How to Import Wine from France
French wine is produced all throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France is one of the largest wine producers in the world, along with Italian, Spanish, and American wine-producing regions.
Importing Wine From France
Before you can stock your store shelves with amazing wine from France, you must be aware of the steps that you need to complete before purchasing the wine from your supplier and organizing transportation with us to the US. This includes applying for and receiving an importer's permit from Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
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There are four agencies involved in the importation of wine to the US. They are:
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Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
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Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
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Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
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State and Local Laws
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What does each agency handle?
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CBP handles the excise taxes and import duties for your shipments once they arrive at the port.
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FDA requires that a Prior Notice of Imported Foods must be filed before any alcoholic beverages are imported into the US.
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TTB issues the importer's permit and handles all other requirements for importing bottled alcoholic beverages into the US.
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You must also comply with your state's importation requirements for alcoholic beverages (California, for example, department of Alcoholic Beverage Control).
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You can read our more detailed wine import guide here.​
Shipping Wine From France
Once you're all set with the above government agencies, you can focus on the step in the importation process which is shipping your wine via maritime transportation in ocean containers.
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There are two routes you can take, and they each have their pros and cons. Keep in mind that the ideal shipping temperature for wine is 12-14 degrees Celsius, or 53 - 57 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 50% - 60% to avoid spoiling or altered taste.
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Dry Containers:
The first and least expensive option is shipping wine using dry containers. A dry container has no insulation and offers your cargo no protection from temperature fluctuations and humidity which could alter the taste of your wine or even spoil it, especially when shipping during summer months with high heat.
Certain suppliers might offer you the option of using insulated thermal liners inside the container to protect your wine from temperature fluctuations, but in our experience this method is only effective for short shipping transit times and there isn't reliable data proving its effectiveness.
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Refrigerated "Reefer" Containers:
A reefer container is an insulated shipping container with a refrigeration unit that is used to transport cargo that is temperature sensitive such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and beverages. The advantage of using reefer containers for your wine cargo is that it allows us to control the temperature and humidity while it's in transit to your door, no matter the distance, protecting your wine from temperature fluctuations that a dry container cannot.
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Reefer shipping rates are considerably much higher, usually 2.5 times the price of a dry container. In our experience, however, it is well worth the price, due to the protection it offers your wine from spoiling or accelerated aging. The last thing you need is for your precious Cabernet Sauvignon to arrive aged and spoiled after it's journey over the ocean.
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Popular Shipping Routes
Due to geography, shipping wine from France to East Coast ports is faster and less expensive than shipping to West Coast ports. Transit times from French ports to Los Angeles usually take 40 days, and must traverse the Panama Canal. Transit times to East Coast ports such as New York take less than 15 days.​
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Fos-sur-Mer - New York
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Fos-sur-Mer - Savannah
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Le Havre - New York
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Le Havre - Los Angeles
Our Work
 40ft Reefer Container from France with Wine Cargo at our Los Angeles yard. |  40ft Reefer Container from Australia with Wine Cargo at our Los Angeles yard. |
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 40ft Reefer Container from Spain with Wine Cargo at our Los Angeles yard. |  40ft Reefer Container from Chile with Wine Cargo at our Los Angeles yard. |
France Wine Facts
Numerous grape varieties are cultivated in France, including both internationally well-known and obscure local varieties. In fact, most of the so-called "international varieties" are of French origin, or became known and spread because of their cultivation in France. Since French appellation rules generally restrict wines from each region, district or appellation to a small number of allowed grape varieties, there are in principle no varieties that are commonly planted throughout all of France.
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Most varieties of grape are primarily associated with a certain region, such as Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux and Syrah in Rhône, although there are some varieties that are found in two or more regions, such as Chardonnay in Bourgogne (including Chablis) and Champagne, and Sauvignon Blanc in Loire and Bordeaux.
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Classification
The wine classification system of France was revised in 2006, with a new system fully introduced by 2012. The new system consists of three categories rather than four, since there will be no category corresponding to VDQS from 2012. The new categories are:
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Vin de France, a table wine category basically replacing Vin de Table, but allowing grape variety and vintage to be indicated on the label.
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Indication géographique protégée (IGP), an intermediate category basically replacing Vin de Pays.
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Appellation d'origine protégée (AOP), the highest category basically replacing AOC wines.
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Ship Your Wine from France with Us​
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Port of Los Angeles Born
We're local to Southern California, and we have first hand knowledge, connections, and experience on how our local Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach operate that non-local or overseas freight forwarders do not have. We are able to leverage these advantages to deliver your containers on-time, safely, and reliably.
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Door to Door Services
Shipping a container from overseas to your door involves many moving parts, from the steamship line that transports your container over the ocean, to the custom agents and transportation companies that handle your cargo at the country of origin and country of destination. We aim to simplify this process by removing the need to work with multiple vendors, saving you time and money.
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Nationwide Service
If you're located outside of Southern California, we can still assist you with our Nationwide Service from all major US Ports such as Savannah, Houston, and New York. Learn More
Other Topics
Argentina
Argentina is one of the top exporters of wine to the USA. Learn about importing wine from Argentina such as Malbec.
Australia
Australia is one of the largest exporters of wine worldwide. Learn how to import wine from Australia.
Chile
Chilean wines such as Casillero del Diablo can be found all over store shelves in the USA. Learn more about importing wine from Chile
France
Learn about importing wine from France, including famous wines such as Champagne and Sauvignon Blanc.
Italy
Are you importing wine from Italy? Learn how to import wine from Italy successfully with us.
Spain
Spain is one of the largest producers of wine in the world, and wines from Spain can be found nationwide in the USA. Learn more.
Need Help with your Imports or Exports?
Since 2009 we have been providing container shipping solutions for dry and refrigerated cargo to importers and exporters in Los Angeles, the United States, and around the world.
