Want to own a winery? Tuscany-like vineyard and high-tech estate, both near Sacramento, hit market
Two distinct wine properties near Sacramento have hit the market— a Tuscany-type winery in the Sierra foothills and a private estate vineyard in Lincoln.
The Italian-inspired ll Gioiello Winery — which means “the jewel” — is listed for $2.995 million. That 80-acre property is located in Amador County, an hour east of Sacramento.
The luxury Lincoln property — Stirling Oaks Cellar Estate, about a half an hour north east of downtown Sacramento — is listed at $2.199 million.
Il Gioiello Winery sits in the middle of three American Viticultural Areas (AVA) —Shenandoah Valley, Fairplay and Fiddletown — among some of the finest wineries in Amador County. Its vineyards produce about 4,500 cases of annually. That production is projected to increase to 10,000 cases, according to the Amador Council of Tourism website. Fourteen Rhone and Italian varietals are grown there on about 20 acres of the land. Most are small production wines, under 500 cases.
The property, 22355 Lawrence Road in Fiddletown, features a small 1,600-square-foot residence with tall ceilings, natural light and a high-end kitchen overlooking an olive tree grove and vineyards.
Bruce Renfrew, listing agent with California Outdoor Properties, said potential buyers are interested in Il Gioiello as a “completely turnkey” winery that has additional money-making potential as a wedding venue or as a corporate retreat.
There is a site on the property that is perfect for building “a huge estate home, or you can have a small, five-room country inn,” he said.
“You can turn it into something very magical,” Renfew added, “and very profitable.”
The home site overlooks the grapevines and holds views of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
“Everyone’s favorite area is the tasting room and sales building, which has bocce ball courts, a covered patio with outdoor fireplace, and picnic areas under a trellis,” according to the official listing.
The other winery on the market, Stirling Oaks Cellar Estate in Lincoln, offers something different.
“That’s a very high-end, high-tech private residence,” Renfrew said. “It’s kind of remarkable.”
The 4,956 square-foot luxury home was designed and built by an engineer who was “one of the first employees Elon Musk hired at Tesla,” Renfrew said.
The home is loaded with high-tech features, such as high-speed internet wiring, distributed wireless access points, security system and surveillance cameras, and three electric car charging stations in the garage.
A saltwater pool with automatic cover is the centerpiece of the backyard area, according to the official listing. The pool is surrounded by an immense, 2,430 square-foot covered patio with an outdoor fireplace and sitting area off the kitchen wing.
The entire, 20-acre Stirling Oaks Cellar Estate, at 7677 N. Forbes Road, is served by a solar PV array, which runs at an almost net-zero cost., according to the listing.
There’s even a 20-page owner’s manual for reference on how to run the estate.
The main residence is entered through a large space with 13.5-inch ceilings. The chef’s kitchen comes with granite counter tops, high-end stainless appliances, custom cherry-wood cabinetry, a massive walk-in pantry and opens to a comfortable family room and breakfast nook. The master bedroom suite includes his and hers walk-in closets, an opulent bathroom and opens to the outdoor living space.
“This estate was designed for entertaining in grand style,” Renfrew said.
Outdoors, there is a large, fully irrigated, raised-bed vegetable garden, a fruit orchard and an arboretum with at least 60 species of trees.
The property’s two acres of vineyards are currently managed by a local third-party vintner. The vineyards grow Mediterranean varietals such as Arinto, Barbera, Grenache, Syrah and Orange Muscat.
Renfrew said a lot of people are interested in buying wine estates these days.
“That whole Plymouth area in Amador County, when you combine wine growing with wine making and hospitality, it’s going to attract people,” he said.
He’s heard from a variety of interested parties, from a venture capital investor to a wealthy owner of a construction company to a “very well-known individual” who already owns wine vineyards in Northern California. He declined to identify them.
Both estates were listed with California Outdoor Properties in June.
This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 7:55 AM with the headline "Want to own a winery? Tuscany-like vineyard and high-tech estate, both near Sacramento, hit market."
