Wine shipping

Who this is for

Travellers who fell for a wine in a cellar and want to take home more than the space left in the suitcase allows.

Also companies sending Georgian wine to partners, and foreigners living here who send parcels to family.

Our role

We do not trade in wine and we are not a shipping company: we help choose the winery, work out the rules and organise the shipment.

You pay the winery directly for the wine and the carrier for the transport, and we never hold your money. We take no commission from wineries, and the cost of our service is agreed separately and in advance.

Four routes

There are four main ways to get wine home: your own luggage, a courier parcel, freight, and a winery that handles export itself.

There is a fifth option too - an importer in your country that already sells the same wine.

The right route depends on quantity, country and time, and we choose it before a bottle is bought.

Luggage: when it wins

For a few bottles your own luggage is the fastest and often the cheapest route.

The wine goes through customs with you, and the personal allowance applies.

We factor in excess baggage in advance, because six bottles with packing weigh eight to nine kilograms.

Courier parcel

International courier companies send parcels from Georgia to many countries, but not all of them accept alcohol.

Some take wine only from a licensed sender, some only to certain countries, and some refuse altogether.

So the first thing we confirm is the courier's terms for your specific route.

Freight

For more than a few cases, or a whole pallet, freight makes more sense.

Freight is arranged by a licensed forwarder, and it needs customs clearance in your country.

This route is slow, but at larger volumes the cost per bottle drops.

A winery that ships itself

Some Georgian wineries already work with buyers abroad and know the paperwork well.

In that case you place the order with the winery directly, and we help you check the terms.

This is especially handy if you order the same wine several times a year.

An importer in your country

Georgian wine has importers in many countries, and specialist shops sell it.

If the winery you like already reaches your country, buying locally is often simplest.

You can always ask the owner who their partner is in your city.

Personal or commercial

Customs tells apart wine brought in for personal use and wine brought in for sale.

Within the personal allowance wine often passes easily; above it, tax or commercial clearance is required.

A quantity that clearly exceeds personal need may be treated as a commercial shipment.

Your country's allowance

Every country sets its own alcohol import allowance, in litres and often by strength.

Wine and spirits may have separate allowances.

We check the allowance from an official source, not a forum or a friend's experience.

Excise and taxes

Above the allowance, alcohol often attracts excise, customs duty and value added tax.

In some countries these amounts exceed the price of the wine itself.

The exact tax is set by your country's customs, and we only estimate it in advance.

Who pays customs

For a parcel, the recipient usually pays the tax before delivery.

Some carriers offer delivery with duties paid in advance, which spares the recipient an unpleasant surprise.

When sending a gift we often choose this option, so the present costs the recipient nothing.

Countries where it is banned

In some countries bringing in alcohol is banned outright or strictly limited.

We do not arrange wine shipments to such countries, nor do we advise packing it in a suitcase.

In some countries the rules also vary by region or state, which needs a separate check.

The European Union

On entering the European Union a duty-free allowance applies to alcohol.

Above it, you pay excise and tax under the rules of the country the wine enters.

Wine you carry yourself and wine sent as a parcel may fall under different rules, so we check both separately.

Chacha

Chacha is a strong spirit, and its allowance is usually much smaller than for wine.

Drinks of very high strength are banned on planes altogether, so the strength must always be on the label.

A factory bottle with a label passes far more easily than homemade chacha poured into a plastic bottle.

Homemade wine

Wine bought from a family cellar often has no label and no description of its contents.

In a suitcase that is usually no problem, but couriers and freight clearance ask for a label and an invoice.

So for shipping we more often choose a bottle from a registered winery.

Export documents

For commercial export, wine as a rule needs a laboratory test and a certificate of conformity.

The winery and the forwarder arrange these through the relevant state body.

For a personal parcel the requirements are often simpler, but that depends on the receiving country.

Invoice and declaration

Every parcel travels with an invoice stating the wine's name, quantity, volume, strength and value.

The value must be real, because customs can ask for the receipt.

We prepare the invoice in English and, where needed, in the language of the receiving country.

Honest declaration

We never declare wine as juice, a souvenir or simply a gift.

Hidden alcohol leads to a fine at customs, a seized parcel and a blocked account with the carrier.

We turn down such requests, because they harm both sides.

Age and signature

A parcel containing alcohol is often handed only to an adult recipient who shows ID.

If nobody is home, the parcel often stays at the carrier's office.

So we check the address and phone twice and let the recipient know in advance.

Temperature

Heat and frost harm wine equally: in heat the cork pushes out, in frost the bottle can crack.

Where possible we avoid shipping in midsummer and in hard winter frost.

Spring and autumn are the safest times to ship.

Natural wine

Natural and qvevri wine, often bottled unfiltered, reacts more sensitively to changes in temperature.

For such wine we choose an especially careful route and insulated packing.

Sediment in the bottle is normal and does not mean a fault.

Amber wine

White wine fermented on its skins in qvevri, known as amber wine, is Georgia's best-known style.

It is often hard to find abroad, so it usually takes up most of the space in a shipping case.

Amber wine is served slightly cooler than room temperature, and it needs a rest after travelling.

Building a case

A good case mixes several styles: white, amber, red and perhaps one bottle of chacha.

We put it together around your taste and the dishes you plan to drink the wine with.

Experience from a wine masterclass or tasting helps with the choice.

Tasting before buying

Tasting before you buy a case spares both you and the winery disappointment.

During the tasting, ask the winemaker how this wine copes with transport and storage.

Some wines are made to be drunk young, while others develop over years.

Types of packing

Shipping uses a purpose-made box in which every bottle has its own slot.

The slot is often moulded pulp or polystyrene and protects the bottle from knocks and shaking.

An ordinary cardboard box stuffed with clothes is not enough for a parcel.

How bottles sit

In transit bottles often stand upright, neck up or neck down, depending on the box.

Over a short journey this does no harm to the cork.

Once home, store corked bottles on their side.

Photo before sending

Before sealing we photograph the packed box and send you the picture.

The photo helps with a claim if anything is damaged.

Glass and handle-with-care marks go on the box, though they are only a request, not a guarantee.

Insurance

Insuring the parcel is worthwhile when sending valuable wine.

We read the policy terms before signing, especially the exclusions for glass and liquids.

Some carriers limit their liability for fragile items, and you should know this beforehand.

Timing

A courier parcel usually arrives within days or a week or two, depending on customs.

Freight is planned in weeks, especially by sea.

A gift tied to a particular date is sent with time to spare.

Tracking

Every parcel has a tracking number, which we send you straight away.

If customs holds things up, we take over contact with the carrier.

Our service ends when the parcel is delivered, not when it is sent.

Held at customs

Customs may hold a parcel and ask for an extra document or payment.

A quick reply matters most at this point, because the storage period is limited.

If the recipient does not pay the tax, the parcel is often returned or destroyed.

Damage in transit

If a bottle breaks on the way, photograph the box before opening it and tell the carrier at once.

The claim window is often short, and delay makes compensation harder.

We help you prepare the claim letter.

Airline rules

Most airlines allow wine in checked baggage, but not in the cabin.

Some airlines limit the amount of alcohol per passenger.

We check the rules with your airline and with any transit airport.

Packing a suitcase

For luggage, wineries often offer a small rigid box or a protective bottle sleeve.

For several bottles there are dedicated wine suitcases instead of an ordinary one.

Put each bottle in a plastic bag so that, if it breaks, the rest of your luggage stays dry.

Transit

On a connecting flight the wine must always be in checked baggage.

If you re-check your bags in a transit country, its customs rules may apply too.

Transit through a country that bans alcohol needs particular care.

Many recipients

With corporate gifts, wine often goes to dozens of recipients in different countries.

We check the rule for each country separately, and where alcohol is restricted we suggest another gift.

We keep the addresses and the status of every parcel in one spreadsheet.

Personal label

Wine with your name or logo makes a gift special.

The same customs rules apply to such a bottle, and the producer and strength details must stay on the label.

We write about labels on a separate page.

After a wedding or event

After a wedding or event, guests often ask to order the same wine.

We set up a single order with the winery and check the rule for each guest's country.

For a guest it is the tastiest memory of your day.

Reordering

Once home, people often ask for the same wine again.

We write down the winery's contact and order terms for you, so you will not need our help next time.

If the winery has an importer in your country, reordering is even easier.

For those living here

Foreigners living in Georgia often send wine to family before holidays.

Carriers are overloaded at that time, so we start shipping a few weeks early.

For regular shipments we settle on one reliable route and one packing standard.

A qvevri as a souvenir

A small decorative qvevri is a popular souvenir, but it is clay and breaks easily.

We send it separately in rigid packing, not inside the wine case.

Shipping a real, large qvevri is a matter of freight and special crating.

After it arrives

After a long journey, give the wine a few days' rest before opening.

In that time the aroma and taste settle back into place.

Keep the wine somewhere cool and dark, away from sun and heaters.

Above the allowance

If you want to carry more than the allowance, choose the red channel at customs and declare the excess.

Paying the tax is always better than a fine and confiscation.

In some countries any excess is banned outright, and then shipping is the only route.

Appellation of origin

Many Georgian wines carry an appellation of origin tied to a specific micro-zone and grape variety.

In the receiving country such a name on the label is read as a mark of quality.

Because of the risk of fake labels, we buy from a trusted winery or a specialist shop.

Advice without commission

Since we take no commission from wineries, we choose the cellar by your taste, not by our gain.

Sometimes we advise buying the wine in your own country from an importer, if that is simpler.

Such advice earns us nothing, but it is right for you.

Choosing the carrier

We choose the carrier by route, alcohol rules, timing and liability.

The same company may accept wine in one country and refuse it in another.

You pay the carrier directly for transport, on its own invoice.

Address and recipient

The recipient's full name, address, postcode and phone must match the documents exactly.

In some countries customs also asks for the recipient's personal number.

One wrong letter can sometimes hold a parcel for a whole week.

Common mistakes

Buying wine without knowing your country's allowance and the courier's rules in advance.

Sending wine in an ordinary box padded with clothes, and in summer heat at that.

Hiding alcohol in the declaration or understating its value.

What we need from you

How many bottles and which wine or chacha you want.

The recipient's country and city, and who receives it: you, family or a business partner.

The deadline, and whether the recipient should be spared paying any tax.

Cost

The winery sets the price of the wine and the carrier sets the price of transport, and you pay both directly.

We take no commission from wineries or carriers and add nothing to their prices.

The fee for our help is separate and agreed in advance.