Buying and shipping wine from a Chianti winery tour
Most wine tours from Florence end each tasting at a shop counter. You can take bottles with you or have a box shipped home, and buying nothing at all is fine too. These six rules help you choose without regret at the airport.
What the cellar door sells
At the end of a tasting, the host usually walks you to a small shop with the estate's wines. Many also sell olive oil, and some add vinegar or local food. Ask how they take payment before you pick a case, in case the card reader is down.
The Ciao Florence listing is the clearest on this. At both of its wineries you can buy by the bottle or by the box, and take it with you or have it shipped. Other tours leave shop time too, though their listings say less about shipping.
Prices at the cellar door vary a lot between estates and tiers. One reviewer on tour 1 found the wines somewhat pricey. A Riserva or Gran Selezione costs more than the basic wine, which our guide on Chianti and Chianti Classico labels explains.
Six rules before you buy
We have not shipped wine through these wineries ourselves, and costs change with every country. So these rules are questions to ask rather than prices to expect.
- Check what your home country allows. Some countries and states limit how much wine a private person may receive or bring in, or ban delivery outright
- Ask about duty and taxes. Import duty or local alcohol tax may fall due on arrival, on top of the wine and the shipping
- Ask who pays what. Get the full shipping price from the winery in writing, and ask whether it covers duty or leaves it to you
- Ask about breakage. Find out whether broken bottles are replaced or refunded, and keep the receipt and any tracking number
- Pack carried bottles in checked luggage. Wine in a cabin bag is a liquid, and EU rules do not allow over 100 ml in cabin bags
- Buy only what you liked. Taste first, and buy because you enjoyed a wine, not because the host was kind or the group was buying
Shipping from the winery
Shipping makes sense for a case or more, or if you fly with hand luggage only. The winery handles the packing, and you leave with a receipt instead of a heavy bag.
The cost depends on the destination, the number of bottles and the rules at the other end. We will not guess at figures. Ask the winery for a total before you pay, and compare it with what the same wine costs at home, where it may be sold.
Shipping times vary too. If the wine is a gift for a date, ask when it is likely to arrive, and leave room for customs to hold it for a while.
Two wineries with bottles or boxes to ship
The Ciao Florence coach tour visits two wineries in the Chianti hills, with free time at each. Its listing says you can buy single bottles or whole boxes there and take them along or have them shipped.
Carrying bottles in your luggage
A few bottles travel well in a checked suitcase if you wrap them properly. Roll each one in clothes inside a plastic bag in case it leaks. Then pack it in the middle of the case, away from the edges.
Ask at the counter whether the winery has sturdy boxes or padded sleeves for travel. Check your airline's weight limit too, since a few bottles add up quickly.
The Ciao Florence tour does not allow luggage or large bags on board, so carry only a small bag for what you buy. Tour 1 lets luggage ride on the bus, which helps if you head to the station afterward. Our page on where each tour starts covers the meeting points.
Olive oil goes home the same way
Many visitors leave with oil rather than wine. The rules are the same, since olive oil is a liquid too. A tin or bottle over 100 ml belongs in checked luggage, wrapped like wine, or in a box the estate ships for you.
Oil is lighter on the budget than a Riserva and keeps well if stored away from heat and light. Ask the host when it was pressed, since fresh oil tastes best within its first year or so.
The Towns of Italy trail visits an olive oil mill at a historic estate, which makes it the natural tour for oil buyers. Our half-day or full-day guide shows how long that day runs.
Bottles on a Vespa
On the Towns of Italy Vespa tour from ~$119, space is tight. Each Vespa has a maximum load of 170 kg (374 lbs), and that includes riders and bags. A small backpack is the sensible choice.
A bottle or two can ride in a backpack, padded with a jacket. For more, ask the winery about shipping, or whether the support minivan can carry a box. Our guide to the Chianti Vespa day lists the other rules for riders.
No pressure to buy
Wineries open their doors partly to sell wine, and the tour price does not oblige you to buy anything. Some reviewers on tour 2 felt a sales pace at the stops, so expect a pitch on some days.
A polite thank you is enough. If you liked a wine but do not want to carry it, write down the name and the estate and look for it at home. A photo of the label works too.
If you want more choice without pressure, a tour with more stops helps. Tour 2 visits three wineries, and our price comparison shows what each tour charges. For calmer shop visits, the quieter months of the year help as well.