Anyone know the most economical way to ship cases of wine from Italy to USA? Approximately how much can I expect to pay per case?

If you type shipping wine into the search window you will pull up lots of threads with this information. There has been much discussion in the past about various custom laws and state alcohol laws.

thanks

You can find just about every answer under the sun on this question, here at Travel Talk - - and I have written any number of them, with information that may seem contradictory.

This old gem is now almost ten years old - - http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Ar...75,236,00.html - - but I still consider it useful information.

I think it is still absolutely true that the greatest obstacle to shipping - - or hand carrying - - wine home from abroad is called the Alcoholic Beverages Commission. Every state has one, and they have different rules, and different approaches towards enforcement. It is not legal to ship wine into Indiana, for example, no matter where it originates, including within the state or from a neighboring state. Yet, many people have reported their successful experiences shipping one, two cases or more to Florida, and presumably several other states.

I personally have landed at airports in New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois (and others I have forgotten?) with a case or more in checked luggage, and never have I encountered a U.S. customs offical who showed any interest. It simply isn't something they consider their thing, as far as I can tell. There are also infamous stories (but are they urban legend?) of wine confiscated right at the airport - - by ABC officials from the state in which the airport is located (not where you live, necessarily).

In theory, these same laws apply to driving from one state to another with alcoholic beverages you bought out of state - - and thus are "importing".

From what I know about shipping (with mailboxes etc, for example, or DHL) ANY packages of significant weight - - IF you can get someone to pack it up for you and accept it through an appropriate shipper - - I would anticipate a cost of 5 to 20 euro per bottle, because wine is so heavy.

You CAN schlep it home - - see http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34422344 - - and probably save yourself as much money as you paid for the wine in the first place (if not double).

Best wishes,

Rex

If you want to know what is being done to change some of the archaic wine laws regarding shipping.....look here

http://www.freethegrapes.org/

$100 (see posting on US site)

Thanks for the info