Vast Virginia wine country estate on sale for $75m
A sprawling estate with vineyards and a craft brewery in the heart of Virginia wine country – and encompassing property previously owned by LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault – has been listed for sale at $75m.
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The 1,800-hectare (4,500 acres) estate in has the potential to house Virginia’s largest vineyard, should the new owners wish to begin a major planting project, said the listing by Daniel Heider and Justin DiFranco of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.
There are just 8ha (20 acres) of vines at present, but a further 61ha (150 acres) have been ‘prepared for vineyard expansion’, says the listing.
There is also a working craft brewery, 26 family rental properties, several event spaces, a recently constructed 12,000-square-foot mansion, 20 lakes, a go-kart track and ‘miles of private river frontage’.
If sold at close to the asking price, the Wall Street Journal reported that the property would become Virginia’s most expensive home.
Neighbours include the Monticello estate of Thomas Jefferson fame, lying around 25 minutes away by car near, plus several well-known vineyard estates, including Dave Matthews’ Blenheim Vineyards.
Known as Mt. Ida Reserve, the property is also around three times larger than the nearby Trump Winery & Estate, according to the listing.
It says that part of the estate was once owned by Bernard Arnault, CEO of the LVMH luxury goods empire that today includes Krug Champagne and Château d’Yquem.
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Sotheby’s said the current owner of the estate has invested nearly $100m over almost two decades to transform the property.
According to the listing, ‘The income producing estate is perfect for a family compound, corporate retreat, flagship corporate campus or long-term investment.
‘Alternatively, the property is a prime candidate for a conservation and/ or stream impact easement offering significant tax benefits.’
Virginia has cultivated vineyards since 1619, but recent decades have seen rapid development on the state’s wine scene, as Decanter contributor Jill Barth noted in this introductory guide to the region.
Top grape varieties include Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.
He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.
Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.
Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.
