Spotlight: Vineyard Communities: Vintage Vacation
Resort communities take root among the vines.
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Ceágo Del Lago Wine Country Resort & Spa Nice, CaliforniaThe Fetzer family has been in the wine business since 1958. But since selling their two-million-case-a-year winery in 1992, the family’s second and third generations have turned their attention to organic farming, small-production vineyards, and real estate.
On nearly a mile-long stretch of lakefront property near the town of Nice in northern California, 57-year-old Jim Fetzer created Ceágo Del Lago Wine Country Resort & Spa. The 163-acre former walnut ranch is now home to kiwi, olive, and fig trees; fields of lavender; and several grape varietals, which are used to produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Plans are currently under way to include a 50-room condo-hotel and a biodynamic resort spa. When complete, the residence club will appeal to wine lovers who want to dabble in vintnering. Owners will each have a row of vines and will be able to participate in blending seminars and vineyard planting.
Vineyard Estates at Kluge Estate Winery Charlottesville, Virginia
Residents of the Vineyard Estates at Kluge Estate Winery, located on 511 acres in Charlottesville, Virginia, can own and operate a mini vineyard or sell their grapes back to the winery. The property’s 24 homes, designed by New York architect and interior designer David Easton, are available in one of six styles: Early Virginian, Federal, Gothic, American Modern, Georgian, or Beaux Arts. "The estates are for people who love a genteel lifestyle but don’t mind working with their hands when they are here," says owner Patricia Kluge, though she adds that there are options available for those who wish to keep their hands clean and callus-free. In addition to a winery that hosts dinner parties and wine collectors’ presentations, the development includes 24-hour concierge services and a shop that sells artisanal cheeses and homemade jams.
The Vineyards Columbia Valley, Washington
Often referred to as the "fruit bowl of the nation,"
Washington’s Columbia Valley is renowned for its apples, hops, and grapes.
Some 125 operational vineyards in the region have also caused some people to
compare it to the California wine countries of Napa and Sonoma—although
Italy might be a better comparison, thanks to the Vineyards’ 582 Tuscan-style
residences.
Set on 500 acres near the Cascade mountains, the Vineyards also
will contain a boutique hotel, a golf course, and a clubhouse—but no working
vineyards. The idea, says developer Rich Barnes, is to give residents the
opportunity to rub elbows with Washington winemakers through the community’s
Vintner Club, which offers a personal locker, wine concierge, and exclusive wine
allocations.
