Customs & Other Legal Issues
Many of our customers ask about purchasing wine in France and Italy and bringing it back to the United States. As far as quantity goes, there are no fixed limits. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Regulations for U.S. Residents states, "While Federal regulations do not specify a limit on the amount of alcohol you may bring back for personal use, unusual quantities are liable to raise suspicions that you are importing the alcohol for other purposes, such as for resale." Provided you are over 21 years old, the wine is for your personal use, and it doesn't violate the laws of the state in which you arrive, you have the right to bring back 1 litre of wine duty free.
As far as the costs go, you may be subject to customs charges and IRS taxes. If the officials charge you for the extra bottles, you will pay 3% of the wine's value for customs, and IRS taxes according to the following table:
| Type of Wine | Per Gallon | Per 750 ml bottle |
| 14% Alcohol or Less | $1.071 | $0.21 |
| Over 14 to 21% | $1.571 | $0.31 |
| Over 21 to 24% | $3.151 | $0.62 |
| Naturally Sparkling | $3.40 | $0.67 |
| Artificially Carbonated | $3.301 | $0.65 |
| Hard Cider | $0.2261 | $0.04 |
In other words, if you have 10 extra bottles, worth a total of $300, you would pay $11.10 ($9 in customs, and $2.10 in taxes - for wine of 14% alcohol or less)
If you would like to know your specific state laws for bringing in wine, contact your local officials. The Wine Institute provides a helpful State Control Directory.
