Bringing Wine into Italy

In May we will be flying to Rome on American Airlines to spend 2 weeks in Italy. I am planning on bringing our wine in a checked wine suitcase. I plan to give our wine away as gifts to the wineries and olive mills we plan to visit. Has anybody done this recently? Is there anything i need to do in advance to avoid a problem with Italian Customs?

They will blame you for Americanization of Italian culture and you’ll be hang.

Last summer I brought a case with me and nobody asked me a question. I was flying to Venice.

Stephen - Have done it a couple of times - have never had a second glance from Italian customs…

I’ve brought a few bottles on several occcasions with no questions asked.

just took a case of Cali wines to share my producers… not sure who was less interested, customers or my wine makers!!!

We arrived on Wednesday and customs did not check anybody’s luggage. no questions about my wine roller.

Ditto. Half case into Verona. Separate box. No questions, looks, nothing.

Actually got the same lack of interest bringing the same half case box back into the US.

Better yet…last month, I brought in two Wine Cruzers with 8 bottles in one and 5 mags in the other, and for the first time in 16 years of flying into Milano Malpensa, I WAS STOPPED! I do not know if speaking Italian helped or not, but I was asked what was in the cases (I said wine which I was moving from my cellar in the U.S.), if the wine was for my personal consumption (I said yes) and where I was taking the wine in Italy (I said to the cellar in my home). I explained that I was in the process of moving permanently to Italy, and expected to be doing this a number of times, so I wanted to be sure that there would be no problems. I had also read the Italian customs regs, which, interestingly, are geared toward EU residents driving into the country with a couple of cases of wine in the trunk. If you do not bring in any other alcohol, you get to combine your “hard liquor” allowance with your wine allowance, and I recall that you could bring in two cases of 750ml bottles or the equivalent duty-free. The customs agent confirmed that 8 750s and 5 mags was legal. He did not ask to look inside the cases.

I would have paid any duty gladly, by the way. I was schlepping, among other wines, a 1947 Petrus VdM, a 1971 Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva Speciale, a mag of 1989 Gran Bussia and a mag of 1985 Monfortino. And carrying insurance that would have covered any loss, damage or confiscation! The irony of carrying the Nebbioli back home is never lost on me…

Your ticket said “Castello Nuovo”?