You're better off picking up the bottles in the US. South African wines have really penetrated the US market. Cape Classics (www.CapeClassics.com)is the largest importer of the area. They import from about 20 vineyards in the region. Check out their website before you purchase in SA. Have a great trip. Cheers!

its easy to carry back 6-12 bottles, either as checked luggage or as carry-on (6), if they are properly packed...i have often done it both ways....never a broken bottle....

you often can get a much finer wine in country than what is available in the usa....its also wayyyyyyyyy cheaper

Unless you have a non-stop flight from Africa to your home airport (ie: JNB-JFK and you live in NY), you can't take any liquids in carry-on and you have to buy it at the airport duty free to carry on. We had to throw away some bottles at a layover, even though it was in those tamper proof duty free bags. Ridiculous, but those are the rules. Checked it's fine, but heavy (airlines are adding all those silly fees for overweight bags now) and you'll lose all the space for the souvenirs you buy!!

I'm so confused. To buy in Africa, to not buy in Africa? To ship, to carry on, to check? Do the benefits of buying in Africa outway the costs of shipping it? I knew there must be a reason I don't drink wine!

Seriously though, these are really helpful posts. Gives me lots to consider. We leave in 3 days! Can't wait!!

What I would do, Agswimmer, is buy two bottles of a good pinotage and wrap them in bubble wrap, and then put them in my luggage with lots of dirty clothes wrapped around the bubble wrap, and then put them in the middle of the suitcase, not near the edges. I've done that many times, and only had one broken bottle. (Made for some interestingly colored undies!) Alternatively, maybe the merchant could package the wine for you in something that can go as luggage. I've done that a couple of times too. But there again, even if marked "fragile", it can get broken.

But I would vote for bringing back a couple bottles in your own luggage. That would show your friends that you were thinking of them, and avoid a lot of hassles.

Celia

Most good wine merchants have boxes lined with styrofoam in the shape of wine botttles. We just brought home 6 bottles from Argentina as another piece of luggage. The air line did charge $25 as a second piece of luggage, so I had to add 1/6 of that cost to each bottle. Was it worth it? Yes, we had 6 bottles we could not buy here, nor could we afford them if we could. We have used this method about 5 times now and never had a broken bottle. I have had wine bottles break in my suitcase, and it was not only my undies that suffered a color change!