Shipping Wine from Italy?

Does anyone have any experience with shipping wine from an Italian winery to Kentucky? I know the problems with shipping from US wineries- do the same issues exist with Italy wines coming in? we will be there in a couple weeks , and I 'd really love to ship back.

Thanks,
Deb

[Robin Garr]

Does anyone have any experience with shipping wine from an Italian winery to Kentucky? I know the problems with shipping from US wineries- do the same issues exist with Italy wines coming in? we will be there in a couple weeks , and I 'd really love to ship back.

I did it once, Deb. I got the job done, but it really wasn't worth it. I had to choose between hiring a broker for $100-plus or going out to customs at the airport and handling the paperwork myself. The people were nice, but it wasn't easy, and it cost a lot of time and effort, and two bottles got broken in a way (necks knocked off, bottle intact) that made me strongly suspect that the baggage handlers had them for a quick lunch.

Best to bring back a case or so each, carefully packed in your checked luggage.

[Robin Garr]

Here's the gist of a 2006 post in my wine forum, telling a little more about my experience while it was still reasonably fresh in memory:


I once brought in about 40 bottles of Northern Italian and Slovenian wines on a trip when I collected way too much to carry home. I had them boxed and sent back from Ljubljana on Lufthansa freight while I was flying back from Venice on Alitalia. I didn't hire a broker - the folks at Customs suggested that it wasn't really necessary, and they helped me walk through the paperwork. It took several hours, I had to go to three different offices, and the customs guy mentioned in passing that it would be his determination whether this was a commercial or personal transaction. He said he was satisfied that I was doing it for my own use but if I had just a few more bottles it would have been a tougher call.

As an individual, my duties were based on quantity, not value, but I still had to estimate value of each bottle, which was tough since most of them were offbeat Slovenian wines never intended for export and I had no idea. (I told him $10 each, and that seemed to satisfy him.)

Bottom line, customs only cost me about $25, but shipping was about $300 for 36 bottles, which was pretty outrageous, and as I said there was a lot of time wasted. Also, two nice bottles were broken in such a way as to make me strongly suspect that some baggage handlers somewhere along the way had knocked off the necks in order to enjoy a nice wine with their lunch.

As I said, I honestly wouldn't do it again.

Robin,
Thanks so much for the info!
The main winery we know we're going to ships back to the states for you, and many reviews on Trip Advisor say it worked great for others in the US. Is this different from what you are describing?

Deb

[Robin Garr]

Robin,
Thanks so much for the info!
The main winery we know we're going to ships back to the states for you, and many reviews on Trip Advisor say it worked great for others in the US. Is this different from what you are describing

Deb, if the winery will do it for you, that should help, but I would still check pricing very carefully. That $300 bill for the 40 bottles was kind of an eye-opener for me.

Very good point!

Wouldn't we have problems shipping wine into KY like we do from California? I was wondering if we needed to have some IN and Ohio addresses handy if we go that route.

Deb

[Robin Garr]

Very good point!

Wouldn't we have problems shipping wine into KY like we do from California? I was wondering if we needed to have some IN and Ohio addresses handy if we go that route.

I've had fairly good results having wine shipped into Kentucky. I think a lot of the shippers realize now that our law isn't rigidly enforced.

Very good point!

Wouldn't we have problems shipping wine into KY like we do from California? I was wondering if we needed to have some IN and Ohio addresses handy if we go that route.

I've had fairly good results having wine shipped into Kentucky. I think a lot of the shippers realize now that our law isn't rigidly enforced.

Our experiences the same. Even though the law forbids it, there is no enforcement. I've never heard of any case where it became a problem for an individual.

I've shipped wine and olive oil from Italy (olive oil several times). The cost is unreal, and the likelihood of breakage his high. Just depends on how bad you want it ...

[Robin Garr]

I've never heard of any case where it became a problem for an individual.

To clarify the language of the law, there is no legal risk to the individual. The law targets the company shipping the wine in, which could face felony charges, but only after a warning. To the best of my knowledge, Kentucky ABC has never issued a first warning.

The recipient gets in no legal hot water in any case, but in theory could have the shipment confiscated with no likelihood of a refund. Again, to the best of my knowledge, this has never happened.

The law was passed in the middle '90s. Kentucky was the first case, the "model" for the Wine and Liquor Wholesalers of America, the national lobby group that spends a large amount of money seeking legislation in its corporate interest. They reportedly chose Kentucky to see if a radical law could get passed, based on our legislature's reputation as cheap and easy to buy.

I've been told that ABC is very conscious of the bill's background in corporate interests, not public policy, and accordingly has, to this date, not considered enforcement as a priority.