Bringing Wine into Canada

Miranda and I will be flying into Montreal in a few days and plan to take in six bottles of wine (3 each - Australian, Californian and Italian). We will be over their limit/person by a bottle a piece. Anyone see any problems be over by that much?

Mike

No, that shouldn't be a problem. They aren't worried about 1 extra bottle, or about Americans bringing in alcohol.

I've managed to bring in six bottles all by myself, so this should not be a problem at all.

It may not be what the law says, but we've always been allowed to bring in one bottle per day of our planned visit.

We will be over their limit/person by a bottle a piece. Anyone see any problems be over by that much?

Someone recently posted on these pages that there may be a tax on the value of the one bottle that will be over the limit. I do not know the truth of this. The post went on to say, however, that the authorities have no way to know what that value is.

I flew into Toronto's Pearson Airport about 2 weeks ago for a short weekend meeting. I brought 3 bottles of mixed Napa and Bordeaux to share with friends that I'll be meeting up with. I declared the wines on my form and the immigration person still asked me if I'm bringing any other gifts that's worth more than the allowable limit of $75. I said "No" and he waved me on and wished me a pleasant stay. I've flown into Toronto quite a few times over the last several years with up to 4 bottles, always declared, and I was never asked to pay any duty/tax.

Thanks for the comments folks. Much appreciated.

Mike

Two years ago, I was going to the MOCOOL picnic in Ann Arbor, MI with about 18 bottles of my wine and decided to take the shortest route from Niagara Falls, NY, which is across Southern Ontario. They held me up at the bridge for over an hour. I endured the following questions from the Canadian Border folks:
"That doesn't look like home made wine - those look like commercial wine labels"
"How do we know you're really driving through to Detroit? What's to stop you from going to Toronto and selling the wine?"
Finally they let me pass through with a warning to never try this again. Last year I took the long way and drove around Lake Erie, through Cleveland and it took me less time than all the hassles at the border.

[Jenise]

Michael, their concern is the difference between commercial and personal purposes. As long as they're satisfied it's the latter, there's usually no issue. (The worst harrassment I've ever experienced was at the hands of an American customs agent when I changed planed in Dallas on my way home to Los Angeles from Chile--I had TWO, just TWO bottles of wine with me. Point is trouble can happen anywhere, but it usually doesn't.)

We will be over their limit/person by a bottle a piece. Anyone see any problems be over by that much?

Someone recently posted on these pages that there may be a tax on the value of the one bottle that will be over the limit. I do not know the truth of this. The post went on to say, however, that the authorities have no way to know what that value is.

That was me.
No problem on earlier visits but last October I hd to pay duty for bottles over 2 per person entering Canada. They offered that it could be on the least expensive bottles. The principle was that the law was intended to essentially recover the tax that would have been paid if wine were bought in Quebec. Something like 40% of value.

This is a province by province matter, so Ontario could/would be different.

Presumably the letter of the law might not be evenly applied depending on whom one encounters. Had never happened to me before.

[Jenise]

Presumably the letter of the law might not be evenly applied depending on whom one encounters.

Yes, and as somone who crisscrosses a US/Canada border several times a month and usually with wine and or food on board both directions, I can confirm this. In six years of doing this, I've had a lot of odd, one-off experiences but on the whole I'm just waved through.

Going along with the majority, I've flown into Canada on five or six occasions over recent years, invariably bringing 4 - 6 bottles with me to share with friends/colleagues. I always declare the wines and have invariably been waved through. And yes, despite generalizing, I do find Canadian immigration and customs officials more polite and possessed of greater common sense than those on the "other side of the border".

Best
Rogov

When we flew into Toronto with 6 bottles each we were charged $60 for exceeding our duty free allowances. The attitude of the customs agents was unpleasant.

possessed of greater common sense than those on the "other side of the border".

Best
Rogov

Hate to admit you're correct. We usually bring two or three bottles of very inexpensive Canadian Wine back with us and have been treated like circa 1920s rum runners.

Glad nobody else has replicated my one experience. I'll certainly bring wine next time too, but I won't be bringing more than we plan to drink.
Just in case I wasn't clear, the mischief was a provincial tax, imposed and specific to Quebec.
Charles

[Jenise]

Glad nobody else has replicated my one experience. I'll certainly bring wine next time too, but I won't be bringing more than we plan to drink.
Just in case I wasn't clear, the mischief was a provincial tax, imposed and specific to Quebec.
Charles

They do/have the same in BC, though. Canadians typically have a harder time getting wine over their own border than I do. I always declare, and if asked about the multiplicity of bottles mention that I'm a wine collector (about the only time I'll use that term in reference to myself, mind you) going to a meet-up with other collectors, and that seems to settle the issue. However, an American house guest of mine flew into Vancouver (I live 33 miles from Vancouver International) and I picked him up there. In spite of the fact that it was just a pass-thru lasting no longer than it would take to collect one's baggage and drive down, the Immigration Canadians gave him an extremely hard time about it--he honestly thought they were going to confiscate his wines. (And if any of you know internet wine personality Kriss Reed, which is who I'm talking about, you know he's like the sweetest, most un-threatening, un-provoking person EVER so definitely not something he brought on himself.)

The only time I got hassled was when Bob and I went up together once and we had just two bottles with us (I usually have more). Got a super religious tee-totaller whose mind boggled at the thought of all the debauchery that two whole bottles of wine would cause. He would have actually sent us back except that I produced a hotel reservation proving that we wouldn't be drinking and driving.

Miranda and I will be flying into Montreal in a few days and plan to take in six bottles of wine (3 each - Australian, Californian and Italian). We will be over their limit/person by a bottle a piece. Anyone see any problems be over by that much?

Mike

As you have no doubt figured out from all of the posts, jurisdiction matters. Alcohol is taxed differently in each province. I live in Alberta so can actually buy and have wine shipped to me with a very modest tax applied. Try doing that next door in British Columbia and the tax is the same value as the bottles. Quebec can be tricky, here's hoping you have a friendly customs agent and a great time in Montreal (it is a great city)!

Bon Voyage!

Ruth