Collections create unique estate planning considerations, and collections of alcohol call for even more concentrated estate planning strategies. For the administrator of a deceased wine collector’s estate, it is important to consider specific state laws on the sale of an estate’s collection of wine. Generally, alcohol sales in the U.S. must go from manufacturers and importers to distributors to retailers. This complicated system of regulation for alcohol sales creates difficulty for estates trying to sell wine collections and other alcohol to a retailer. However, some states have enacted legislation in this area that eases the burden on estates of wine collectors. North Carolina allows for an estate to get a permit to sell the alcohol to an end user, which can be facilitated by an auction house.
See Ian Holzhauer, Wine Collectors Face Unique Estate Planning Challenges, Tailored Estate Planning, Oct. 14, 2014.
