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Bringing wine home from Tuscany– great idea or disaster waiting to happen?

Bringing wine home from Tuscany– great idea or disaster waiting to happen?

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Everyone knows a bottle of wine makes a great souvenir, but does it make sense these days to carry it back home from overseas?  No liquid in your carry on means you have to pack your wine in your checked bag and leave it in the unsteady hands of  baggage handlers.  I’ve had friends who have opened their suitcase at home only to find broken bottle shards and ruined belongings, soaked with red wine.  Good luck getting that out.  These days, given that there are so many online specialty stores that will ship even small estate wines right to your door, is it even worth the risk?

The short answer is no, it makes no sense at all to bring home a bottle of wine.  So sensible types out there can completely disregard what follows.  Sometimes, very rarely, it might be ok to sneak one bottle of wine home.  When you buy the wine not for the vintage, but instead for the experience it evokes, it’s Souvenir Finder approved.

enjoying view of Vineyards and olive groves Sant'Anna in Camprena Tuscany ItalyFor example, when staying at an agriturismo in Tuscany (that’s a working farm), you may spend your afternoons relaxing on the property, watching the workers tending to the vines.

Tuscany, Italy Sant' Anna D wine and cheese

Tea time at Sant’Anna in Camprena

Your proprietor might pour you some of the wine made from these very same grapes, which you will drink every day over the course of your stay.  Soon you forget that you are a guest and come to think of it as “your wine.” In this circumstance it is totally appropriate, possibly even mandatory, to bring a bottle of your wine home with you.

best wine buy tuscany

This wine is biologico (organic) and a perfect afternoon drinking wine. Most red wines ignite my allergies, but Tuscan reds gave me no issues.

[box]Tip:  Slip a few  leak proof wine bags in your suitcase for packing bottles.  Your local wine store might have similar protective bags by the register.[/box]

After bringing your bottle home, it is recommended you tuck it away in a cupboard for a time, even better if you forget it’s there.  So a month (or year) later when you discover it, voilà, it’s a like little surprise and great way to take a break and relive those long Tuscan afternoons.

Read more about the gorgeous agriturismo featured in this post in my review here.

Details: Wine, $10-$15 US. Also try the excellent organic olive oil on site shop at Sant’Anna in Camprena, 53026 Pienza Tel/ 0578 748037 [email protected] Have you ever tried to bring home wine?  How did you pack it, and most importantly, did it survive the trip?   Share in the comments below!

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katiecurrid

Sunday 8th of November 2015

I live in Italy and have flown home with wine multiple times. It's expensive to ship, and it's the cheapest way to get it home! My friends and I all pack the bottles in diapers (because they're absorbent), or if you don't have those on hand, some bubble wrap, and then throw them in a large ziploc bag. I usually fly home with 4 per bag (this maxes out my weight allowance), and I've made it with frizzy wine and all, no problems.

Rue Marcellin

Wednesday 3rd of September 2014

Bringing wine back home on the plane with you is actually not that bad. There is a company in Europe, called Lazenne, www.lazenne.com, which sells a specialized suitcase that allows you to check wine on to the airplane. Alternatively you can get a wine protector from them to stick into your suitcase if you have room.

Kristin Francis

Thursday 4th of September 2014

Thanks for the tip!