I'm confused about shipping wine back from Italy to the States. It looks like it's allowed in SC but then I see that many wineries won't ship to the States. Has anyone done this and can tell me the limit?
Posted by
169 posts
You didn't say how many bottles you had in mind to ship, but the costs are very expensive. One or two bottles you can carefully pack in your suitcase. There are many tips online how to pack wine or other bottled items.
However, if you are thinking about larger quantities, and this is something you might do on other trips to Europe - or elsewhere you might invest in something like this:
https://vingardevalise.com/vgv/3/
If this is your checked bag, you are not going to pay anything for shipping - providing this is your free checked bag - just make sure the weight complies with baggage allowance. There won't be any delays as this is on your flight. It would pay for itself if you do it a few times.
Of course, if you're crafty you can make a version of this on your own, just get a "hard shell" suitcase and appropriate supplies.
Good luck
Posted by
312 posts
I shipped 6 bottles of wine home. It cost me 70 euros. I went through mailbox etc i believe. It was in Sorrento. Mind you, we only bought 2 bottles. We were given the other 4 as a gift from the mayor of my husbands grandmothers village. Heritage visit. However, we were traveling for another 2 weeks in Italy and we each had a checked suitcase. So it was cheaper then another $100 for an extra checked bag. It also arrived at my house in less then a week.
Posted by
NY, NY
500 posts
As I rule I will bring a couple of bottles home in checked luggage or else just enjoy it while I"m there - shipping never seemed quite worth the cost. You can get quite excellent wines in the US, in person or through the mail, for so much less. If you are a real wine expert you'll know how to source it yourself back stateside. If you're not, you are spinning your wheels.
Posted by
Chicago
792 posts
On my last trip, we went to four different wineries (two near Sorrento, two in the Valpolicella region) and they all shipped to the US. It was pricey- about 400 for 12 bottles, including the cost of the wine. The shipping and taxes just about doubled the cost of the wine. There is not a limit but you have to pay taxes and shipping costs. I have also been to some very small family wineries that did not offer shipping. I suspect if you are going on an organized wine tour that encounter multiple groups of tourists a day, shipping will be an option.
In your checked bag, you are allowed to bring back as much as you want but you are supposed to declare anything over 1 L and pay taxes on it which would be 3% according the US Customs website.
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/kbyg/customs-duty-info
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11151 posts
Years ago when we took our 1st RS trip to Italy, we went to an class to get acquainted with some basic Italian phrases. The woman that gave the class ( native Italian) mentioned she thought it was not worth the bother/expense to ship wine from Italy. Her suggestion was to go to your local wine/liquor store and buy Italian wines there..... just a thought
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23238 posts
If it is a small winery, and many are, they don't distribute to the US. Just don't have enough production so it is understandable why you would want to bring back some wines that you could not obtain anywhere in the US.
Posted by
362 posts
The first time I went to Italy, I was proud of myself for bringing back one bottle of wine in my checked luggage. (It didn't break!)
Since then, I've branched out a little and have shipped wine home from Italy. It was pricey, but I could share wine I'd tasted in Italy with friends and family. Having done it once, I'm not sure I would do it again, but I still like to bring home 2-3 bottles to have a taste of the trip once I'm home.
Not every winery offers shipping, but many places do. And if all else fails, you can go with that cool wine suitcase that somebody posted OR there are bags you can buy for individual bottles of wine that you pack in your regular checked luggage.
If you don't care to make the investment and just want a couple of bottles in your suitcase, bring along a large plastic bag that securely closes for the wine so that if it does break, maybe it won't leak all over your suitcase. And if you have a pair of flip flops, wrap them on either side of the bottle. It really helps insulate them in the suitcase!
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
If the winery doesn't ship to the US, buy the wine and ship it through Mailboxes Etc. I have done this several times. One winery packed four bottles into a six-bottle molded styrofoam container; I took it to a Mailboxes store and packed the other two wine bottle slots with other items I wanted to send.