After more than two years, long-time customers of Sherry Lehman are finally reclaiming their wine. The well-known Park Avenue wine shop is set to permanently close in March 2023, unable to renew its liquor license after 89 years of operations. Many patrons of the famed Wine Cave had previously shouted for prized bottles, only to find the doors closed.
Now, following a series of headlines, two FBI investigations, and a drawn-out legal struggle involving the owners and landlords, the sought-after wines have started flowing again—much to the delight of collectors.
“I’m excited to share one of these bottles with my 101-year-old dad,” shared a collector from Boston, who just managed to retrieve a collection valued at $80,000, which included a case of 1982 Petrus among other distinguished Bordeaux.
These wines were among the first he ever purchased, back when he was in the ’80s. “My father gave me a book by Robert Parker, the renowned wine critic. I learned these wines received perfect scores. I bought them on a whim,” he recounted, choosing to remain anonymous.
In recent weeks, numerous Wine Cave customers have begun picking up their long-lost collections from nondescript office spaces in Rockland County. This strange turn of events comes as the process is now being managed by Sherry Lehman’s former landlord.
Glorious Sun, a Hong Kong-based real estate firm, is the principal creditor of Sherry Lehman, still claiming $5 million in unpaid rent for the retail space at 505 Park Avenue. After the closure, accessing the wine cave became impossible.
In 2022, Sherry Lehman had transferred around 32,000 bottles worth an estimated $16 million to Blue Hill Plaza, a corporate park in Pearl River, New York, where most of it remains, stored alongside computer equipment in a temperature-controlled basement.
The wine here is impressive, as noted by Kevin Zurary, a wine educator and author. “Only about 1% of global wine can age for more than five years, and similarly, only 1% is actually stored in wine caves,” he explained.
As of now, Glorious Sun has sent out 820 letters to notify customers that their wines are in Pearl River and to request proof of ownership. Some letters have been returned due to former clients moving, as attorney Edmund O’Brien mentioned.
“Next, we will tackle the more challenging cases,” O’Brien said, acknowledging it might take a year or more to locate customers who are unreachable. “We have some ideas about how to proceed, but we haven’t settled on anything yet.”
According to Zurary, many may have forgotten the wines they bought from Sherry Lehman. Some clients might be too old to care about their collections, or simply unaware they had wine stored here.
A peculiar twist occurred in September when Sherry Lehman’s wine storage division sought a temporary restraining order to stop the wine distribution process for six weeks, alleging that Glorious Sun was effectively holding its valuable wines “hostage.”
During this period, Glorious Sun had begun returning about 1,000 bottles to 13 fortunate customers, as noted in court records. Ultimately, the restraining order was lifted on October 14, allowing Glorious Sun to resume its efforts.
The legal drama continued as Wine Caves accused the landlord of underestimating the storage capacity, which they claimed was 300,000 bottles. However, a 2023 FBI raid established the number at 32,000. The landlord’s primary goal seems to be reclaiming the space, while he’s also noted that he’s invested significant resources in reaching out to former Wine Cave customers.
James Gualtieri now holds the majority ownership of Wine Caves, having previously supplied Sherry Lehman and served as the U.S. importer for Château Lafite Rothschild for two decades. Gualtieri was brought in by Shaida Gilmer, the former CEO of Sherry Lehman, amidst complex legal issues surrounding the shop’s closure. After a notice to vacate from Blue Hill Plaza in November 2024, Gilmer had stipulated an eviction timeline and a significant payment, but negotiations faltered, leaving the situation unresolved.
O’Brien discussed a meeting with Gualtieri, where he proposed to cover overdue rent, but O’Brien indicated Glorious Sun declined due to a lack of an indemnity agreement to safeguard against potential customer lawsuits.
Gualtieri has not responded to requests for comments. Meanwhile, Wine Caves’ attorney has assured that they are actively working to protect customer wines, relying on their decades of business experience.
In court filings, Glorious Sun accused Wine Caves of seeking to recover storage fees totaling around $1.6 million. On the flip side, Wine Caves claimed that they are being denied their rightful ownership and are incurring substantial damages, including storage costs.
As for some former Sherry Lehman customers, like the Boston collector who recently recovered his wines, it’s a mix of relief and disappointment. The value of his collection is vast, though he noted the label wasn’t perfect, and the box had been previously opened. “I’m just grateful it wasn’t stolen,” he remarked, contemplating family gatherings and festivities ahead.
