you are trying out in the country you are visiting is so mass produced that it can be easily found in your own country, you should take the unique advantage you have and explore more options.
When I go to a tasting, it's at a small local operation where a case of wine is more of a souvenir of the memories of your vacation.
Posted by
119 posts
So I thought it was odd at first because I would be taking money away from the local economy and what not, but turns out that is the case. I was browsing wine and mentioned that I wasn't sure how I was going to get it home back to the states. The guy at the shop told me about an app called Vivino. I scanned the bottle of wine and it told me the price and where to get it or just have it shipped to my house. We still bought a half dozen bottles from him for memories but we have been able to get a lot of the wine we liked right here shipped to our door. Super easy.
Posted by
Indiana
975 posts
The vineyard in Florence we went to just shipped it to us.
Posted by
11232 posts
We shipped a box of wine home from a winery in Chianti. They used Mail Boxes etc and had their forms to fill out. No English was spoken in that winery so having the shipping forms made it easier.
Posted by
19 posts
If you are getting a few bottles from several locations and end up wanting to ship them back; Mail Boxes Etc. has a few locations. We are considering this on an upcoming Tuscan trip and reached out to the location in Montalcino. They quoted all inclusive price (shipping, boxing, customs) 130 euro for 12 bottles and 90 euro for 6.