How to Import Wine from Spain

Spain has over 1.2 million hectares (2.9 million acres) planted in wine grapes, making it the most widely planted wine-producing nation, but the second largest producer of wine in the world, behind Italy

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Importing Wine From Spain

Before you can stock your store shelves with amazing wine from Spain, 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.

There are four agencies involved in the importation of wine to the US. They are:

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
State and Local Laws

What does each agency handle?

CBP handles the excise taxes and import duties for your shipments once they arrive at the port.
FDA requires that a Prior Notice of Imported Foods must be filed before any alcoholic beverages are imported into the US.
TTB issues the importer's permit and handles all other requirements for importing bottled alcoholic beverages into the US.
You must also comply with your state's importation requirements for alcoholic beverages (California, for example, department of Alcoholic Beverage Control).

You can read our more detailed wine import guide here.

Read our Wine Import Guide

Shipping Wine From Spain

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Popular Shipping Routes

Due to geography, shipping wine from Spain to East Coast ports is faster and less expensive than shipping to West Coast ports. Transit times from Valencia, Spain to Los Angeles usually take 40-50 days, and must traverse the Panama Canal. Transit times to East Coast ports such as New York takes less than 15 days.

Barcelona - Los Angeles
Barcelona - New York
Valencia - Los Angeles
Algeciras - New York
Algeciras - Los Angeles

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Spanish Wine Facts

The mainstream quality wine regions in Spain are referred to as denominaciones de origen protegidas (DOP) (similar to the French Appellations) and the wine they produce is regulated for quality according to specific laws, and in compliance with European Commission Regulation (CE).

DOP – denominación de origen protegida ('protected denomination of origin'), is the mainstay of Spain's wine quality control system. Each region is governed by a consejo regulador, which decides on the boundaries of the region, permitted varietals, maximum yields, limits of alcoholic strength and other quality standards or production limitations pertaining to the zone. As of 2019 there are 96 DOPs that are subdivided into DOCa, DO, VP, and VC. The sub-categories can be called DOP, or they can use the traditional terms of DOCa, DO, VP, and VC.

Spanish Labeling Laws

Spanish wines are often labeled according to the amount of aging the wine has received. When the label says vino joven ("young wine") or Sin crianza, technically the wines have not been aged at all, but some will have undergone up to a few months oak wood aging. Depending on the producer, some of these wines will be meant to be consumed very young - often within a year of their release. Others will benefit from some time aging in the bottle. For the vintage year (vendimia or cosecha) to appear on the label, a minimum of 85% of the grapes must be from that year's harvest. The three most common aging designations on Spanish wine labels are Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva.

Crianza: For Rioja red wines these are aged for 1 year, with at least 6 months in oak barrels. Crianza whites and rosés must be aged for at least 6 months in oak barrels.
Reserva: red wines are aged for at least 3 years, with at least 1 year in oak barrels. Reserva whites and rosés must be aged for at least 2 years with at least 6 months in oak.
Gran Reserva: wines typically appear in above average vintages with the red wines requiring at least 5 years aging, a minimum of 2 years in oak and a minimum of 3 years in the bottle. Gran Reserva whites and rosés must be aged for at least 4 years with at least 6 months in oak

Ship Your Wine from Spain with Us

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.

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.

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

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.