namtrag

Are we allowed to bring bottles of wine, cheese, etc. back from France to the USA? My French class wants me to make a presentation about my trip when I get back, and I would like to bring some edibles back from the region we are visiting.

Dejais

Topping for you as I would like to hear what others have to say.

ekscrunchy

Yes, you can bring back bottles of wine and cheese...the amount of bottles you can bring depends on the state in which you live, I believe. You can bring back cheese and most, but not all, other foods for your own personal use. Which region of France do you plan to visit?

namtrag

Paris-3 days, Lyon 2 days, Montpellier 4 days. I am making a presentation on Languedoc region when I get back.

SusanP

Note that you can only bring back hard cheeses, not soft ones. Technically, you can bring back one liter of wine without duty, but I think Customs seldom charges duty for more than that.

JeffreyJ

Pastis. Excellent summertime apertif, but ruinously expensive in this country. One can buy it in the duty free shops at CDG for maybe ten euros a liter...here, it's $35USD a fifth.

rex

Yes, you can back cheeses. I don't recall that tit ever made a difference "hard" or soft". I even recall a funny episode, when a Department of Agriculture fished through my lunch bag, past one smelly cheese after another (I had opened them during the flight, and they were not sealed back up well) - - to find out an apple (which had been part of the lunch provided by the airline!) - - and coniscated that!

But there are many canned items (or in glass jars) you can bring back - - cassoulet, those wonderful cornichons, and countless of other items. Go to a grocery store and go wild!

Best wishes,

Rex

Jan57

Just returned from Provence Italy and yes you can bring back wine. Didn't do it this trip, but 3 years ago brought back 3 bottles that they put in those cardboard carryons. Have never brought back cheese from France but did bring back lots of Parm.-Reg. from Italy with no problems. If you like sweet anise (licorice) then you could bring back pastis, a popular southern France aperitif. (you need to cut it to taste with lots of water) We personally didn't care for it and really liked the Kir--made of creme de cassis (black current liquor) and white wine. I'm sure you could find the liquor for this over there. I also brought back black and green olive tapenade that was very good. Herbes de Provence are sold all over and I'm sure you could find some in Montpellier. Foie Gras is very popular at the markets in Provence as are jams--fig. Lavender or thyme infused honey is popular in Provence. I brought back sea salt from the Camargue, which is also sold in markets. I always bring back olive oil which you usually can get in tins. Have a great trip!

Jan57

I forgot to mention, on the Parm-Reg. cheese we bought in Rome the day before we flew home--we bought it at the market in Campo di Fiori and they had one of those shrink wrap machine things, I guess you call them vacuum sealers? This worked out great and you couldn't smell it at all.