Rick Steves' Tips For Bringing Wine Back From Europe

When traveling in Europe, there are so many things you'll likely want to bring home. Some of them are easy to transport like tea towels, jewelry, or fancy salts. But one of the most difficult items to bring back is a special bottle (or several) of wine. In a blog post on his website, travel expert Rick Steves shares a few tips for travelers on how they can safely and securely transport wine home from a European vacation.

Steves' first piece of advice is to use a hard-sided suitcase for your checked luggage. A hard exterior on a suitcase is more likely to protect the contents inside as it's moved by baggage handlers. While better than a soft-sided suitcase, it's still important to wrap wine bottles in between clothes so they're protected. It can also be helpful to bring extra large plastic bags with you from home to store the bottles in beforehand. This way, just in case the bottle breaks, you won't have to deal with red wine staining all of your other belongings. 

When transporting wine home in checked luggage, it's important to keep in mind that even one bottle will add weight to your luggage. A typical 750-milliliter bottle of wine averages around 2.75 pounds, which might not seem like a lot, but that weight can quickly add up if you're packing more than one bottle or other souvenirs you've purchased abroad. If you're traveling with other people, it can be helpful to spread the bottles between suitcases, which helps to both distribute the weight and reduce the risk of bottles breaking. 

While you could always pay to ship a few bottles or even a case of wine back home, international shipping costs can quickly become very expensive — sometimes even more than the cost of the wine itself. A trick that could save you money is to purchase bottles of wine at the duty-free shops in the airport, as those bottles are allowed on the plane since you've already cleared security. The only downside of depending on a duty-free shop is that they may not always have the type of wine you'd prefer to bring back.

If for any reason you aren't able to lug home those special bottles you've fallen in love with during your European travels, Steves has a couple other suggestions. You could ask your server or sommelier if that particular wine is exported to the United States, or even your home state. Keep in mind, however, that the person you ask may not always be privy to that information. Another option is to simply snap a photo of the bottle's label, and then get in contact with your local specialty wine store at home to see if they're able to order the bottle for you.