(1) Framing the problem
- Wine is an extremely complex substance and it is made up of molecules that can be altered if its biological- chemical and physical conditions change. These alterations can greatly influence the organoleptic features of a wine
- Thanks to globalisation, wine is often sold at long distance so it needs to be shipped around in different moments of the year
- Critical temperatures for issues to happen are not the same for all wines but depend on the quality and the aromatic features of the wine themselves
- As a rule of thumb, for the majority of wines, conservation at temperatures lower than 20°C is considered to be optimal to allow for the evolution of the fining characteristics of the wine
- It has been calculated (Butzke, 2002) that during transportation, the shelf life of the wines can be accelerated for a period of time that goes from one month to six years
(2) Legislation
Wine and beverages are subjected to excise duty in every member state of the European Union and need to be accompanied by specific documentation and stamps when shipped.
For any further information about taxation in the countries of the European Union (published by the European Union) is possible to check the following web pages:
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/excise_duties/gen_overview/index_en.htm
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=URISERV:l31018
For shipping wine to the USA, instead, import is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so it is compulsory to open up an application at FDA and to supply a Prior Notice, which is mandatory for transportation operated by producers and companies. The content of the shipped parcel needs to be described in the Airwaybill along with the Confirmation Number of the Prior Notice.