Wine Cruise

[lovetotraveltx]

We will be on our first river cruise in Bordeaux. Will we have the opportunity to ship wines back to the USA? Thank you

[Canal archive]

As in previous reply.

[jpalbny]

Many places can ship but we always bring ours home with us in our checked luggage.

 

Amazon sells blow-up wine sleeves which are flat when deflated but blow up with a bicycle pump and provide excellent protection. You can fit 3 to 4 bottles per checked bag mixed in with your clothing, depending on the size of your suitcase and how full it already is (and how close to the weight limit you are). The bags cost about a dollar each for a pack of 20.

 

We also have two "wine checks" which are a nylon case with styrofoam inserts that hold 6 bottes each. We bought them in South Africa for about $8 each back in 2016 and brought a case of wine back from that trip. They go along with your other checked luggage and we have used them at least a half a dozen more times to bring wine back (when we want more than a few bottles). They have been to Australia, Oregon, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, etc.

 

Of course these methods only work if you travel light and have room in your luggage for extra stuff, or if you have a large luggage allowance and can check more bags without paying extra. And if you don't mind lugging around the extra weight. But it adds almost no cost, and is cheaper than paying shipping fees from Europe (or even further away).

[Canal archive]

Double check as we found in Stellenbosch South Africa there was actually a vintner in London who imported the wines we had selected. At the time it worked out a lot less cost and hassle than carting it back home.

[Canal archive]

Maybe for your next wine cruise?
 

https://news.sky.com/story/british-sauvignon-blanc-wine-from-gloucestershire-vineyard-named-one-of-the-best-in-the-world-12788678

[pontac]

9 hours ago, lovetotraveltx said:

Will we have the opportunity to ship wines back to the USA?

 

More info please. Do you mean to buy wines there from several places  and get someone to ship them for you?

 

Do you mean to buy all the wines wines from one merchant there and get that merchant to ship them for you?

 

Do you mean to bring the wines back yourself? 

 

Are you legally allowed to have wine shipped to you and if so, is there a limit. Wikipedia shows Texas has a limit of 9 US gallons allowed in a month, so converted to litres that's 30 bottles - under 3 cases.

 

And what type of wines, top end, inexpensive or as souvenirs from the wineries you visit? 

 

Bringing back wine yourself is easiest and cheapest. The wineries you visit will sell wines (based on my trips with Viking and Scenic) - though you do not say which river cruise company your trip is with. 

 

But check the price of wines locally. It may well be that you can get wines from the wineries you visit cheaper back home than at the winery, because France applies a sales tax (TVA) of 20%.

 

Many European wine businesses do not want to ship to USA because of the complexities in doing so (Federal, State and finding US courier companies that handle wine).

 

www.bordeauxwine.fr/shipping-and-deliver ship to USA and charge 138.50 Euro (+ TVA, currently 20% plus any customs charges) to ship 12 bottles to USA. Do they (as they should) take off TVA for exports? You'll need to check.

 

It may be cheaper to check in the wine to your flight and pay for the extra bag if you have a one-bag limit.

 

I've used a cardboard wine carrier with polystyrene inserts that takes 12 bottles with much success over the year. I now use an ordinary suitcase with one polystyrene packer inside as that is checked in and comes out with other cases, whereas the wine box had to go with the fragile items and came out separately. Wrapping bottles in clothes in your suitcase is OK, bottles are tough and I've never broken one

 

You may get more  response asking the question on a US wine forum, such at Wine Berserkers or Wine-Lovers Page.

 

You ask a simple question, and I regret the answer is complicated. 

 

 

Edited January 17, 2023 by pontac