Italy: Wine and Winery questions
 

My wife and I will be touring Italy last week of march to the first week of april. We will be with group for 10 days and on our own for the final 2 (which will be in ROME).
I would appreciate some help in the following 2 areas.

1) is there any wineries close enough to Rome for a day trip by train/taxi?

2) Tips on buying and bringing back wine to the States.

I had originally planned on shipping the wine, but after reading numerous posts on here about the cost I think i am going to put a second suitcase inside of my first suitcase. Also in wine shops/ wineries do they sell the sufficient packing material for wine in a suitcase that is to be checked (now that liquids are a no-no)
thanks for the help in advance.

You can buy cardboard boxes with styrofoam cylindars -- they come in 6 and 12 packs -- I used them as a piece of checked luggage. Most wineshops and wineries should have them, especially with the new restrictions of no carry-on. ((b))

Budman: You are saying that I can buy these boxes in Italy? correct?

I brought a case of wine back in September 2004 that I purchased from a small winery. They gave me the shipping box for free since I purchased the case from them.

I am wondering if anyone has done this recently, especially with the new carry-on restrictions. ((b))

In May 2006 my son, his fiance, my husband and I brought back 30 bottles of wine from Italy for their wedding. We brought them in carry-on totes and had no problem. I am not sure you can do this now, with the changes since August.

Hi C,

Do you actually want to visit a winery,, or do you want to taste wine?

If the latter, any good wine bar or wine shop will suffice.

((I))

Here's a recent posting about wine boxes:

Author: Sampaguita ([email protected])
Date: 11/02/2006, 01:22 am
Robert, thank you for your kind words, too bad you didn't have more time, Piedmont has so many attractions to offer....

About the styrofoam shipping boxes,which I strongly reccomend to bring your liquid gold home as check-in baggage, normally mail-box outlets (all over Italy) sell these for shipping wine (but they won't ship to USA as the regulations are still confusing) and you can but them for check-in use. However they have had a shortage these last few months due to the new liquid carry-on security measures, and at a pinch you can buy special padded cardboard 3-pack mailing boxes from the Post Office.

I am looking into finding a supplier for these boxes so we can keep some for our guests, and still checking how people like Rivetto can ship to certain states in the US, but I think he can do this through his distributor, and I think its a bit pricey.

Oh and BTW you can't check-in wine on Alitalia, be warned.
_____________________________________

I flew Alitalia and did check in a case of wine with my checked baggage. Maybe something has changed since then? ((b))

ira: Since we will be w/a group for most of our trip when we are going through tuscanny we wouldn't have a chance to take in a winery tour. I was wondering if there were any wineries that would make a good day trip from Rome. If not the local wine shops will be great.

Budman: Thanks for you help, it seems buying a shipping box and checking it in will be our best option.

If you pack some bubble wrap it should be sufficient. I used to bring a wine carrier with cylinders for each bottle. But the past few trips Ive tested bubble wrap and it has been fine and is lightweight and less bulky. If you get the small bubbles and roll the bottles so its covered in 2 layers and secure it with tape it should be fine. Then put 2 bottles in a plastic bag and wrap tightly.

I am wanting to bring back at least 12 bottles. Probably w/that amount just be easier to buy the box and check it in.

I do tastings in Italy for a US importer and agree with Ira that if you are interested in tasting go to an enoteca. You'll be able to sample more variety.

buongiorno: what is an 'enoteca'?

There are wineries in the towns of the Castelli Romani which consist of 13 communities within about 20 miles of Rome. The most famous of these is Frascati but it is not the only one.

An enoteca is a wine shop where you can also taste wine by the glass. Often they serve food. Three excellent ones in Rome are:

Enoteca Bleve in the ghetto; Enoteca Parliamento on Via dei Prefetti and Buccone on Via di Ripetta. These also sell food products such as olive oils, vinegars, and so on, as do most enotecas in Rome.

Is there a limit on how many bottles of wine or other types of alcohol you can bring back to the U.S.? I was thinking it was a couple bottles, maybe I'm confusing that with the old carryon restrictions.

It would depend not just on US regs but on the regs in the state you are bringing them to, I believe. If you bring over the allowed amount you can pay a minimal duty.

You can bring home a liter of alcohol, duty free. The remainder you might be required to pay duty on it.

The duty on still wines is minimal, and it's not worth the time & effort to do the paperwork on let's say a case of wine. I declare and always get waived thru. ((b))

Budman: Last time I was out of country was over 11 years ago and was a frosh in high school. So what do you mean by you "declare" and get waived through. If I check the wine on, what kind of paperwork would I have to fill out? Thanks

Hi jeremygil,

>Is there a limit on how many bottles of wine or other types of alcohol you can bring back to the U.S.?<

Yes,1-2 L of wine pp, but the duty has dropped so low that Customs Agents don't bother anymore if you are bringing in a case or so.

((I))

<i>So what do you mean by you &quot;declare&quot; and get waived through. If I check the wine on, what kind of paperwork would I have to fill out?</i>

When you come back to the States, you first go thru immigration (passport check/control), then you pick up your luggage/wine/whatever you check in on the airplane, then you go thru customs. There's a customs declaration form where you list all the items you purchased overseas. You will be provided this form by the airline crew.

As you exit the terminal, the customs official will collect your customs form and usually will wave you thru. If you look like a shady/shifty person, they will search your stuff and make you pay customs if you have more than the $$$ allowance.

Of all the times I've come thru customs, I've only been searched once, and they picked a single piece of luggage, looked thru it, and let me proceed out of the terminal. ((b))

I just know you're going to have a wonderful trip touring Italy! This past May, we found 2 brunellos that we just had to have so we had a case (12 bottles) shipped home. Easy as pie, arrived just a few days after us with all intact. It was not unreasonable in the big scheme of things. The wines are ones I would have been unable to find here in the states. I find traveling with wine to be cumberome, extremely heavy, and it was worth every euro to have the enoteca ship it home.

If you decide to bring it back, like the others, we have always declared on the customs form those items for which we have purchased. We've never had to pay a tax - we're always waived through, much to my surprise. Hope this helps...