Question. I have two questions regarding coverage for a wine collection under the ho-3 and ho-5 forms.

• What coverage would apply to the unendorsed home policy if I dropped my $10,000 bottle of wine on the floor and it smashed into a thousand pieces?
• Would the answer differ if HO-15 — Special Personal Property Coverage endorsement was on the policy? (that is, the same as the HO-5 policy)?

— Kentucky Subscriber

Answer. Under the HO 00 03 personal property is named perils, and there is no named peril for clumsiness or dropping objects. Under the HO 00 05, coverage is open perils, except that under coverage C breakage of eyeglasses, glassware, statuary, porcelains and similar fragile articles are not covered with the exception of certain named perils. Glassware is defined by Merriam-Webster as articles made out of glass, so the bottle of wine would fall into this category. Again, clumsiness or just dropping a bottle of wine is not a named peril. If the insured wants the wine collection insured, best to talk to the underwriting department, and see whether they'll allow it to be scheduled.

Question. We insure a wine collection under a valuable articles policy. It's an all-risk policy, offering coverage against physical loss if the valuable articles are lost, damaged or destroyed. There are several exclusions on the policy, including one for wear and tear and deterioration; this exclusion has an exception for an ensuing covered loss.