The answer will be yes and no dependent on who is selling what, how much and why*. For sure you have arrived at this article in order to find out about selling just a few bottles of wines that you have in your possession and no longer want, in most occasions you can sell this stock within certain guidelines or using the terms and conditions of a third party selling option which will likely cost you fees by way of commissions and similar.
If you are a business and looking to sell wine / Champagne, be it by bottle or by glass, then you will require the relevant alcohol licences to include premises / sales / storage. The specific licence you will require can vary, for instance between selling bottles of Champagne at a nightclub venue or glasses of Prosecco at a temporary music event and can also vary between areas of the country you live and times you plan to be selling. It is best to check the official government website for such instances.
"There are many circumstances in between that will require a licence not directly needed by yourself, such as if you are working at a restaurant and serving / taking money for wine!"
Selling alcohol on eBay / Facebook as a consumer. Though eBay will be slighty more stricter than Facebook, you will occasionally see wines and Champagne for sale. eBay will state that you will need a licence to sell wine/Champagne on their platform and request evidence so to be approved otherwise you will only be able to sell the 'bottle' and not the contents. Facebook, though they do not allow the sale of any alcohol in MarketPlace (community standards that prohibit the sale of controlled substances, including alcohol), you will very frequently see items for sale that creep through and haven't been reported.
Though there is no confirmed guidance for an independent person wanting to sell a bottle of pre-owned wine / Champagne and not doing so as a business and on a repeated basis, sticking to the government's capital gains rules at the time, there will be many millions of bottles undoutedly sold annually outside of those carrying the necessary licences. If you have an old bottle of Champagne and wish to sell it, so long as you haven't bought it in order to make a profit, then you can look to sell it on to a third party if it has entered the country legally / had necessary duties paid (the older the bottle the harder this becomes to prove). This would also apply to those who have possesion of the bottle instead of it being in bond / at original cellars - We are truly looking for general re-selling over investment / profit sales. You can, at this point, look to sell independently or via a wine / Champagne auction service. If selling directly to another person / company, it would pay you to look at the licence agreements of alcohol sales in that country and request confirmation of age - It would also be advisible to state that you give no assurance / gurarantee of quality and drinkability of the wine inside the bottle. In nearly all cases when you sell an old bottle of wine / Champagne to someone else, there will be no problems and the buyer will go on to add that bottle to their collection or open it and enjoy the aged wine it holds.
*Please do your own research when buying and selling wines / Champagne and take our article only as an opinion and you are recommended to do your own diligence.
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