US customs regulations on wine and cheese Should I check it in or carry it on

Unless you are buying wine at the airport, there is no way it can go carry on.

Regulations about what you can bring, do not differ based on whether its in checked or in carry on bags.

It is what you are bringing, not which bag it is in that matters

bud, there are two different and separate issues here. Security (and each country has their own rules) means you can't have liquids in your carryon when you go through the security checks. So yes, wine has to go in a checked bag, carefully packed. Hard cheeses are probably ok but might get a hand check because the screeners can't tell what that dense blob is on the x-ray. Probably better in the checked since you'll have one because of the wine.

US Customs cares about these things upon entry, but not about whether they're checked or carried on. You have tp declare any wine > 2 liters and all food on the forms or kiosks you'll have to go through. They might ask you what the food is (vacuum packed hard cheese) and let you through. No issues.

Even if you buy the wine in an airport, you might have to put it in a checked bag if you are going through another airport on the same journey. For example, if I buy wine at the Rome airport on my way home, I'll have to check the bag when I change planes in DFW. Security at the second airport doesn't care where you bought it.