How to send wine back to the US from abroad?
January 4, 2016 12:46 AM Subscribe
We're going to Australia and New Zealand and plan on buying a bunch of bottles of wine (say, a dozen). Is it possible to send them back to the US, and if so, how? More inside.
It seems like the Internet has a million different answers on this. Ideally I'd like to go into a New Zealand post office with a cardboard box with wine bottles and ship it back to myself at home in the US. Is that possible? Has anyone dealt with this?
Any advice or recommendations would be great!
It seems like the Internet has a million different answers on this. Ideally I'd like to go into a New Zealand post office with a cardboard box with wine bottles and ship it back to myself at home in the US. Is that possible? Has anyone dealt with this?
Any advice or recommendations would be great!
I would go with having the wineries deal with it, frankly. They're experienced at it and they know what issues you're going to face. Remember that if the wine doesn't accompany you, there is no duty personal exemption so expect to pay duty. I don't think you are allowed to send wine through the postal system in the US, but must instead use a courier. But that you need to double check-- it may have changed.
posted by frumiousb at 1:25 AM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by frumiousb at 1:25 AM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
I was in your situation about 10 years ago. I was young and cavalier, and so I ended up bringing back a dozen bottles of sauvignon blanc, just wrapped in clothing in my suitcase. I figured at least one would break, but they all came through fine.
posted by Susan PG at 2:24 AM on January 4, 2016
posted by Susan PG at 2:24 AM on January 4, 2016
This also varies by state, my friend in Pennsylvania needed to get a personal importation license from the plcb before having wine sent back.
You need to look into your states laws or post the state here so we can help.
posted by TheAdamist at 3:36 AM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
You need to look into your states laws or post the state here so we can help.
posted by TheAdamist at 3:36 AM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Don't ignore the fact that it might be MUCH easier to just buy the wine here in the states after you return. You might want to at least look into that approach.
posted by HuronBob at 3:41 AM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by HuronBob at 3:41 AM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
I tried to mail myself Scotch from Scotland but my package was opened in a processing center in Texas and the alcohol was confiscated. I had listed alcohol in the contents because I didn't know it was prohibited. I should have just had it mailed from the distillery.
posted by gt2 at 3:51 AM on January 4, 2016
posted by gt2 at 3:51 AM on January 4, 2016
Best answer: Ask the winery if they have any distributors in the US. Providing they do, then look up the price of buying from those distributors having them deliver to you. Then ask the winery how much they would charge you to ship the wine to you. Go for the cheaper option. If they don't have a distributor then ask them how they would do it.
As the partner as somebody working in whisky exports, I can tell you that the job of getting small consignments of booze shipped to a particular county so that it arrives safely, with all paperwork OK and in a reasonable time - is something which taxes even the professionals. If you go your own route then there is a high possibility that things will go expensively wrong with one or more of these elements.
posted by rongorongo at 3:53 AM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
As the partner as somebody working in whisky exports, I can tell you that the job of getting small consignments of booze shipped to a particular county so that it arrives safely, with all paperwork OK and in a reasonable time - is something which taxes even the professionals. If you go your own route then there is a high possibility that things will go expensively wrong with one or more of these elements.
posted by rongorongo at 3:53 AM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
i live in a wine producing country, but not nz, and am only an interested amateur, but here's my 10c (not consistently towards any single argument):
wine is export driven. to the point where often the best wine is exported and the locals are lucky to pick up excess bottles in specialist shops.
wine tours are more about building the brand than making a huge profit, so buying wine from the winery doesn't mean paying inflated prices (although they do push their top end ranges) (so, at least here in chile, you typically won't save much by trudging round the supermarkets later).
given the huge economies of scale, wine "at source" is often no cheaper than where it's exported to (i often see chilean wine in the usa for prices similar to here in chile).
i do understand the attraction of taking back that awesome bottle of wine you had one wonderful evening when the food was perfect, the weather perfect, the company perfect... but most of that is the moment, not the wine. so bring back a few bottles in your luggage to remember that moment, but don't think you're going to blow everyone's minds by sharing some secret wine.
an idea i had while writing this is to maybe spend the money you would have spent on shipping on a wine course of some kind before you go (or while there!). then you can learn more from tours - learn more about local conditions, how they match the different grapes, what different regions are aiming for, what the new ideas are... bring back that knowledge, that you can then use shopping for new zealand's wine in the usa.
posted by andrewcooke at 5:45 AM on January 4, 2016 [7 favorites]
wine is export driven. to the point where often the best wine is exported and the locals are lucky to pick up excess bottles in specialist shops.
wine tours are more about building the brand than making a huge profit, so buying wine from the winery doesn't mean paying inflated prices (although they do push their top end ranges) (so, at least here in chile, you typically won't save much by trudging round the supermarkets later).
given the huge economies of scale, wine "at source" is often no cheaper than where it's exported to (i often see chilean wine in the usa for prices similar to here in chile).
i do understand the attraction of taking back that awesome bottle of wine you had one wonderful evening when the food was perfect, the weather perfect, the company perfect... but most of that is the moment, not the wine. so bring back a few bottles in your luggage to remember that moment, but don't think you're going to blow everyone's minds by sharing some secret wine.
an idea i had while writing this is to maybe spend the money you would have spent on shipping on a wine course of some kind before you go (or while there!). then you can learn more from tours - learn more about local conditions, how they match the different grapes, what different regions are aiming for, what the new ideas are... bring back that knowledge, that you can then use shopping for new zealand's wine in the usa.
posted by andrewcooke at 5:45 AM on January 4, 2016 [7 favorites]
I think that the most cost effective way would be to package them well (maybe the wine packed well within other items in a cardboard shipping box) and just pay for an additional piece of luggage at the airport.
When taking a big wine tour through NZ and then going back to Aus., we just checked a case of wine as luggage and had no problems at all There were a few of us in the group though,, and i think there were limits on how much per person we were allowed to bring in). I'm not sure about going from oz or NZ to the US is, might want to look up how much you're allowed to bring in per person to the US/
posted by newpotato at 6:02 AM on January 4, 2016
When taking a big wine tour through NZ and then going back to Aus., we just checked a case of wine as luggage and had no problems at all There were a few of us in the group though,, and i think there were limits on how much per person we were allowed to bring in). I'm not sure about going from oz or NZ to the US is, might want to look up how much you're allowed to bring in per person to the US/
posted by newpotato at 6:02 AM on January 4, 2016
Best answer: wine is export driven. to the point where often the best wine is exported and the locals are lucky to pick up excess bottles in specialist shops
Maybe this is how it is in Chile, but your comment makes no sense in an NZ context. The NZ wine we see outside of NZ is either random blended stuff not sold at home or big commercial wineries making 'premium' wine that's much cheaper at home where it's rightly recognised as mediocre. Going to the small local wineries or specialty bottle stores and buying relatively cheap, amazing wine that's often not sold outside the region, let alone internationally, is one of the things I miss about living in NZ.
As for answering the question, everyone I know (us included) takes wine home from NZ and Aus in our luggage. It's worth leaving some weight limit available when planning your initial packing so you don't get into trouble in that regard, and bubble wrap plus cardboard then lots of clothes wrapped carefully does a pretty good job of keeping it safe. You could go ask about postage or courier options in a PostShop but international postage from NZ is pretty steep (specially for heavy things) even before you get into the customs problems. The PostShop is a good place to buy bubble wrap anyway.
posted by shelleycat at 6:59 AM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Maybe this is how it is in Chile, but your comment makes no sense in an NZ context. The NZ wine we see outside of NZ is either random blended stuff not sold at home or big commercial wineries making 'premium' wine that's much cheaper at home where it's rightly recognised as mediocre. Going to the small local wineries or specialty bottle stores and buying relatively cheap, amazing wine that's often not sold outside the region, let alone internationally, is one of the things I miss about living in NZ.
As for answering the question, everyone I know (us included) takes wine home from NZ and Aus in our luggage. It's worth leaving some weight limit available when planning your initial packing so you don't get into trouble in that regard, and bubble wrap plus cardboard then lots of clothes wrapped carefully does a pretty good job of keeping it safe. You could go ask about postage or courier options in a PostShop but international postage from NZ is pretty steep (specially for heavy things) even before you get into the customs problems. The PostShop is a good place to buy bubble wrap anyway.
posted by shelleycat at 6:59 AM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
This will be far easier if you bring it back with you, as opposed to ship it.
A winery should provide packaging for a case of wine. Check that as an additional bag, even for a fee and pay applicable duties in person when bringing it back. This will still be cheaper than shipping it.
posted by cotterpin at 7:05 AM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
A winery should provide packaging for a case of wine. Check that as an additional bag, even for a fee and pay applicable duties in person when bringing it back. This will still be cheaper than shipping it.
posted by cotterpin at 7:05 AM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
I have done this a number of times, not from NZ, but the problem is on the US side. For quantities of a case or less, luggage carefully wrapped in clothes is essentially the only way to go. I've done it myself for up to 16 bottles several times and never had a broken bottle. The hassle and expense of the other methods are enormous. You can bring 1 gallon per person into Pennsylvania, if you're unfortunate enough to connect through there. Look into the laws of your state and the connecting state, but many are quite generous as long as you're importing for bona fide personal use. In other words, not trying to bring in six cases of Cloudy Bay for resale. Customs duty is technically charged but the amount is pennies per bottle and I've never had to pay and never heard of anyone who did.
If you're talking about more than a case, you'll still want to use your luggage allowance, but more preparation is required. Two 12-bottle cases taped together can hold 22 bottles without going over the weight restriction, typically. Again, check with your airline. You can fashion a handle out of tape as well, to make the large package easier to schlep. For reasons that are unclear to me, standard styrofoam shippers aren't always that easy to come by overseas, so I will typically pack my own. You can also get a wine suitcase like the The Wine Check for maximum protection.
If you've got like 10 cases, you'll want to use an importer. It's technically possible to clear customs yourself with a shipment, but it's a royal pain that involves shipping the wine to a customs entry point, filling out lots of paperwork, dealing with damaged / missing bottles, etc. There are companies that will import the wine on your behalf. The one I've heard recommended is the California-based Adventures in Wine but there are other ones that may be cheaper / better depending on your location. They charge something like $10 a bottle, so it's not really worth it unless you're bringing in very pricey bottles.
posted by wnissen at 10:07 AM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you're talking about more than a case, you'll still want to use your luggage allowance, but more preparation is required. Two 12-bottle cases taped together can hold 22 bottles without going over the weight restriction, typically. Again, check with your airline. You can fashion a handle out of tape as well, to make the large package easier to schlep. For reasons that are unclear to me, standard styrofoam shippers aren't always that easy to come by overseas, so I will typically pack my own. You can also get a wine suitcase like the The Wine Check for maximum protection.
If you've got like 10 cases, you'll want to use an importer. It's technically possible to clear customs yourself with a shipment, but it's a royal pain that involves shipping the wine to a customs entry point, filling out lots of paperwork, dealing with damaged / missing bottles, etc. There are companies that will import the wine on your behalf. The one I've heard recommended is the California-based Adventures in Wine but there are other ones that may be cheaper / better depending on your location. They charge something like $10 a bottle, so it's not really worth it unless you're bringing in very pricey bottles.
posted by wnissen at 10:07 AM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
As other have said, it's not about cost, but it is about availability. There's lots of short run or limited edition stuff that available at the vintner or the distillery only. That's reason enough to want to bring it back.
We routinely bring back anywhere up to a half-dozen bottles in our packed luggage on trips abroad. It means packing outbound with that in mind and leaving enough space to bring everything home. A gallon/4L ziploc bag will fit most 750 mL bottles. We then wrap this with a layer or two of shirts/socks. We've never lost a bottle in all the years we've been doing this.
You do need to be straight with customs, but we've found that we're as often as not waved through. Between two people, 6 or so bottles, three each, is just over the legal limit for importation (into Canada). Even when we've had to pay duty, it's not a lot and a pretty routine transaction. OTOH, I have seen people being chewed out for not reporting alcohol.
We were in NZ a few years ago, on the south island. Blenheim is well worth the stop, but if you plan to go down south look to stop in Oamaru---they have some one-of-a-kind whiskey that I've rarely had the like of since.
posted by bonehead at 11:22 AM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
We routinely bring back anywhere up to a half-dozen bottles in our packed luggage on trips abroad. It means packing outbound with that in mind and leaving enough space to bring everything home. A gallon/4L ziploc bag will fit most 750 mL bottles. We then wrap this with a layer or two of shirts/socks. We've never lost a bottle in all the years we've been doing this.
You do need to be straight with customs, but we've found that we're as often as not waved through. Between two people, 6 or so bottles, three each, is just over the legal limit for importation (into Canada). Even when we've had to pay duty, it's not a lot and a pretty routine transaction. OTOH, I have seen people being chewed out for not reporting alcohol.
We were in NZ a few years ago, on the south island. Blenheim is well worth the stop, but if you plan to go down south look to stop in Oamaru---they have some one-of-a-kind whiskey that I've rarely had the like of since.
posted by bonehead at 11:22 AM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for the advice, all. I think we're going to go the path of jamming it into our luggage.
posted by gchucky at 8:32 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by gchucky at 8:32 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
Consider that some wines don't travel well, or may be happier in standard commercial channels than in your suitcase.
posted by ck49 at 6:58 AM on January 5, 2016
posted by ck49 at 6:58 AM on January 5, 2016
Most airlines flying to NZ put 20kg limit on hold baggage, so if its a few bottles fine if you prioritize wine in luggage. (And why not)
But. If going back home my preference would be to stock up on a couple of cases and post back to UK. It would be worth it to get access to decent NZ wine for a time, they only sell mass produced rubbish outside NZ and wickedly mark up the few good vintages that make it out.
We generally drink French now. Sorry New Zealand.
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 12:03 AM on January 16, 2016
But. If going back home my preference would be to stock up on a couple of cases and post back to UK. It would be worth it to get access to decent NZ wine for a time, they only sell mass produced rubbish outside NZ and wickedly mark up the few good vintages that make it out.
We generally drink French now. Sorry New Zealand.
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 12:03 AM on January 16, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
Another option is that (at least some) wineries offer international shipping. It's not particularly cheap - here's an example, they charge NZ$223 to ship a dozen bottles to the US [though that place might charge more than others, it's in a very touristy location].
I assume you've thought of just buying the wine duty free on your way back home?
posted by Pink Frost at 1:04 AM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]