Taking alcohol into Tobago

Andy D · Post by **Andy D** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 7:03 pm

Hi,
Can anyone give me any information regarding taking wine into Tobago,i'm only talking a few bottles of my fave red.Will customs get the hump? or are they ok with it? I'd rather take a few bottles of decent wine that i know i'm going to enjoy than take a chance on buying something thats going to resemble Sarson's finest!

Bryn · Post by **Bryn** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 2:07 am

I can honestly say that I was astounded at the price of wine in Tobago. It was so inexpensive compared to what we pay here in Canada. I'm not sure if it's because they're not aware of the quality of some of them or what. My personal favourite is Wolf Blass Yellow Label and it goes for around $30 a bottle here....it was about $15 a bottle there. The selection was excellent. This is in Penny savers grocery. There is also a fab wine store across the street. Don't bother taking your own.

Bryn

PaulineC · Post by **PaulineC** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 7:40 am

Hello Andy

We took a couple of wine boxes to Tobago last March for emergency supplies and were very glad we did so. We were staying self-catering in Castara and so having some wine already on hand was a great help (no wine available to buy locally - onlyCarib/Stag and lethal rum punches).

Some of the local restaurants we ate in (Marguerites, Gemmas) do not have a licence and you can byo - I really wished we had had a decent bottle of sauvignon blanc with us when we had our lobster at Gemmas!

However, if you are staying near to somewhere like Penny Savers then you will be OK as there was a reasonable wine selection, but I cannot remember prices.

It's so cold here in Bristol today - I can just imagine sitting on that Tobagan balcony with a full glass in hand.

Have a great time

Pauline

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 8:25 am

Marguerites (in Castara) provide a range of herbal wines (such as Carrot Wine) ... these are home made locally.

Many other resturants that do not supply alchohol do this for religious reasons so it may often make sense to byo ... not good for white wine lovers, how do you keep it chilled in the car?

There is a good selection of imported Port and Wine in an air conditioned Cigar shop on the main road to the airport ... I cannot remember it's name or precise location ... the wines are expensive but anyone from around the world is likely to see something they recognise.

Regards

Andy D · Post by **Andy D** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:06 am

Thanks for the info folks,You're right Pauline Bristol is absolutely freezing today (went down to around -5 last night!) , i cant wait for 8 weeks time when i'm back in Tobago,what we'll probably do is take a couple of bottles of decent wine and then have a nose around to see whats on offer.

Julia C. · Post by **Julia C.** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:28 am

We bought wine from a shop in Castara, can't remember the shop's name. The biggest one with groceries on one side and drinks on the other. About £7 a bottle.

David Watkins · Post by **David Watkins** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 12:22 pm

Julia,I think that must have been Merlina Jacksons shop near to Margerites.
It's not only cold in Bristol....it's b****y freezing in Bude.Where did ten weeks go????
A cold David (suffering withdrawal symptoms!!)

Brian Taylor · Post by **Brian Taylor** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:36 pm

back to the first question: you are allowed to bring 1,5 liter wine per person. if you bring more and they find it, they take it (they know how to get a good wine or sausages or....all the things we always try to bring in....).
in castara you might not get the best wine, but on the way from the airport you'll pass penny savers and the fine liquor and cigar shop anyway. cigarshop on the right, penny saver on the left. make sure you have a spaceious taxi and a patient driver and you can really get quite a bit in penny savers.
we are killing a bottle jacobs creeg now and then....yummy (I know that is not the language of wine experts...but it's tue..)

Andy D · Post by **Andy D** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 9:01 am

Thanks for the info Brian,i'll be taking a few bottles and maybe a pack or two of decent sausages for brekkie,taxis probably wont be needed this year though as we'll have a little jeep to run around in so we'll be able to load that to the gunnels with whatever takes our fancy.

Brian Taylor · Post by **Brian Taylor** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 12:13 pm

CHEEEEEERS! (hope you don't have the smallest Jeep...Jimny was it...)

Trevor Collins · Post by **Trevor Collins** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:33 pm

2 Bottles of wine each are allowed. We were 2 bottles over, so we simply declared all the bottles, and went into the "goods to declare" queue. The customs official read the form, and waved us through. There was no sign of any facilities to collect any excess, so I guess that it's not worthwhile to charge import duty on a couple of botttles.
Note that everyone has to fill in a declaration form including the number of bags you have.

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:58 pm

Hi and welcome Trevor.

And thank you for reminding me about those crazy forms we have to fill in ... takes up half the flight time, being a family of 5.

Regards

Paul Williams · Post by **Paul Williams** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:21 pm

Hi Paul
Surely filling out all of those forms must be worthwhile if it lets you take 2 bottles of port for each one.
Regards

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:26 pm

Gosh !! ... That never occurred to me ... so that's 10 bottles of Port ...

$\:D/$ $\:D/$ $\:D/$

Kindest Regards (hic !!)

Jane H · Post by **Jane H** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:02 pm

Hi Paul,

Is this a case of "Any port in a storm"?

Have a great holiday anyway

Jane (5 weeks and counting!)

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:12 pm

Cheers Jane

You could be right ... but I will settle for a 'Case of any Port' anywhere.

Regards

myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

Taking alcohol into Tobago

Taking alcohol into Tobago

Taking wine to Tobago