Sherry-Lehmann wine collection worth millions remains unclaimed

Approximately 20,000 bottles of rare wine, valued at an estimated $16 million, remain unclaimed in a Rockland County basement following the collapse of the iconic New York City retailer Sherry-Lehmann.

The inventory is currently held at Blue Hill Plaza after Sherry-Lehmann’s storage arm defaulted on rent. The Hong Kong-based landlord, Glorious Sun, took control of the collection and is attempting to locate the original owners to clear the space for new tenants. According to Edmund O’Brien, an attorney representing Glorious Sun, only about one third of the collection has been returned to its rightful owners.

The situation follows the retailer's closure in early 2023 and an FBI raid of the storage facility as part of a fraud investigation. Efforts to locate owners through advertisements in trade publications like Wine Spectator have seen limited success. Sources suggest the difficulty in reclaiming the wine is due to clients having moved, passed away, or being unaware of the retailer's defunct status.