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Wine!

Hello! Leaving for Italy in a few days and just checking to see how many bottles of wine my husband and I will be allowed to bring back to the states with us! In our checked baggage, of course. May want to get some olive oil as well. What are the limitations on cheese and meats or is that even possible? I think when we went many years ago we were allowed 3 liters, but I can't remember. Thanks for the help.

Posted by
19654 posts

You can bring as much wine as you want, just don't make your bags over weight. Declare it on your card when you return, and I would be very surprised if the customs officer will waste his time collecting $2 of tariff on that bottle of wine that exceeds your limit. They have much more important fish to fry these days.
Meat and cheese, if it is sealed in plastic from the producer, we have not had a problem with either. The key is to declare it on your customs card.
Now as far as olive oil goes, make sure it is in a sturdy container. Did I ever tell you about the time I brought back 3 bottles of wine and a bottle of olive oil? I leave it to your imagination.

Posted by
8377 posts

You are allowed one liter of duty-free alcohol (that's about 1.33 bottles) per person. After that you may have to pay duty as Sam said, but that is not a big deal. Bring back as much as you can manage. I've traveled with people that checked a whole case.

Posted by
1840 posts

You should look at the U.S. Customs WEB site to get an idea what's legal and what isn't. I know from experience the one liter alchohol rule applies and over that amount may depend on how dear you hold your foreign wine. Canned haggis is a big no-no because who knows what those Scots put in that stuff. On the other hand, we bring shrink wrapped ukranian garlic sausage back from Canada and, boy, is it good.

Posted by
297 posts

Check into having it shipped to your house. Then you won't have to lug it all around, risking breakage or drinking it before you get home and not have that wonderful bottle for that special dinner when you get back.

Posted by
1056 posts

Regarding having wine shipped to your home -- this is not a personal experience but, rather, one related to me by a fellow traveller. She loved the wine in a particular locale and hada case of it shipped to her home. However, before the shipment could be released by customs, it had to be released to a wine broker. She had to find (and pay) a local wine broker to intercede for her, making the wine very expensive when shipping, customs and broker fee were added to the original price. After hearing about her misadventure we have never tried anything other than bringing it back ourselves.

Posted by
297 posts

I guess we all have different experiences. We had a wonderful time at a winery in Panzano in Chianti and enjoyed it so much, we all purchased a case and had it shipped. Had no problems getting the 3 cases at all. We had them all shipped to one home, without any other costs or delays. It did take about 3 weeks to get, but well worth it. This was back in 2010, so things might have changed. The winery did have two or three places in the states that he already shipped to, so again, maybe he had a better way of shipping.

Posted by
23178 posts

Whether or not a wine broker or a distributor is involved is strictly depending on YOUR STATE LIQUOR regulations. In some states only a distributor can ship or receive wine. In other states there may be limits on the # of bottles, etc. Go to a local UPS store and ask. They will know what is allowed. In Colorado, for example, I personally cannot ship wine to anyone. However, wine from a maker or distributor can be shipped to me with a required over 18 receiving signature. A wine store in Italy could ship wine directly to my home (obviously after going through customs). The fact that Patrica's friend have to go through a wine merchant means nothing unless you both live in the same state. And, then, it is possible the rules have change. Have to ask.

Posted by
11613 posts

Frank is right, it depends on your state. It also depends on the wine seller's authorization; some can ship to your home, and you pay all fees when you order, others can only charge you for the wine and shipping, you have to arrange to pay other costs once the shipment arrives.