Candice noted that the duty on wine was small and that it is vital to be honest with customs.

Let me strongly second that. First, unless things have changed recently, there is a major difference between still (table) wines and sparkling wines like champagne and even more with regard to distilled spirits (whiskies). The duty on still wines is negligible; the main problem being its bulk. Of course, you only pay that on the excess of your duty-free allowance.

As to being honest with customs, I cannot second that strongly enough. Our annual trip to Europe (usually Italy) means that we buy a relatively large amount including jewelry. Customs charges were never that high and have actually gotten lower after a very long period of stability (the $400/person limit dates back to the 1960s dollar, at least).

Why should we jeopardize things over duties that comes at most to about $100 after having spent a lot more on even the most economical trip? The agents have been courteous at all of the arrival sites we have dealt with because they know we are being honest.

Ira H. Bernstein Dallas