Does anyone know whether this is permissible? A wine shop would do it for me using Fed Ex - but the store doesn’t know whether this is ok under French law. Is the fact that the wine would be for personal use and not commercial sale helpful? Do I have to have it delivered to a business address?
Any insight is much appreciated. Thanks
Shipping from the US? How many bottles? Are you staying in a hotel when you come to France?
I am shipping from the US - 12 bottles - I’m staying in an apt I’ve rented in Beaune.
WineCheck!! Even the added airline baggage fees (if added) still would be cheaper than using a shipping service.
Bingo. Just check it with you.
+2. I’ve shipped a bottle (I bring an empty wine check and fill it coming back) and can’t imagine 12 would be any different.
In any case the customs (at the airport or at the fedex office) will ask you to pay tax. The wines left without paying French tax. You will be allowed to bring in “6” bottles and the balance will be taxed. Additional bottles could be taxed on their value or on the quantity. In other words it might be 20% vat applied to the value or “5 euros per liter”. Usually the greater of the two.
That’s if they ask. I’ve never taken more than six bottles, but I’ve never been asked any questions by customs landing in the UK, France, Germany or Italy. It probably never occurs to them that Americans would be bringing wine that direction.
I bought a wine check for just this purpose. And I could check it on the plane without an additional cost. But I can’t envision myself schlepping a case of wine, even lugging it around with wheels, because I’m flying into Lyon and then taking a cab to the train station and then taking the train to Beaune. And of course, I’ll have my own luggage. So the thought of dragging not one but two 35 pound bags is daunting - I don’t want to have to deal with the box of wine between the Lyon airport and Beaune. So I’m looking into shipping.
True. They don’t always ask. But if you’re carrying 12 bottles of GC you might not want to risk then penalty for not declaring. You’d hate to think of a bunch of douane police chugging your bottles of Rousseau.
Send it to Maurice in Beaune. He runs a wine shop / bar. Call him and ask if he would be willing to help. I find the guy extremely hospitable and terribly respectful of wine (storage etc).
Otherwise the owner of the flat you’ve rented?
This might help wrt my last post…
I think it gets worse (based on experience). At least with respect to the TGV from Paris, at the Dijon train station you have to go up and down steps, not escalators or elevators. I have no experience doing this bringing wine to Beaune, but a good bit of experience lugging wine on this steps that I have bought it Burgundy. Maureen, you would not enjoy it.
What about mailing it from the airport or the Lyon train station? I know the French post office used to deliver packages overnight quite reliably.
Does Todd know that you’re sending his wine off to France?
I’m curious. Why would you want to bring French wine to Beaune when there are a few very good shops there and in the area? Also when are you going to be there?
I’ve brought wine to France once and was stopped. My French is pretty good and I told them it was gifts and they let me through. But I know Wilfred Van Gorp had a nightmare story about bringing wine there so not a slam dunk.
A friend who is in the business in Bdx (he is French, owns/runs a château in Margaux) looked into shipping a few cases of older 1855 classed growth Bdx from the US into France (better prices in the US), and, although I am not aware of the exact details, I know he gave up on the idea. Too much red tape and taxes involved said he.
As regards not wanting to deal with lugging around a checked-in Wine Check taking a train to Beaune, may I suggest you rent a car and drive there instead. From the luggage area, just put your Wine Check and other bags on a luggage trolley and wheel it to the car rental area, pick up your car keys, wheel your luggage into the parking lot, and load directly into your car.
I do this often, recently with my entire family during which we had tons of luggage. It was no problem as the luggage area is on the ground level as, and not far at all from, the Hertz/Avis offices/parking lot. This, for me, is much easier than taking a train with heavy luggage, as one doesn’t deal with the train station; and, I believe, the difference in cost is negligible.
I normally can drive to Beaune from Paris in 3 hours, give or take, depending on stops. If you do not want to keep your car while in Beaune (though I suggest you keep it for ready mobility), you can return the car in the appropriate branch office there.
Best,
N
By the way, I’m going to be in Newcastle for a few months, and I was wondering how to go about shipping some of my coals over there, so I can keep my apartment warm on those cool, foggy days.
hmm, you must think all bottles of wine are interchangeable…
I take it you have never brought your own wine to any restaurant – after all, they sell wine there.