On the market for $12 million in 2013, the wine country estate on over 20 acres at 160 Campbell Creek Road in Oakville has just returned to the MLS with an “undisclosed address” and a list price of $7,900,000.
Built in 2008, the estate includes a main house with three bedroom suites, two one-bedroom cottages over the two two-car garages, and a hot tub that spills into an infinity edge pool overlooking the Napa Valley below.
And forget about a wine closet, showcase or even cellar, in this case it’s a proper private cave.
Do people drink that much wine that you need a cave? I see these homes which look like Amazon processing facilities stacked with bottles of wine. Seriously, how much wine could a man drink? And what about cirrhosis, gout, liver cancer, dementia, or other serious illnesses can come with drinking so much. Or is it simply an investment, like collecting old coins?
So cynical! Wine is for sharing. How much wine can a man and his friends drink? A lot, if he has a lot of friends (or hanger ons).
I think wine collection is like having hope. Almost similar to art collection. Therefore, being able to consume all of it is not of primary concern. Rather, it is far more fun looking at the bottles and remembering the promised taste.
I’ve never quite understood the idea of entering a cave to drink wine. Seems like this property has so many vistas where you could sit outside and drink a glass. Why go underground?
To drink the cheap stuff. You wouldn’t want anyone to see…
Are we sure this wasn’t used for the movie set for the shire in the latest Hobbit movies?
DCR – These places are for showing off, not enjoyment. You’re right, there are plenty of places more pleasant to sip wine than a tarted up air raid shelter. Its main purpose is a stop on the tour for party guests so when they go home they’ll talk about it. “Have you been to Clem’s place? Ooooo, he has an actual wine CAVE!”. Wealth and class are not always aligned.
Those ceiling timbers look fake, especially that parlor facing the pool. Compare its authenticity to this other Napa estate.
I think the cave would be a really cool place, literally, for the dogs to hang out when it’s hot.
Those of us in the Lower Orders cannot even to understand the needs of our Betters.
There was an article in the New York Times this week about a Chinese billionaire who was suing his real estate agent because the monster Malibu mansion was not as big as proposed. He was TOLD, dammit, that it was the BIGGEST HOUSE IN MALIBU! I wanted, not I needed, the BIGEGST HOUSE IN MALIBU.
Turns out the realtor fudged….quite a bit. And, the purchaser had not bothered to confirm the square footage himself. Now, the poor man’s DREAM has been CRUSHED, Crushed, I tell you. And he now hates the house, which is only 10,000 square feet. His american Dream has been destroyed, and he MUST bother the California courts with his tragedy.
I understand the Chinese billionaire’s point. He/she is very busy, most billionaires are, and relied on the real estate agent’s representations. Agent was given specific instructions and failed to follow them. On top of that, agent lied about the actual square footage (clear misrepresentation.) I don’t think Billionaire is crushed, more like very pissed off. As for agent, sorry your insurer will not cover material misrepresentation of facts and will not defend you in the lawsuit. Try to retain an insurance attorney and make file a first party lawsuit against your insurer and argue it was “negligent” and not “intentional.”
Oh, I am not denying the misdeeds of the realtor.
I am just horrified at the attitudes and bizarre fetish of the buyer to own THE BIGEGST MANSION IN MALIBU. I mean, if this trivial status seeking is that important, though, he could at least double check things for himself? I know he “has people for these things” but jeezou, then why the emotional cripple act?
Thus, my original point that we cannot understand the rather strange obsessions of the 0.1%.
The story as reported by Bloomberg (namelink) involves dual agency and a very experienced agent. The California Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case: Horiike v. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Co., S218734, California Supreme Court.
In certain circles, this is a standard Napa estate. A wine cave is almost as expected as an infinity pool. A cave ensures the best possible conditions of light and temperature for wine. Many people either own or have an interest in a vineyard and use these to store their bottles. Other people have vast collections that they buy for both enjoyment and as an investment. (The top wines increase in value about 10% each year.) Of course, in case of nuclear attack, it makes a dandy place to hide.
It doubles up as a meeting place for trysts.
Not that different from some homeowners who have separate kitchens, one used by staff to cook for the family and/or caterers, and another for family’s exclusive use.
I may be a purist but the whole point of having an infinity pool is to create the optical illusion that the pool (overlooking some body of natural water) is merged into the larger body of water. Here, the pool placement is scenic (nice view of valley below) but not really an infinity pool. If the Chinese Billionaire decides to build an edgeless pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean, that would be an infinity pool.