Bringing wine back from italy
 

I am travelling to Italy for the 1st time and would like to know how much wine i can bring back duty free, I am flying in and out of London

i believe that us customs allows 1 liter per person duty free. i have on many occcasins put a bag containing several bottles of grappa under the agents nose and the usual reposnse is none at all- no problem no duty just do not try to hide and smuggle excess in because if caught they can get very upset

Last year I brought back 18 bottles of wine from France thru Customs in Atlanta. I went to declare them, told them what I had and they said the duty was not worth calculating. I have seen similar postings as this many times on Fodors, Wine Spectator, etc. <BR>It wasnt fun lugging it around but a lot of fun enjoying it back home.

A clarification: according to a customs official whom we've asked, it is actually one liter of alcohol that you can bring back. Since a bottle of wine is not pure alcohol, the amount you can bring back will vary. We calculated it out to be approximately 9 bottles of wine. On a recent trip we had about 15 bottles, told them coming through, and it was fine.

I don't think that this explanation is correct - - about 1 liter of ("pure") alcohol. As good a story as any to tell you - - to convey that they just really don't care about a dozen or two bottles of wine.<BR><BR>State ABC (Alcoholic beverage commissions) people might be another story. Infamous (though rare) stories exist of state ABC officials confiscating every last drop - - you don't have a license to import for even ONE bottle. so it's always a risk. And it's the jurisdiction of the state in which you touch down (and maybe your subsequent destination state[s], too).<BR><BR>Search my ancient post - - re-posted often by seeking "winespectator".<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

I have been in the wine business almost 30 years. Rex is right about state laws being different and how they are enforced. I ahve brought home 18 bottles with no problem as the total value of my purchases was under teh allowable duty free limit. I have not really heard of anyone not being able to bring in wine coming thru customs at Washington, New York, Chicago, LA etc. However I have heard of people having their wines held up if shipped. The problem with shipped wine is that you may need a customs broker to clear you wines and that could well run into the hundres of dollars and your wine will be in a non-temperature controlled warehouse somewhere. I recomend getting a stryofoam wine shipper box and checking your wine thru.

I've heard that you cannot bring any wine into Florida. Anyone know if this is true, and in practice how this relates to bringing wine back from a flight from Europe? Thanks.

Florida Girl<BR>In Florida you can carry wine in. You can't mail or ship wine in unless you are a liscened distributor. ABC liquors<BR>has wrapped up our state legislature. <BR>As a side note all customs inspectors are Federal customs agent.<BR>Advice. Buy only wines that you know you can't find in the USA. Totting around wine bottles gets heavy quickly.<BR>Make it worth the effort.

I plan to bring home a few bottles from France. What is the best way to pack them? And I assume you all take this as part of your carry-on.

I check wine. I did before 9-11 (and again on 9-30), and I think it will still be the best way now.<BR><BR>I use my rollaboard as a case. I pack each bottle (this is for 8 to 15 bottles) carefully - - the best is those corrugated wappers - - you can get these at better enoteche (plural of enoteca - - wine shop).<BR><BR>I carry with me a LARGE canvas duffel, empty when I leave home. I put some stuff in the rollaboard - - above and below - - then I put most of my clothes AROUND the rollaboard - - INSIDE the duffel bag. The rollaboard becomes like the yolk in an egg.<BR><BR>It's heavy to do this (say 50 pounds), but it has never failed me - - magnums, half-cases, you name it.<BR><BR>Buona degustazione..<BR>

Lug this big 'ol thread back up to the top!<BR>

Why in the world would you want to bring all those heavy bottles back when you can get them for a few dollars more at the local store. Spend your money on something else.

&lt;&lt;Why in the world would you want to bring all those heavy bottles back&gt;&gt;<BR><BR>If you don't know, it won't do any good to tell you?<BR><BR>Why do you stop and read a post like this? Let alone thumb your nose at us that know and appreciate these great fruits of the vine!<BR>

Rex, have you ever had the airline weigh your "rollaboard"? I know that after we carefully wrapped our wine bottles in clothes and put them in our carryon bag, the lady at the airport in Rome said we couldn't carry it on because it weighed too much. We had to check it and we lost a very nice bottle.

I check it. It's "entombed" in my duffel bag.<BR><BR>Re-read.<BR>

Ahhh, excuse me.

No problem. Hope I didn't seem rude.<BR>

Kathy<BR><BR>Please dont spea of what you obviously don't really know about. When i visited the Enoteca in Montalcino, I bought half a dozen Brunelli di Montalcino at prices of anywhere from $20 to $30 a bottle. In Washington DC these bottles, is you could find them, would have retailed for $50 to $100 a bottle. Plus I got to taste several of them for the price of $4.00 a glass. I did not by a bottle ro 2 of Dal Forno Romano in Venice when I could have for $35.00 a bottle and wound up paying $79.95 for it. If you stick to the very best Italy has to offer, and you buy rare wines of great quality, you save hundreds of dollars a case. I would say that that is worth it.<BR><BR>I always carry my wine home, usually checked as baggage in a stryofoam wine shipper. Never ahd a problem and even when I declare it at full prices paid, I ahve never paid any duty on it.

Being the organized guy that I am, it begs the question. Where does one buy a styrofoam wine carrier?

Most good wine shops carry them. Mail boxes etc has them but for a pretty penny. If you live in a "reciprocal state" you can order a case of wine from a winery and they will use a styrofoam shipper to get the wine to you. You can reuse it. Try www.ridgewine.com and you get some of California's best wines AND the shipper.

Amen to Dean. The first post, about Brunellos.<BR>

Are there particularly good white wines from Italy that are not readily avilable in the US?<BR>

My favortie whites that are hard to find in the US are the whites of Campagnia, especially Ischia Bianco. They are even hard to find in Sorrento! If you day trip to Ischia you will be able to sample easily.<BR><BR>In Friuli there are many tiny wineries that make Tocai Friuliano, Pinot Grigio etc. Some of these wineries ponly make a few hundred cases of each wine. So you will find things you can't find at home. <BR><BR>

Thanks to Rex and others for the good points. I did take bubble wrap last time to pack breakables; also a roll up exercise mat makes for good padding. I will have to practice for the yolk in an egg effect!!!

ttt<BR>

If you are travelling in and out of London you can bring as much wine as you like, EEC is now a reality no more customs....

Do you take up precious luggage space carting your styrofoam around or have you discovered that it too can be purchase from the nicer wine stores in Italy? Dean, we purchase several Brunello's in Rome for $25.00 a bottle, I priced them in Dallas at almost $90.<BR>It is worth it!!

i have usually checked an empty and taken it over. We usually travel by car in italy and its no problem. I ahve not tried to buy a styrofoam shipper over there but I would guess its possible. I would just ahte to find out i was wrong.

Jenni,<BR> I just got back from Italy on Sat. and we brought back 4 bottles of wine into JFK. I was worried to about what was "legal" and what kind of taxes I would have to pay for anything over one liter, BUT, customs said nothing about it! I declared it too, but the customs person just stamped it and let me go! It was great!<BR> As for packing it, I checked it on as baggage. I wrapped each bottle in dirty laudry and it worked out fine. Just make sure it can't move! Have fun!

Jenni,<BR> Drink the Montepuliciano wines...this region has the best wine I have every had!

I will be in Rome, Naples and Florence in 3 weeks. Where are some good stores to buy wine? Bubble wrap for packing is a great idea.

thanks for all the advice guys!

So, where are some favorite liquor stores to buy Italian wine? Rome, Florence, Naples???

&lt;&lt;So, where are some favorite liquor stores to buy Italian wine? Rome, Florence, Naples???&gt;&gt;<BR><BR>Okay, I'll start (don't everybody gasp at once).<BR><BR>It seems funny to use the term "liquor store". I think of them as wine stores, though perhaps they also sell distilled spirits. The word is enoteca (plural enoteche) and if you do a search in this forum, you will find many posts about them.<BR><BR>Here's some info - - and one name - - I have cited before.<BR><BR>excerpted from http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&tid=1340135<BR><BR>========== ==========================<BR><BR>Author: Rex ([email protected])<BR>Date: 01/22/2002, 12:31 pm<BR><BR>Message: The best ones (wine bars) I have visited (and sadly, I have failed to make note of the name of many of them) are not "bars" as we might ordinarily think of such, nor places where people go "to eat" - - though they DO sell wine by the glass, sometimes have (a few) tables - - and a variety of appropriate things to eat with wine, including panini (sandwiches) or actual piatti (courses). Some might be part formaggeria or salumeria, but most are first and foremost wine SHOPs. <BR><BR>I guess you can go anytime in the afternoon or evening (doesn't seem like a "morning" kind of activity to me) - - whenever they are open. For what it's worth, I have sometimes gone at what we might call "happy hour" - - and from there, went on to a restaurant carrying a half-dozen bottles in a shopping bag. And while I might not try this in a "fancy" restaurant, I have also asked the waiter if we could have one of my purchased bottles with our meal, and I have NOT gotten funny looks (probably some nominal fee for "corkage" and the glasses was added to the bill - - don't remember, and I would have expected it). <BR><BR>Proprietors seem to think it entirely normal that you come to spend an hour or more there to talk about wine, taste wines, and of course buy wines. They often have a dozen or two bottles already open to sell you a glass, or offer you just a taste. And they will always open and pour for you what you buy - - especially after you sample your way through some they already have open and point them in the direction of "more like this..." or "like this, but not so... whatever..." <BR><BR>One of the few I can name for sure is Buccone on via di Ripetta (near Pzza del Popolo). Regrettably, I have forgotten the names of places I have visted in Venice, Verona and Tremezzo. <BR><BR>A search on Yahoo for enoteche will produce 1000's of hits, and tons of lists in various towns; many of these sites will be in Italian only, but usually a picture or two, the name address, telephone number. And www.vinit.net has a listing for every province in Italy. <BR>

On a trip to Tuscany in 1999, we bought several Brunellos at the Enoteca Italiana (sp?) in Siena. It is located in the basement of the old fortress; part of it is a wine museum. Prices seemed to be about half of what they'd be here.

FYI, the 1997 Brunello di Montalcinos are fantastic. Called some of the best production ever and getting rave reviews from the experts. Buy the best you can afford. I was just in Montalcino on Sunday and bought some 1997 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nouva.

Topping, for Pat/cyclone...

A note on Brunello vintages-- while 1997 is incredible, we are in the midst of the greatest run of quality vintages in Brunello in recent times. 1995 is an outstanding vintage with the riservas being available now. And judging from the Rossi di Montalcino that I have tied, 1999 will have great wines and 2000 may be better still. I would seek out a 1995 from a great producer such as Pertimali, Argiano or Constanti over a 1997 from a lesser producer such as Monte Antico, Banfi, Frescobaldi. While the latter three wines are going to be good, they are more mass produced and have less individuality then the first three producers. WHile vintage is always a major factor into a wine, who grew the grapes andwho made the wine are usually more important.

I don't usually read or even subscribe to wine-related magazines, so where would one go to read up on what years of what vineyards should be bought and held...like the 1999 and 2000 you mentioned?

Dean's right. I brought back 12 bottles of 1995 reserve Brunellos (especially the Brunello Montalcinos). They were quite affordable and I had a chuckle upon my return home. While going through my mail, my local wine store had an advert and was raving about the 1997s reserves for more money than I paid for the 1995s.