Bringing Burgundy wine home

How much wine can you bring home duty free in 2026?

It depends on the country you arrive in, not on France. The figures below come from each country's customs authority and were checked on 1 October 2026. A 75 cl bottle holds 0.75 litres, so 1.5 litres is two bottles and 18 litres is 24.

What happens if you bring more than the allowance?

You declare the wine when you arrive and pay what is due. Each country counts differently:

• Great Britain: with 19 litres of wine you pay tax and duty on all 19, not on 1. Wine made in the EU can have a zero rate of customs duty if you can show where it was made, a label being enough below £1,000 of goods, but excise duty and VAT remain due, and undeclared goods can be seized.
• United States: with 3 litres of wine and nothing else, 2 litres are taxed, in the example given by US Customs and Border Protection. There is no federal limit, but unusual quantities can be treated as commercial, so contact your port of entry before bringing a substantial amount.
• Mainland China: under the rules in force since 1 December 2024, only the excess is taxed, at a combined rate of 50% of its purchase price for alcoholic drinks.
• Switzerland: QuickZoll, the app of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, works out the duty and VAT and takes payment by card or TWINT.
• Canada and Australia: declare the excess and keep your receipts. Canada adds provincial levies, and Australia taxes all your alcohol once you are over the limit.

Can you carry wine on a plane?

Yes, in your checked baggage. The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, 2026 edition, do not restrict drinks of 24% alcohol or less, which covers wine; spirits between 24% and 70% are limited to 5 litres per person in retail packaging, and stronger drinks are not allowed.

In the cabin, EU airport security only accepts liquids in containers of up to 100 ml, in a transparent 1-litre bag, so bottles bought in Burgundy go in the hold. Drinks bought from the duty-free shop at the airport can travel in the cabin if they stay sealed in the shop's security bag until your final destination.

Airlines set the number, size and weight of bags, and wine is heavy, so check your allowance before you buy. To pack it:

• Wrap each bottle in a padded wine sleeve or in clothes, then seal it in a plastic bag in case of breakage.
• Pack the bottles upright in the middle of a hard-shell suitcase, away from the sides and wheels.
• Keep the receipts at hand for customs.
• Remember that a 12-bottle case holds 9 litres: half the British allowance and six times the Chinese one.

Can you take wine on the train?

Yes, as part of your luggage. On TGV INOUI and Intercités trains, SNCF allows each passenger two suitcases and one piece of hand luggage, or one suitcase, one special item and one piece of hand luggage, each suitcase up to 70 × 90 × 50 cm, and you must be able to carry all your bags yourself in one go. A case of wine counts as one piece, and extra or oversized pieces can cost €50, €100 or €150 depending on how many there are.

From the station the cases still have to reach your hotel: a transfer from Dijon-Ville station to Beaune costs €120 per car for up to four guests.

How many cases fit in the car?

Polestar gives the boot of the Polestar 2 as 407 litres with the rear seats up, including a compartment of 43 litres under the floor, plus a front trunk of 41 litres. With four guests the rear seats stay up and the same space carries your suitcases, so how many cases fit depends on your luggage: tell us when you book how many you expect to buy.

On a wine day your cases ride in the boot between domaines, and a transfer takes them on to the airport or station with you: €410 to Lyon, €570 to Geneva, €750 to Paris or €120 to Dijon station, per car for up to four guests. If you are flying home with a lot of wine, consider shipping part of it.

Can domaines and shops ship your wine abroad, and what does it cost?

Many domaines ship or work with specialist shippers, so ask before you buy. For the US, specialist importers collect wine from many producers: Cote d'Or Imports, with offices in Beaune and Oregon, handles US labelling, export papers, customs and taxes, and delivers in about 8 to 10 weeks by sea or 2 to 3 weeks by air. According to the TTB, the US federal alcohol regulator, a one-off import for your own use needs no importer's permit, but taxes and duties may apply, and some states forbid the direct shipment of alcohol to individuals.

Elsewhere the destination's taxes apply to parcels too. Great Britain charges excise duty on any alcohol sent from abroad, even as a gift; Switzerland treats parcels as commercial goods, so the CHF 150 VAT-free limit does not apply; and China taxes wine sent by post or courier in parcels worth up to 2,000 yuan at the same 50% rate, letting through free only those whose tax comes to 50 yuan or less. Wine travels badly above 25 °C or below 0 °C, so shippers may keep orders in temperature-controlled warehouses until the weather allows.

As a guide to prices, the Marché aux Vins in Beaune publishes 2026 rates, valid until 31 March 2027, for the wine it sells, shipped by Mail Boxes Etc. Within the EU the price includes tax and nothing is due on delivery; for the US a 15% wine tax is paid before shipment and 4% insurance is compulsory.

What can you do if your domaine does not ship?

Carry what your allowance covers, buy the rest from a house that ships to your country, or have the domaine send your order to a specialist. Cote d'Or Imports, for example, contacts the producers on your list that it does not already work with before your visit, so that they do not charge you French VAT and send your purchases to its Burgundy warehouse for the US.

In Beaune, the Marché aux Vins ships to France, five EU countries, the United States, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Whatever you choose, ask each domaine about shipping before you buy, not after, so that you know what your cases will cost by the time they reach home.