Real-estate Guide: 5 Wine Communities

Dying for a vineyard view? Here are five sites that get you close to the vines.

Plus: Communities Near Vineyards

Algodon Wine Estates: Mendoza, Argentina

Algodon will be as luxurious as any American project, according to chairman and founder Scott Mathis, but a favorable exchange rate means it will be more affordable. Buyers can choose from a wide variety of home sites, some with lots between one and 16 acres. Algodon has a nine-hole golf course, a restaurant and a hotel and will have equestrian facilities within the next year. Lot prices start at $80,000 per acre; algodonwineestates.com.

Montaluce Winery & Estates: Dahlonega, Georgia

This “Tuscany in Georgia” development in the town of Dahlonega has a number of finished homes (as well as building lots) and a vineyard, harvested for the first time this fall, that will produce wines such as Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Pinot Grigio. The architecture, of course, evokes Tuscany, as does the view of gently rolling hills. Home prices start in the low $400,000s and lots range from $70,000 to $600,000; montaluce.com.

Vineyard Estates: Charlottesville, Virginia

With help from world-renowned wine consultant Michel Rolland, Patricia Kluge’s nine-year-old Kluge Estate turns out some of the most exciting wines in Virginia, including sparkling wine and a Bordeaux-style red. In 2006, Kluge launched the 500-plus-acre Vineyard Estates with six types of mansions (Gothic, Georgian, Federal, etc.) by designer David Easton. Houses with private vineyards start near $7 million; vineyardestatesonline.com.

The Rise: Vernon, British Columbia, Canada

(Pictured, above right) This resort community features a golf course designed by the famed Fred Couples, and a vineyard as well. (A restaurant and hotel are in the works.) Seventeen acres of grapes are planted, including Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir, and the first wines will be produced in 2009. Finished homes begin at $695,000 and building sites begin at $178,400; therise.ca.

Trilogy Central Coast: Nipomo, California

More than 100 wineries are within an hour’s drive of this wine community, which is located near Santa Barbara, Paso Robles and the Santa Maria and Edna Valleys. Wine-related events on the 950-acre campus of the “active lifestyle” community include tastings, dinners and seminars held by local winemakers and experts. Houses start in the mid-$500,000s; trilogylife.com.

Published November 2008