Top 9 tips for the wine traveler plus a bonus
Notice I didn’t say “wine tourist”? I hate being called a wine tourist – I’m a traveler and explorer which means that I’m searching out new experiences, new friends, new sights, and new wines. Here’s what I’ve learned over my years as a wine traveler:
1. Always call ahead
If you’d like to visit a winery and do some tasting, then don’t just go by what the website says. CALL the winery. Especially if you’re in many parts of Europe. You’ll be surprised at what you find out on the phone – and that may be different from what’s on the website and on their social media.
2. Install WhatsApp on your phone
I’m not in the habit of promoting apps but if you want to reach people and have them reach you ESPECIALLY if you’re traveling in Europe, or in South America, or in Central America, or just about anywhere else in the world other than North America, install WhatsApp and use it. I can’t operate without it in my travels. You’ll find more people use WhatsApp than use text messaging. Plus you can use it to make phone calls using WiFi.
3. Bring the correct luggage for carrying wine
If you use soft-sided luggage, be careful! You might want to invest in some hard-sided luggage instead.
If you’re like me, I pack a smaller bag within a larger bag for the trip out so that when I return, I have lots of room for wine bottles.
4. Under-pack rather than over-pack
You know the saying? “Take half the clothes you originally planned to take and take twice the money you were thinking about.”
Don’t pack so much in that bag that you don’t have room to bring some bottles home. I’d rather wash out some clothes during my travels and bring back an extra bottle than have to buy an extra suitcase (because, oh yes, I’ve done that too!)
5. Pack bubble wrap and some packing tape
Bubble wrap is my “go-to”. Yes, you can buy specialty cases and other things but the easiest thing to pack is bubble wrap (and don’t forget the tape). Pack some in your suitcase before you leave home. (You can even buy bubble-wrap bottle sleeves.) It’s light, it takes up no space and you’ll be glad you have it for your bottles.
6. Check how much wine you can bring home
Most Canadians don’t know that they can bring in 75 bottles of wine when they return home to Canada. Yes, that’s right. 75 bottles. Over that amount, it’s considered by Canada Customs to be a commercial import. HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean you won’t pay duty. As a Canadian, you can bring a couple of bottles of wine in duty free.
In Europe of course, if you’re in a Schengen country, you can buy and transport as much wine as you like across borders. Sigh. Makes me really, really envious.
Other countries? Check their Customs and Duty laws and regulations. Never rely on what other people tell you. It’s not worth getting caught and it’s not worth having your precious wine confiscated.
Oh, and by the way, I have never brought in 75 bottles of wine. The most I’ve managed to bring in by myself is 17 bottles of wine (and yes, that’s when I had to buy another suitcase). I had all the information ready for Canada Customs and it was a breeze getting through!
NOTE: Don’t take my word for it. I am not responsible the wine you bring back to Canada or any other country. Before you leave home, always check to find out what the limits are and what your duty-free allowance is. In addition, make sure you check what the airline will allow you to pack in luggage.
7. Buy a luggage scale
I will never travel without an electronic luggage scale again. You’ll be happy not to have a nasty surprise when you get to your flight check-in and find that your luggage is overweight and, oh joy, you have the pleasure of paying the airline handsomely for the privilege of getting that luggage home.
Not to mention, the heavier the luggage, the greater the chance of damage to your luggage and your wine.
8. Pack a couple of paper envelopes and a small notebook
Sounds simple but you’ll need a place to keep the receipts for the wine purchases you make (plus the receipts for anything else you’re buying). Then it becomes easy to prove what you’ve got in your luggage when you cross international borders.
And why a small notebook? Believe it or not, it speeds up the process when you’re going through Customs. You can tear the pages out that have all your wines listed on them and easily show the agent what you’ve got. You do NOT want the agent to take your phone away because you have your list on your phone.
Plus you can scribble notes that will help the agent and yourself.
9. Pack a spot-remover (wine-remover) kit
Come on, you know what I’m telling you. If you’re a serious wine traveler (and even if you only visit a couple of wineries) and if you ever have had wine with a meal, you KNOW that at one point, you’ll probably have some wine on your clothes. It just happens.
10. Bonus tip
And my bonus tip… be careful as you are packing your suitcase for coming home. Don’t do what I did and place the suitcase unbalanced on your bed as you add that bottle of wine. We’ve all had that experience of watching, as if in slow motion, as something falls and breaks. You just can’t move fast enough.
The funny thing? I bought that bottle of wine for €0.99 – yes, one cent less than one full Euro. I found it in a supermarket and I was really looking forward to tasting it! (And that bottle was going to be one of the bottles I was going to pay duty on – see tip 8. I just wanted to see the customs officer’s face when I showed him or her the receipt.)
Discover the great places I’ve visited in my wine travels and the amazing people I talk to! Listen to what’s happening in Bulgaria – because Bulgaria is a wonderful slightly off-the-beaten path for those of us who love to discover new wines.
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