BajaNomad - How much wine can I bring back to Arizona?

How much wine can I bring back to Arizona?

thebajarunner - 4-8-2022 at 11:24 AM

Getting lots of mixed messages and answers to this one.

I live in Arizona, have AZ driver license and AZ plates on all my cars.

So, how many bottles of wine can I bring back?
At one point the answer was 60 bottles for Arizona resident.

Another site says one bottle per, no matter where you live.
Maybe you have to pay some additional taxes per bottle to exceed that.

And, are the rules different if I cross at Tecate (into California) and go directly home to Arizona?

(I remember way back in the past, coming home from NASCAR races in Texas we crossed over at El Paso and upon return there was a little booth at the border that was set up by the State of Texas and they collected 50 cents per bottle and actually gave you a stamp and a receipt)

John Harper - 4-8-2022 at 11:42 AM

Since international borders are controlled by the federal government, perhaps state laws do not come into play.

I did find this, from CBP:

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-190?language=en_US

I read some other posts about paying duties on more than one liter, but I can't say I've met anyone that has done that. I would imagine you need to be a commercial importer to use that process.

Good luck! A good friend's brother owns a vineyard/winery in the Sonoita area if Mexico doesn't pan out.

John

[Edited on 4-8-2022 by John Harper]

JZ - 4-8-2022 at 12:51 PM

As much as you can hide.

JZ - 4-8-2022 at 12:58 PM

Seriously though, once they eliminate Title 42 here shortly, they expect illegal migration to jump to 500K per month.

Why on Earth would the Fed govt. be worried about a guy bringing a couple cases of wine across?

thebajarunner - 4-8-2022 at 01:26 PM

My extended family has a small winery in Guadalupe and they bottle a sensational Tempranillo
Following a family wedding at the winery last weekend I brought back 5 cases through Tecate.
The officer asked and I told her I had 60 bottles, I was an Arizona resident heading home, it was for my personal use and she smiled and waved me on.
(I have heard others say that while California has a one liter limit that AZ has a five case limit.... but I have never seen that in print or officially declared)
I would like to do it again at some future time, but don't want to run the risk of dumping expensive vintage, nor getting a fine for not declaring.

Note to JZ..... your "hide it" suggestion ranks with all time dumb, my friend. The penalties are not worth it, let alone the hassle, delays, getting tabbed in the big magic Federal computer, etc.

pacificobob - 4-8-2022 at 01:27 PM

Some might compare bringing Mexican wine north to bringing a sandwich to a banquet.

elgatoloco - 4-8-2022 at 03:16 PM

We have good friends who have a house in our campo in Baja and live in Minnesota. Every year they come for the winter and head home with more then 60 bottles of wine. Some years they will come to our house in Sandy Eggo and drop off 60 bottles of wine (some never leaves) and then they swing by on the way back to MN. They have Sentri and they always declare and they were once told that they can only 'import' every 30 days, which is why they show up at our place to store that months finds making sure to only have and declare 60 at a time.

YMMV.

elgatoloco - 4-8-2022 at 03:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pacificobob

Some might compare bringing Mexican wine north to bringing a sandwich to a banquet.

After 25+ years of tasting wine in Baja we have found a lot of variety and just like every wine region we have been too, some wine we like and some wine we don't. Fact is that over the years the odds of finding wine that is palatable gets better every year. Same can be said for the Temecula area here in Cali. Also the fact is that when a producer in the Valle makes a really good wine you have to pay handsomely for a bottle. It is hard to get a great wine in Baja at a good value. Luckily for us we are spending our children's inheritance. :lol:

Santiago - 4-9-2022 at 07:09 AM

Quote: Originally posted by elgatoloco

CC: this has been our experience as well. Garza makes an outstanding red blend that 10 years ago was $500NP (at 10 to 1). Last year we stopped in and I asked if we could taste it and they shook their head no, but we could buy a bottle for $120. Cat's out of the bag on that one.

wilderone - 4-9-2022 at 07:56 AM

This is a partial excerpt from that link above: I have had to - OMG - pour out cans of beer into a trash can at the border that went over the limit. If I have more than two bottles of wine, I roll them up in my sleeping bag, or find some other place. Different rules, different strategy for serious importation. And California does have its importation of wine statutes as well. I read these once - don't remember the details.

Date Published 2/23/2021 9:53 PM

"Generally, one liter of alcohol per person may be entered into United States duty-free by travelers who are 21 years or older. Although travelers coming from the U.S. Virgin Islands or other Caribbean countries are entitled to more. Additional quantities may be entered but will be subject to duty and Federal Excise taxes, which will be assessed and collected at the Port of Entry.

Alcoholic beverages purchased in duty-free shops are subject to duty and Federal Excise Tax when accompanying you into the United States. The Federal Excise Tax rates are for informational purposes only, as actual tax or fee may vary according to a person's circumstances.

It is illegal for travelers under the age of 21 to import alcohol - even as a gift.

State laws and regulations vary widely from state to state, and may be more restrictive than federal regulations. States often have restrictions on the amount of alcohol that can be brought in that applies only to the residence of that State. Generally, people transiting through a state are not subject to those restrictions, but sometimes regulations change. You can check with the Alcohol Beverage Control Board of that state to find out what their policies are.