Taking wine into Canada from the US

WINE TALK
1

My wife and I are taking a short 4-day trip to Quebec City with some of our close friends who live in Nashville. They are flying, my wife and I are driving from New Jersey. I would like to bring some special bottles from my cellar for us to share on the trip. From doing my research, it looks like there is a limit of 2-bottles per person allowed to be brought-in, before taxes and fees are levied. Does anyone have any experience bringing in larger quantities for personal consumption? Ideally I would like to bring 6 or 8 bottles with me if possible. Also, we already have reservations for dinner most nights, but if any of you have a few “can’t be missed” places for drinks/lunch/dinner, or special places to visit, please let me know!

2

You can bring in more. If you take a chance not to declare, nothing to add. If you do declare, you’ll be charged duties and taxes on the bottles above the alloted 2. It can add up.

If you declare them, you’ll have to stop at the border and fill in some forms and pay the man.

3

Lots of threads, but the 2 bottle limit (at least used to) applies to returning Canadians.
More than a few friends from the US simply tell the border folks, “we have a few special bottles to share with friends and they tell us we can’t get anything good in stores because of the monopoly liquor boards”. I think you’ll be fine with 6-8 between the two of you. More than a case and maybe they push back.

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4

Since it’s two bottles per person, you and your wife can bring in four. Get your friends to bring a couple of bottles with them and you’ve got your half dozen.

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5

My experience accords with what Phil has written: I was taking in a case of wine across the border for a family vacation in Quebec. I declared it at the border, was told that I would have to go into the office to complete a customs declaration and pay some duties, so I went in and waited at the desk for about 15 minutes, until the customs agent told me to get lost. So, it cost me 15 minutes. If you happen upon a more patient customs agent, it might cost you a bit of money.