Recently someone posted a statement on another forum that regulations have recently been changed to allow US citizens to ship wine home (presumably in small quantities for personal consumption). Does anyone know where to find hard facts about this? I have searched both US Customs and BATF sites, but cannot find any references. I would be most interested to know if the regulations have indeed changed, as far as I know you cannot ship wine to USA unless you ship to a licensed importer and even inter-state regulations for shipping of wine varies from state to state and has been the subject of law suits on behalf of wineries who would like to ship directly to customers.

Hi S,

Since the duty on wine was reduced to about 10%, US Customs has been unconcerned about a case or so coming into the US.

However, it's the State regulations that can make it very difficult and expensive.

I suggest that you bring home 6 bottles in your carryon luggage.

Bring some bubble wrap with you.

A folding cardboard carrier is also very useful.

As ira correctly indicated, it's not the Bureau of ATF (despite their name) that is really concerned with your desire to become a &quot;shipper/importer&quot; of alcoholic beverages (and that IS what you want to do... it's just a matter of degree). When <i>Prohibition</i> was repealed in the United States, the jurisidiction governing import/shipment of alcoholic beverages was left to each individual state, and accordingly, each state has an ABC (Alcoholic Beverages Commission) which will (or will not) give a hoot about what you wish to ship into any given state. This is just as true from Indiana to Kentucky or vice versa (just to name one backward example, about to take an even worse backward step in the Indiana legislature)... as it is between any country in Europe, and a specific state.

Your best bet is to carry it home yourself (I regularly bring home a dozen or two bottles of wine when I return from Europe), though there are still substantial &quot;urban legends&quot; of getting everything you bring with you... confiscated by ABC officials... and not even necessarily in the state where you live (or the airport where you ultimately land); they can seize your &quot;cargo&quot; at any airport you pass through.

Best wishes,

Rex

Thank you Rex for your articulate reply, which is what I thought. As I understand, in the USA, UPS and Fedex won't accept wine unless its from a legal distributor, although many folks do label them as &quot;collectable bottles&quot; &quot;olive oil&quot; samples etc.

Here in Asti neither the post office or our local courier agent Mail Boxes, will accept wine for shipment to USA, although I have heard of MB's in Tuscany that will ship them labelled olive oil, which means your are in violation of customs regulations (is that a felony or misdemeanor?)and could lose your wine, be fined and blacklisted on customs computers. Safer to bring it home with you, entry point customs are usually quite lenient as long as you declare it (I have heard of folks bring 2 cases or more). The same Mail-boxes sell styrofoam wine cartons, which are real useful to carry your wine as check-in baggage safely, as long as remember not to tape it up until after its been inspected at the airport.

Funny thing some of these regulations, I can send cheese to USA and wine to New Zealand, but not the other way around.

I always pack my BYOB cases, they are neoprene and specifically for carrying wine. You can find them at

http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=222312

and they come as singles or doubles. I always hand carry back 6 bottles of wine. Last May, when we were in Italy, many of the shops offered to ship. They know the regulations, the paperwork, etc. and had I not fallen in love with a 99 Brunello! I couldn't begin to afford a cast of wine at $100 a bottle.

For all you 'experts' out there... how much wine are you allowed to bring duty-free? If you bring more than your limit, how much is duty? What are the logistics ?

Thanks-

Duty is 10% of the purchase price, I think. I have never paid a penny of it, even when I voluntarily sought to try to do so. Waved on.

We have always offered to pay the duty, I believe we can bring back one bottle a piece. Whatever the limit - it is too LOW. Last time we came back with 9 bottles and the customs person just waved us on, even though we declared and offered to pay the duty.

2 bottles of wine per adult is allowed. Customs can be lax if you feel like hauling 2 cases with you and actually carrying it onto the plan. does it fit overhead? A lot of people do this regularly so I plan on trying it this summer.
wine without sulfites! yeah!
I had tomatos confiscated/. No fruit of veggies allowed.
You do NOT want to get on a Customs list.
WE had one of those cardboard carriers and the handle broke in the airport and all the bottles were smashed. boo hoo and a big mess.

&gt;wine without sulfites!
Never heared of that. Where did you buy it?

Wine without sulfites in Europe? I think wines in most European countries have sulfites in them; they just do not have to say so on the label, as the labeling laws are different there.

I think wine without sulfites is called &quot;vin naturel&quot;, and you can buy it at many wine stores and wine bars.

http://tinyurl.com/kly8u

http://parisvoice.com/?fuseaction=Ar...&amp;cat_id=38

Sounds interesting. Wonder if they can produce it without adding any sulfites at all?

I think they are added for preservation. I will ask someone in the business as soon as I get the chance, and then report back.

Each adult can bring back 1 liter. If you bring back more than that, you main have to pay duty. I typically bring back 4-6 bottles and have never paid any additional fee upon re-entry to the US. Here is a link to an article from the US Gov. It might answer some questions.

http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/

Wine is definitely without sulfites that you buy in Europe. If the wine merchant exports the wine to the US to sell in a wine shop here, they have to add the stupid sulfites because our FDA requires them. That is the story I have been told and have read. The wine in Europe never gives me headaches or red flushes like it does here. That's why I haul it back when I have the chance.

It would be great if this were true, unforunately it isn't. I havn't seen a German or Ausrian wine without sulfites yet. It they exist it would be interesting how they manage to cope without these additives.

Frey is a California vintner that produces organic wines with no sulfites added:

http://www.freywine.com/freywine/no-sulfites-added.html