Hello

My husband and I will be spending the first 10 days of april in Italy - 5 in fruili and 5 at villa gaidello (a base to explore emilia-romagna). My first question is bringing back wine. i know what is legal, but what happens if you bring back more and get caught? do you pay a duty? does customs take it? Also food recs for friuli would be much appreciated as would any vineyard recs. I'm already drooling about villa gaidello. thanks.

sara

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,

With wine there is the law and then there is what actually happens. Customs allows for 2 liters of alcolol per adult US citizen. beyond that , you are liable for duty. You state can also have restrictions on importation of wine and require liscence etc.

In practice, you will just have to pay duty on your purchases for the total amount you bring in. If you bring in more than the allowance, you will be charged. I have never figured out how the customs agents total up the duty owed but it has typically been from $10 to $40 even when I have brought in $4000 in declared value by my wife and I.

In Friuli, be sure to taste (but not bring back) the prosciutto di San Daniele. This prosciutto is aged on the bone including the hoof as compared to the parma version which has the bone and not the hoof. In addition, the salt air of the region makes for a different flavor profile as well. it is stronger and gamier. In great restaurants, you will more often see San Danielle then Parma.

If life is an opera by Puccini... I want to be Calaf!

HERE is a link to the U.S. Customs online version of the "Know Before You Go" brochure for international travelers.

hello

sara again - so I should claim all the wine I have even if it is more than allowed? I am new to this, and I had the feeling that you could only bring back what was allowed, no more - paying duty or not. I was also looking forward to being a new age smuggler...

Also, I could not get the before you go website to work, it did not go. maybe tomorrow, the government is closed for the night. thanks.

I think the best thing to do is to claim the value in dollars of the wine you're bringing back, which is what the form asks for, without specifying the amount (which is not information the form requires). Then it's up to the customs agent to do what he wants.

The link worked okay for me, but ... Below is the exact website address of the brochure.
Going to http://www.uscustoms.gov then clicking on 'Travel' will also get you to the same information.

http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/know_brochure/

Many times the law will be overlooked in favor of expediency.I brought a case of wine in to the US and there was no duty.Should be able to bring more wine in if you pay the duty which is very small if they decide to charge you.It is sort of a pain to carry around though.Don't try to mail the wine home post office will not allow unless you say it is books etc.even then fast shipping will be 100-150/case.RR

With all due respect, I see that you live in Brooklyn so I wonder why you are so intent on lugging wine back home when there is such a broad and deep selection of Italian wines in NYC and which are reasonably priced. Two stores that come quickly to mind are Crossroads at 14th and 6th and Italian Wine Merchants in 16th Street between Park Ave. South and Irving Place. I would save the heavy lugging for goods that are not readily available here as the price differential for wines between Italy and NYC isn't significant enough to warrant the inconvenience.

Peter

Maybe someone can tell me how to sneak back a hunk of parmasean cheese and a stick of salami. The last time I was in Italy (2001 before 9/11), I just brought it back in my carry-on, nobody said a thing. I imagine I might not have the same luck this May.

Anyone know if I might be able to get away with it?

Mark from Arizona

Peter

Here are a few perice comparisons from my last trip to Italy on wine:
I was in Italy in October

Val di Cava 97 Brunello
there-$42.00
here then-$79.00
here now-$92-105

Costanti 95 riserva Brunello
there-$52.00
here then-$105.00
here now-$120.00

Ciacci Piccolomini 97 Brunello
there-$44.00
here then-$97.00
here now-$???????

Costanti 99 Rosso di Montalcino
there-$15.00
here then-$29.99
here now-$32.99

Pertimali Rosso di Montalcino
there-$15.00
here then-$27.00
here now-$30.00

Romano dal Forno Valpolicella 96
there-$45.00
here-$99.00

Silvio Nardi Brunello 97
there-$27.00
here then-$55.00
here now-$69.00

Avvotore 97 Morris Farms
there-$20.00
here then-$50.00
here now-$?????

Poggio Valente 2000 Elisabetta Greppone Le Puple
$20.00 there, not available anywhere I know of here

I think a great argument can be made to buying wine over there and bringing it back just on price alone. But in addition to pricing, I was able to get 97 Sagrantino di Montefalco A Caprai 25 anni which is not available here. I was also able to drink but not bring home (I drank all they had while I was there!!!!) Cantine Terlano Lunare and Quarz for about $20.00 which would easily have been 50 or so a bottle even if I could find them.

FInally, you sometimes stumble across wonderful bottles of local stuff that brings back memories of your trip and are not typically available here.... every trip to Venezia I bring back several bottles of Fragolino!

If life is an opera by Puccini... I want to be Calaf!

quote:

---

Originally posted by MarkY:
Maybe someone can tell me how to sneak back a hunk of parmasean cheese and a stick of salami.

---

For anyone considering giving Mark tips on ignoring US Federal law, please do so via email. The Slow Trav message board is not the place for that sort of information!

Law is confusing,certain cheeses and prepared meat
is allowed as I understand it.RR

Any cheese aged over 60 days and with low moisture content (ie not a brie or ricotta style cheese) is allowed into the country. If you go to a reggiano producer or a good cheese store they will vacumn pack your cheese for taking home. For the most part, however, there is not enough of a qauality difference on Reggiano to justify bringing it home if you live near a big city, near a Whole Foods or another good cheese monger. What I love to bring home are the perorino's available. These cheeses are small so you can bring a whole cheese and they are not always available.

Please do not even try to bring in a salame. I brought in some jars of cooked pates and the customs folk were able to spot it via their machines. They let me bring it in because it is cooked but I think the laws have since been tightened up and they would not allow it now. On my last 2 trips to Italy, contraband sniffing dogs ahve been in evidence at customs and the fine for an illicet salame is $10,000!

If life is an opera by Puccini... I want to be Calaf!

Dean,Thanks for the market analysis.Perhaps it is way too early for this but I like to imagine.My next trip includes alba and southern tuscany.It will be there sept/oct.Will it be too late for the 97's?,what should I look for?,I have a fair understanding of wine,several books etc.but I can imagine myself confronting 100 different Borolos
and being overwhelmed.By then new vintages of Brunello and Borolo should be out what are the early reviews? RR

Dean--that is a nice list of wines and your point is well made. I know that wines have increased in price, yet sales are generally down.USD/Euro was 1.04 in October now is .95! I am now in Florida so I can't easily get NYC wine prices, but I know that the prices for Italian wines in Sarasota verge on the punitive relative to NYC. However, I am looking at list prices for some of the wines you have mentioned. The Ciacci Piccolomini 97 Brunello lists for $65, the Costanti lists for $61 (but is a 97 not a 95) and its Rosso di Montalcino lists for $32. Italian wines of the quality in your list are not easy to find--if at all--here. I did find an Allegrini La Grola yesterday but didn't buy it. The bottle was warm so I left it there.

Peter

Peter

The Costanti 97 is a Brunello "normale" while the 95 is a Riserva. The Riserva Costanti 97 will be out this spriing and is simply the best bottle of young Italian wine I have ever had and certainly one of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted. The 97 Normale for $61 is a good price for this late date (its about 69.00 right now). I bought mine for $45.00 here on first release and backed it up with a few bottles over there at about $37.00.

If you can get 97 Ciacci Piccolomoni for $65, get it. This is a superb, rich, fat wine. If you can find pertimali thats a great 97 also.

If life is an opera by Puccini... I want to be Calaf!

MarkY, a friend just returned from a family trip to Lazio and had a couple of salames confiscated. They let her bring in a huge bouquet of fresh flowers, but took the salame!

I wonder if they let the flowers through because they were cultivated and from a florist rather than wildflowers. So many flowers are imported from the Netherlands these days...?

Robert... I missed your questions on my last reply....

Alba by Sept?Oct will be into the 98 Barolos, 98 or maybe even the first of the 99 Barbaresco and 2001 Dolcetto. All should be quite good. The 98 Barolos and Barbarescos are said to be excellent but I haven't tasted any. I would look to good producers if I can get them for under $40.00 a bottle: Marcarini, Einaudi, Ca Rome are my favorites, Moccagatta is also great.

In SOuthern Toscana you will be into the 2001 Rosso di Montalcino and the end of the 98 Brunello. There will be some 97 Riserva Brunello and I would look for some of the best here: Pertimali, Argiano, Costanti, Le Chiuse, Agostino Pieri, Ciacci Piccolomini, Ucceleira Fulgini are all wines I have tasted and would love to have in my cellar. Expect to pay about $50 to $60 a bottle. 98 will be still available and there are some good ones and a lot of okay to overpriced ones. Pertimali, Le Chiuse, Ciacci Piccolomini are all super in 98. If you can get them for around $40 I would think about it. 2001 Rosso are going to be really superb and I would buy the best producers: Costanti, Pertimali, Ciacci Piccolomini, Agostino Pieri, Ucceleira, Fulgini are all favorites.

What I would also be on the lookout for are 2001 wines from Morellino di Scansano. Look for wines like Eric Banti, Le Pupile and Morris Farms. Each winery makes a range of wines inclusing "Super Morrelinos" Le Pupile has Safreddi and Poggio Valente (the better value of the two and truly superb, only about $25 my lst trip for the 2000), Moris Farms has Avvotore, Banti has his Anno Series. I believe it will be Annoquato for 2001, and his Ciabatta is superb. These wines are not generally available here in the states and the markups are astounding due to the lesser known state of these wines combined with high rankings in Gambero Rosso and limited production. I was able to get avvotore for under $30 a bottle from the 97 vintage!!!

Also, you will have a wide selection fo 99 Riservas from Chianti. BUY THEM! Castello di Fonterutoli, La Leccia, Campaccio and Le Croce from Terrabianca, FOntodi, anything you can still find from Monte Vertine are all worth bring back.

You will also probably find some 1999 Amarone. I hear they should be superb but have no direct knowlege. I have yet to have the 99 super Valpolicellas which are made from grapes almost good enough to go into Amarone and should be a good predictor.

2001 from Friuli and Alto Adige Trentino are all sipposed to be outstanding and every early wine I have had says the pre release press is right. Try to find Cantine Terlano, Abbazzia di Rosazzo, Jerman, Hoffstadter, San Michelle all'Adige, Walter Filliputti, Doro Princic, Ronco del Gnemiz. Look at more than Pinto Grigio- try Tocai Friulano, Sauvignon, Gewurztraminer and Traminer, Lagerin (red), and the top of the line blends often available. You should find most of these under $30.00 and well worth it.

If life is an opera by Puccini... I want to be Calaf!

Dean, in mantalcino where should I shop? are there several enotecas with competitive prices?,I havn't been in the area since 93.In Alba I plan on going to the consortium for borolo, can you suggest a shop also? Sorry to barrage you with so many questions My understanding is there are two basic styles of Borolo,old style such as Conterno and new style aged in small barrels more international in style.How do the wines you mentioned fit in?.Never had a Conterno Borolo but there Barbera was very good,local shop has their
Borolo at 200 or so!RR
RR

[This message was edited by Robert Rainey on 27 February 2003 at 08:48 AM.]

[This message was edited by Robert Rainey on 27 February 2003 at 08:49 AM.]

Each trip to Italy or Spain I take a strong carryon that is basically empty. I take sheets of bubble wrap with me. I then bring back several bottles of wine and olive oil. Does the carryon get heavy? Yes. Is it worth it? By all means. When I get to U.S. Customs (usually in Phil or Newark) I always declare to the customs agents that I have several bottles in my carryon over the limit. I am more than willing to pay the small fees for being over the limit. More likely than not, I am simply waved on. I am not trying to smuggle anything, I am willing to pay the fees, and I am honest about what I am carrying.

I am in the process of figuring the best balance
between convience,cost and lugging.With two cases savings of 300+ makes it worth it to lug around a little then lug to airport.

Lufthansa has a 75/piece over limit fee. I buy a styrofoam 12 bottle carrier at Drogheria Franci in Montalcino and fill it. I check 2 empty strofoam carriers going out (with my wife and I use one suitcase each plus our carry-ons) so I bring back 3 cases for a total of $75.00.

As far as palces to buy in Montalcino, I have quite a list. My favorite place is Drogheria Franci. they have a comprehensive selection with good pricing. They carry not only Montalcino wines but also wines from across Italy (as well as the best selection of American wines I have ever seen in Italy). They arrange their wines by vintage so I can shop for 97 Normale Brunello and, say, 95 Riserva. Plus they gave me a styrofoam carrier when I bought 9 bottles while the enotecca Fortezza wanted 20 euro. But I never buy anything without making the rounds. In addition to Franci, there is the Enotecca Fortezza in the rocca, Pierangelini or Pierangelo down by the Palazzo Comunale which participates in the Tax Free program which saves you 10% or so over the list price in the form of a tax free refund. There are several other shops around as well and I go to all of them to look for bargains. The reason is that while all the wines cost the same everywhere on first release, as the wines become scarce they start going up in price. So a particular wine may be at original price at one shop and at a very high price at another.

In truth, the best pricing and the best selection of some of the hard to find wines were in Saturnai at the wine shop at Due Cippi and in Pitigliano at the wine shop up the stairs from Il Tufo Allegro. I bought about a case at each spot. And if you are going to buy wines from Morellino di Scansano, you will find more in the Maremma. But take a few minutes and go into wine shops all over and you will be astounded by what you find sometimes.

As to Barolo styles, well I could fill a book with opinions. But there are in my mind really three styles. First there is the old style of Conterno and others who still use large cooperage and make a more oxidized style. Not my glass of Barolo at all. Then ther is the international style as epitomized by Gaja, Giacosa, Ceretto which uses a lot of new oak and small cooperage. There is a middle style which I prefer. The oak used is a mix of new and old. The cooperage ranges in size from Barriques to botti (barrels of up to say 1800 liters). The wine is cycled thru a range of containers beore blending. More intense lotw get more small and newer oak while others get a lot of more neutral oak. Finally a lot of time is spent developping the final blend. Most of the producers I like are in this middle ground.

Best advice.... taste a lot and buy what you like. Beware of harsh tannins however. When you taste a wide range of young reds with a lot of harsh tanning, you tongue gets fatigued and cannot make a lot of fine distinctions. So a wine with a little less tannin will seem exceptionally smooth or one with a lot more tannin may not seem excessively so. So when you have tasted a few wines and have a favorite or two, get a bottle to enjoy with a meal. Or even try 2 or 3 bottles with a couple of meals drinking half of the bottles with one meal and the remaining half the next day. How the wine interacts with food should be an important part of youc choice. If a wine tastes great in a small taste, it may tire you ouotin a bottle drunk over time with a meal. If so, avoid it for your cellar.

I am of the balanced today balanced tomorrow school of thought. I never expect a wine's faults to age out. If I don't like it today in terms of having all the components in proper balance I don't think it will "get better" over time. A wine will knit its various components and become momre harmonious over time. But a wine that is all tannin today will just become more tannic over time. But a wine can be massively tannic today when young, but if the fruit component is very concentrated and in front of the tannins, you may have a big winner.

I like to buy 2 to 4 bottles of a wine so I have the abilty to try it mmore than once as it ages. By concentraing on certain areas and vintages, I can learn as time goes by. My cellar right now is concentrated on 96 and 97 Barolo and barbaresco, 95 and 97 Brunello. I have just a smattering of 97 and 99 Chianti as I chose to immerse myself in Brunello. I have basically passed on Amarone as a whole, not being able to afford to plunge right now on that wine as well. But with the 99's possibly being so good and a wait for the next really great Brunellos to cime out, I may get some 99's and the last of the 97's.

If life is an opera by Puccini... I want to be Calaf!

Thank you so much for the time you put in your posts.Maybe you should have a online magazine.I know what you mean by prices going up,I have seen the 97 brunellos dissapearing fast at 2 or even 3 times there release price.Apparently the 97 reservas are released or have been reviewed.
kyle phyllips Italian wine review is ready to post about them,will they be better than the normale?
Hard to believe.RR