Have you heard the good news?

On Tuesday June 15^th 2021, American and European authorities agreed to suspend the 25% tariffs that affected French wine imported into the USA. It signals the end of a 17-year trade dispute and the punitive taxes on French wine as well as other European wine and spirits.

Wine lovers in the US rejoice, there has never been a better time to replenish your cellar!

Since a four-month suspension was originally announced in early March of this year, French wine imports to the US have performed well. From January to the end of April, U.S. imports of wine and spirits from France soared by 25% and 13% in value and volume respectively, according to French government agency Business France.

With our headquarters in France and shipping wine from our storage facilities just outside Paris, iDealwine has always made sure bidding on and buying wine is straightforward and hassle free for our US customers. It’s just got easier though, as now there will be no tariffs to pay upon receipt of wine, and that’s here to stay until at least 2026!

Time to celebrate and uncork that bottle of vintage Champagne!

Champagne is our first port of call when celebrating good news (we are French after all and it will always have a special place in our hearts) but in this case, Champagne is the one French wine we are not uncorking! Champagne was one of the very few wines that was exempt from US tariffs since they were introduced in 2019, so it’s more apt to uncork a mature Bordeaux, iconic Burgundy, or any other special bottle to celebrate the good news!

Now there’s no tariffs, what do I need to know about ordering wine from France to the USA?

1. As an online seller of mature wines, iDealwine is able to ship directly with no intermediaries. iDealwine has a relationship with over 700 partner properties, and we offer their local vineyard price. No middleman, just French cellar door prices.
2. Shop in US dollars. Simply look for the Globe icon on our homepage and change to language and currency of choice.
3. In our efforts to make buying wine from France and shipping to the USA as easy as possible, we have updated and streamlined the way prices are displayed and processed. Before this update, French VAT (Value Added Tax) was paid by the customer then refunded. Now, after many months of hard work by our development team, the price you see displayed is already adapted to your US shipping address. Quicker and easier than ever before, and no need to get refunded from France!
4. iDealwine has almost 10 years’ experience delivering to the USA and we deliver to all states. Whilst order preparation and shipping documents can sometimes take a little while (it can take up to 15 days for US customs documents to arrive at iDealwine, unfortunately we have no way of shortening this period) however once the boxes are shipped, they’ll be with you in around 3-4 days. Plus, we use protective packaging designed especially for transporting wine, so there’s no need to worry about damage from heat or movement.
5. When you order a box of 12 bottles, our shipping costs work out at $143 or $12 per bottle (subject to currency exchange). You can find the full details about delivery fees here.
6. As France’s favourite wine auctioneer, the range of fine cuvées we have on offer is unmatched and backed by 20 years of experience in curating exceptional selections. Each bottle that we source is evaluated and authenticated by our expertise team and kept in optimal conditions in our warehouses.
7. Our customer service team is with you every step of the way and is happy to help with any questions you may have. Get in touch by email at info@idealwine.com, using this form, or by telephone. We have a toll-free US number, though please note that our team works French hours only (9am-6pm, Monday to Friday). For night owls in New York, that means you can reach us directly between from 3am until 12 noon at (+1) 646-513-4308. Outside these hours, please contact us via email.

What to bid and buy now that tariffs are lifted?

Bid on to your heart’s content on any wine that takes your fancy. iDealwine’s auctions are constantly rolling, in fact last year an auction launched almost every week of the year! So set up an alert or add to your wishlist, now is the perfect chance to net the bottle you’ve been dreaming of for years!

Looking for inspiration? Check out our latest auction news here, or head to our current sale.