I'm going to Rome in three weeks...looking forward to the food,wine and limoncello. I'm not really sure whether it will be worth bringing back any wine, limoncello or other liqueurs. I happen to have some shipping boxes from a recent trip to Sonoma valley and could easily check one with my luggage. Does anyone know if the prices are, in general, comparable with the US. If not wines, we love finding the more obscure liqueurs, like a chestnut liqueur we found in Provence. Any recommendation for those would be appreciated.

Limoncello is available in most liquor stores here and the brands are basically the same. I also found prosecco in the little wine shop down the road, so that's also available. There are a lot of wines available here also, but you might like to bring some home if it's not available locally.
Check out the stores near you for whatever is available, then you'll know better what to bring home.

It's always a treat for me to bring something home that I can't find here, like pocket coffee, cantuccinni in the blue and gold paper bag...that sort of thing.

On the other hand, I just packed a couple of pounds of Parisien butter to bring home this past summer and am using it sparingly to make it last! BUTTER, can you imagine?

"Wine: The wrath of grapes." ~ Unknown
Brenda

I agree with Brenda. It's not worth the effort, particularly with the liquids in carryon restrictions and so many airlines charging for checked baggage. If there is something really special by a small producer then it might make sense to bring it back, but there are a lot of Italian wine and distilates available here in the US now. There are even four or five brands of Limoncello available in the PA state store! In my experience prices in the US stores tend to be similar, or even a bit less than ordering a bottle in a restaurant or hotel in Italy - so, yes, a bit more expensive.

I agree that you should focus on availability vs price. I bring back grappa (selection very limited here) and local wines (usually the young inexpensive kind you can't find here). So far, I haven't had any tragedies packing them (although once a bottle of grappa leaked a little into it's plastic bag.) I always seal individually into ziploc, use a box if I have one, and surround with clothes. ---Marlene

Pat
In a similar vein to the others, only seek to bring stuff back that you can't get easily, or at all, at home. If you find a wine you love, then you can always check www.wine-searcher.com for availability in US of the wine you've found.

A decent airport shop may well have some Limoncello you could pick up and take in carry on luggage, but if changing flights, the differing/confused rules about liquids may cause problems (see other threads here).

The polystyrene packs (which sounds like what you have) are very good for wine shipping and usually defeat all but the most neanderthal luggage hauler. They're bulky but very efficient.

We tend to use bubble-wrap and pack inside checked in luggage. No breakages yet in ~ 20 flights I've done this.

For info 6 bottles of 75cl wine will come in at 8-9kg depending on bottle shape. Burgundy style bottles with large "punts" at the bottom are usually heavier than the standard Bordeaux style wine bottles.

I hope this helps

Ian

I brought back 3 bottles of '99 Poggio Antico Brunello - I paid somewhere around 42 euros. I later saw it going online for well over 100 bucks. I think it depends on the wine - clearly, I got a great bargain even with the XC rate (this was 2006).

I am more apt to bring back my favorite olive oil as it is always fun to be using it on the pasta, bruschetta, caprese, etc. and it lasts a lot longer-- bringing memories with each meal-- than a bottle of wine.

Hi Pat...

We were in Italy this past October... and we did bring back wine and Limoncello.

Once we got back, we priced the wine and Limoncello here in New Jersey ... and found that we could get the wine here for about the same price (given the dollar to euro conversion) ...

BUT ... also found that we should have purchased more Limoncello in Italy ... as even w/ the conversion ... it was a much better deal in Italy.

So... if I were you... I would bring back lots of Limoncello ... and get the wine back in the states.

karen

Another thing to think about when bringing home wine and other bottles of liquids is that they are very heavy. Most airlines are very strict about overweight bags and will charge you a hefty fee if you go over.

Colleen

Here speaks the voice of experience...

I thought I was being smart when I picked up some Pimms in London. Once we got to Atlanta I had to stash it quickly into my checked baggage to board the connection to Birmingham. I wrapped them in pashminas from Italy, just to be on the safe side.

I knew I was in trouble when my suitcase came around the baggage claim in a puddle of brown liquid. I dragged it out of the airport with a trail of smelly alcohol.

IF you decide to bring back alcohol, pack it carefully!

When we're in Italy or France, we usually bring back 2 or 3 bottles of good wine from small producers which usually can't be purchased outside of Italy or France.

We will also bring back good cheese, and my wife is nuts about fresh pasta which she always brings back. No one has figured out how to make explosives out of pasta, so you can still put it in your carry-on!

We always bring back wine from small producers that we can not get at home. Generally places where we had a tour . . . lots of memories for when we crack open the bottle. This year we brought back some great wines from Aqui terme, Barolo, and some wonderful Brunellos from Montalcino. I saw one I paid 45 euros for on sale for $ 120 the other day - apparently it is possible to still get bargains.

I wouldn't bring back limoncello as it is easy (and inexpensive) to get in NA. The limoncello I bought in the Borgo Pio in Rome is the same type I can buy here in Ontario.

We have never had a problem with breakage . . . mind you we have a system that doens't invole wrapping bottles in pashminas.

We use styrofoam wine packers that we buy at wine shops in the US. They aren't very environmental but we use them over and over again. If they break we then break them up into bits and use them as packaging materials for sending packages. I've attached a small pic below.

I also bring home olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and generally something interesting with truffles in it . . .

You must understand that Jerry travels with multiple multiples of luggage so he has more room than most of us do.

quote:

We have never had a problem with breakage . . . mind you we have a system that doens't invole wrapping bottles in pashminas

Jerry loaned me some of his packing parafanalia to get my limoncello, grappa, and pimms home from California (I can get California wine in Alabama) They worked beautifully.

quote:

You must understand that Jerry travels with multiple multiples of luggage so he has more room than most of us do. Big Grin

I need a sherpa! I need a sherpa! Jerry...?

“Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
Brenda

quote:

Originally posted by JDeQ:

We use styrofoam wine packers that we buy at wine shops in the US. They aren't very environmental but we use them over and over again.

They might not be environmentally-friendly, but re-using them as you do makes it MUCH less of an issue IMO.

I say this to myself when packing previously used bubble-wrap in my outbound luggage!

regards

Ian

For an alternative packing material, consider wine skins -- here is a link to a prior discussion about them. Unfortunately, a recent check of their website seems to indicate the manufacturer is no longer selling them directly to individuals, but there is a list of vendors, including a couple of internet sites.

Judy

quote:

I need a sherpa! I need a sherpa! Jerry...?

I am sure that Paul AKA the Sherpa would be pleased to assist!

Thanks everyone. Since I'm a gold member on American Airlines I get to check two bags for free so I'll check the empty box with the styrofoam wine packing and fill it with whatever appeals to me . .. wine, olive oil, vinegar, liqueurs etc. Since I see this attracted a group of experts, can anyone recommend any special gourmet food/wine shops in Rome? And a question about fresh pasta and cheese . .. I thought we can't bring these back into the states?

quote:

Originally posted by JDeQ:
...
I wouldn't bring back limoncello as it is easy (and inexpensive) to get in NA. The limoncello I bought in the Borgo Pio in Rome is the same type I can buy here in Ontario.
...

That does not surprise me. A fricend of mone told me that he can buy almost any drink in Toronto. The government is teh importer of all alcohol, I believe, hence the great choice and prices. A few years back wanted to send whiskey to a chap ina company i had business with, was I surprised to discover that I couldn't under Canadian law.

I've brought home bottles in my suitcase and never had a break. I think the trick is to ensure that the bottles don't move or knock against anything, so i just wrap my T-shirts around them and pack the suitcase tightly.

I've done limoncello as well as olive oils, but so far no one else has mentioned two other things I have bought - a chocolate & hazelnut liquor called "Bicerin" and another liquor called "brodo di giuggiole" which is produced only around the Euganean Hills near Padova.

EC

Thanks, HuangEC . .. we love the unusual liquors and always wish we'd brought back more. We'll look for these or similar, since we're only staying in ROme.

You're welcome, Pat.
You now have another good reason to come back to Italy!