Rich Stanton

Hello,

How do you bring wine home from a wine vacation? I plan to buy 15-20 bottles
but not cases from the same vintner.
Will UPS/Fedex etc. ship wine for you?
Any problems carrying it on a plane in a carry-on bag besides how heavy it will be?

thks..

bm

Hi Rich-
I believe that each state has it's own laws regarding shipping alcohol. I remember when I visted Napa Valley from Boston, they would not let me ship the wine home to Mass. due to a Mass. law-I had to carry it on the plane.
Maybe call one of the wineries you will be visiting and ask them, or call UPS or Fed Ex directly. Good luck and have fun!

Cabernet

Rich,

UPS and FedEx will not knowingly ship wine. The wineries have lists of shippable states. The fines can be VERY large. Some wineries will ship by using a different shipper (like Mail Boxes, etc)..most wineries are scared off by the fines.

That said. You have a few of other choices.
1. Bring the wine to an independent shipper( like mail boxes). They will repackage the wine and ship it out.

2. Some wine shops will ship anywhere,,again repackaging the wine. Sorry, but I wont tell you who I use, you need to find one for yourself.

3. Carry the wine on the plane. I bring a case back at a time in carry boxes( free at winery) of 6 bottles each. If you do this, I wrap each bottle in 2 sheets of newspaper to insulate it in shipping. Helps maintain temp and reduces danger of breaking. I've heard of bottles breaking in overhead compartments during turbulence.

I only bring back wines that are not available in my area. Also, if you are going to be there in warm weather,,you need to protect wine from the heat. I wrap each bottle in several sheets of newspaper.

rneianne1

Rich,

I would agree with the last poster. Bring the wine to an independent shipper for shipping if you don't want to lug it home. The only problem I forsee is the unknowns in handling and temperature conditions associated with shipping companies.

I recently returned from a trip to taste Oregon Pinots, and returned with about 10 bottles. I didn't use the 6 bottle wine carriers, but opted to put them in two smaller, sturdy handheld carryons. We wrapped thin t-shirts around the bottles, kept them under the seats near our feet, and they all arrived intact, having traveled in the same air conditioned environments that we enjoyed.

merlot

I don't think it's accurate that UPS won't knowingly ship wine. My husband often orders wine from various vineyards which are shipped UPS to NY and clearly marked as wine.

I think the suggestion to check ahead with each vineyard is probably the best.

cavatappi

To the last poster: NY probably has less restrictive wine import regulations than most other states. I've recently lived in Mississippi, Georgia and (currently) Pennsylvania, and NONE of those states permit wine to be shipped directly to the consumer. In fact, when I visit websites for wine manufacturers and shopping sources, they all have a list of states that do or do not permit shipment to consumers. Maybe one day I'll live someplace less restrictive!

Mike

As someone else had suggested, there is little reason to bring back wine that is available in stores. If you're goping to Napa or Sonoma, bring back reserve wines if you buy them but anything else is a hassle. If you're not buying cases you're not going to get it cheaper at the vineyard, especially in Napa where you'll be paying a fee just to taste. I wouldn't be too comfortable with the shipping conditions either (temp).

Cabernet

Mike,

Temperature is definitely a consideration. Most places won't ship duriing summer months unless shipped via air.

The better shippers use styrofoam to protect wine.

Some places will tell you if the wine is packed safely, you can check it in with airlines...but I would NEVER feel comfortable with that.

Rich Stanton

Thanks everyone for your help.

Rich

wino

I have twice checked cases of wine using the normal shipping boxes (cardboard with styrofoam inserts and caps). Both times we were lucky and had no problems. The airline will make you sign saying they are not responsible for breakage, which is standard for anything packed in cardboard. Cabernet is right, we weren't comfortable, but still felt it was better than using a shipper. The shipper could break it too, and the environmental concerns are unacceptable. In my opinion carrying a case of wine onto the plane is impractical, and they could (and probably should) stop you at the gate and make you check it. Do not carry/ship anything that could possibly be obtained locally!!

Cabernet

Wino,

You are right,,,carrying on a case of wine could be a problem.,,,taking on 12 bottles is easy.

I Carry two 6-pack ccontainers with handles. Each 6-pack carton easily fits in the over head container.

Again, I only buy nice wines that are unavailable "back home".

Larry

I have carried on as many as 24 bottles. I stick each bottle into an athletic sock for cushioning, and stagger them in a wheeled carry on bag. Bottles weigh about 3 pounds each, so be sure you have a carry on with wheels! Stuff around the bottles with bubble wrap or clothes.

There are several shippers in Napa Valley that will ship wine anywhere. Your local B&B can advise.

tannya

I'll add my 2 cents. We have had no trouble bringing wine back with us on our flight home. We asked at one vineyard and they were nice enough to give us 2 shipping boxes with inserts so we didn't have to worry about breakage. We brought back 18 to 20 bottles each time. It cost nothing to do it this way and shipping is very expensive.

Jode

We just returned on Monday morning from a CA trip which included Sonoma/Napa. We bought a case of wine at V. Sattui (their wine is not sold nationally but only at the vineyard which why we chose them - and we liked the wine of course). We live in MA and there was no tax and no problem having it shipped. I believe the case cost $31 to ship - but we got a 10% discount because we bought a case and some of the bottles in the case were on a special 20% that week so the savings on the case probably equalled the shipping. The wine arrived about a week after purchase - in fact it arrived yesterday (along with our luggage that was stuck in Philly). The box was well protected with styrafoam inserts for each bottle. It was well worth the shipping not to have to lug it and worry about it on the flight. I did bring a single bottle of wine that we had purchased at another winery on the flight in my carryon with no problem. If you want to save on shipping then the 6-bottle carriers are a good idea.

Dick

Jode,

You were lucky,,,,,I think Mass Is another one of the "no ship to" states.

I've had independents ship to my state,,,but most vineyards will not,,the fines are very high.

Sometimes, taking it back with me on the plane is the only way to transport.

Jode

No, Dick - I saw the list myself - the winrery we were buying from seemed to be very strict and he checked the list twice to be sure MA was ok and it was. Maybe that was not the case before (sorry for the pun) but now you can ship to MA with no tax - just shipping charges.

Dick

Jode,

You are very lucky. Some of the vineyards(even decent ones) offer wine clubs etc...for limited production wines...but they won't ship to my state. And unfortunately many of thes wines aren't available on the East Coast