Shipping wine
 

My husband and I live in Pennsylvania and will be visiting Sonoma in a few weeks. My husband loves wine and would love to bring some home; the problem is that PA has very strict rules about alcohol (you can only buy at state run stores, etc).
We have heard that UPS will ship it for you (pretend that they don't know what it is). Has anybody tried this? Or, is there another way to get it shipped? The wineries will not do it.
Thanks in advance!

New Jersey is pretty similar. I brought back 2 cases (styrofoam packed) with my checked baggage on my last visit. The airport is very familiar with handling it. Additionally, you can carry on 10-12. There, that's 3 cases. ((b))

I've run into the same problem trying to ship wine to my mom in PA at my local wine specialty store. They won't do it.

At this time, until PA's idiotic liquor laws are overturned, your best bet is to buy inconspicious boxes, pack the wine very carefully with lots and lots of cushioning (and not too many bottles in a box) and ship it via UPS (through Mailboxes Etc. or whatever), not volunteering what the package contains. It may or may not get to your house. And UPS will claim ignorance if the state authorities confiscate it and ask.

Stupid PA liquor laws. I hate those state-run liquor stores and their awful selection (I have better wine selection at the grocery store a block from my house here in California).

I ship "vinegar" to my relatives in PA. ;)
And wrap it up with a lot of bubble wrap so it doesn't break!

Smart man, Kal!:) You know, virgin olive oil might also be shipped similarly to wine . . . just a thought!

PA liquor laws are in a state of flux right now since a court has ruled that PA can't enforce the law regarding wine shipments into the state. Some wineries will ship to PA now and some will not since there are no rules about remitting sales tax and the like to PA. I know that my friends were just in CA and were successful in having Peju ship wine through their wine club to them in PA.

By the way, the state store selections have improved by leaps and bounds since someone new has taken over the Chairman's job.

Olive oil doesn't have the same viscosity as vinegar/wine or as I like to say "sloshy effect"!

I remember when Mrs Kal tried to order a pitcher of beer while we waited for a pie in a Gettybrug PA pizza palor.

For some reason we couldn't do it w/o knowing the "trick".

It started to sound like Abbott and Costello Who's on 3rd or Jack Nicholson's ordering "toast". :-d

Kal, my man, you leave no stone unturned. Impressive, as always!LoL

The wineries around here will give you the boxes for shipping that are sized perfectly for two bottles... with the styrafoam. Be sure to ask for it... it will make things easier for you.

UPS will not be coerced into doing illegal shipping activities. Nor will they “pretend” that they don’t know what your shipment contains. You are expected to declare your shipment as containing wine (and they should not ship it to PA as it will have a negative impact on their business if this is discovered by PA authorities) or you can lie about your declaration which is tantamount to breaking law whether you agree with it or not.

Just bring them yourself – there’s no illegality involved with this method.

=-O
Ship vinegar-go to prison. [-X

Last December in Sonoma, UPS wanted $180 a case for shipping wine to PA. We just carried 15 bottles back on the plane. It was a big pain. Also, several wineries in Sonoma have wine clubs but they will not ship to PA.

My husband and I spent some time in Sonoma in March. We live in NC, and while I'm not sure how our alcohol laws differ from Pennsylvania, I'll tell you that we included 4 or 5 bottles in our carry-ons. Most wineries have the three-bottle carry box and then I wrapped a couple of bottles in bubble wrap and stuck them in my totebag.

We also bought a box at one of the first wineries we visited, complete with styrofoam lining. We then went from winery to winery filling the box as we went. We had a rather nice selection, if I do say so myself. We had to keep reminding ourselves that our space was limited and sometimes we just couldn't resist -- hence the number of carry-on bottles.

We spent the last night at an airport hotel and after we returned our rental car to the airport, we went back to the hotel and asked the front desk for some packing tape and a marker that would make a heavy dark line. They were extremely accommodating, and provided these items. The wine was already nestled in their own little styrofoam niches and all we did was tape the box closed. (Well taped, I might add.) We then wrote our home address on several sides and checked the box with our luggage. The agent knew what it was without us saying so (duh, coming back from wine country) but there was absolutely nothing on the box that revealed its contents. I wrote "fragile" on the box, but unless it was x-rayed, I doubt anyone outside of California would have known (or cared) what it was.

We collected it safe and sound in the CLT airport, and it took a bit of manhandling with our luggage, but we made it to the parking shuttle. We were fairly crowded and my DH was gallant and helped quite a few people with their luggage as they left the shuttle. With only us and another couple left, he was rearranging our luggage on the rack when he nearly pushed our case of wine off into the floor. I told him that I didn't care if he threw his back out, if he broke even one bottle, he would be in big trouble. The other couple and the driver of the shuttle found this really funny and the driver said he ought to tip us for the help my husband gave and the good laugh at the end of a long day.

Oh dear, that was a long way to say, buy an empty case early in your trip and fill 'er up.

Shipping is not a problem. NC had similar laws until the wineries in NC raised a fuss. Legislators should be smart enough to know you're not buying stuff that you can buy at home, particularly w/the cost of shipping. Just do it.

...& contact & educate your local Congress-person.

But actually I think the reason the wineries in NC made a fuss was because wineries OUTside NC couldn't ship INto NC.
The wineries will have cartons with styrofoam liners made specifically for the bottles. Check it with your luggage. Or bring an extra suitcase and pack it well.

You want your voice to be heard regarding the oppressive wine shipping rules in your state? Here ...

www.freethegrapes.com

In the case of shipping wines, states have reciprocal agreements. The problem in NC was the NC wine-makers couldn't ship their wine out...

There used to be a 'free the grapes' website or some such thing that addressed this particular issue. I've belonged to several California wineclubs for years & they have shipped too me. They usually use a specialized shipping company rather than FedEx or UPS. Hence, the cost. Or, you can go to someplace while in Cali & ship it to yourself, done that too.

Why not just ship it to your self as mentioned by SAnParis?

You can also get a PO box in another state and ship it there.