A Craft Whiskey Maker’s Idyllic Coastal California Vineyard Estate Can Be Yours for $6.9 Million
- Rodney Cegelski, co-founder of Rod & Hammer’s craft whiskey distillery, is selling his nearly six-acre vineyard estate in Avila Beach for just under $6.9 million, $500,000 less than the original asking price in March.
A Central California vineyard estate long owned by San Luis Obispo-based real estate investor and developer Rodney (Rod) Cegelski has just popped up for sale in the charming and lively seaside community of Avila Beach. After almost two decades, the co-founder of Rod & Hammer's craft whiskey distillery and his wife Robin are preparing to downsize and are now offering the nearly six-acre spread known as Casa Contenta for a dash under $6.9 million, around $500,000 less than the original $7.4 million asking price in March.
Nestled in the rolling foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains, about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the gated property is distinguished by a two-acre pinot noir vineyard that produces a sparkling rosé. Records show the couple paid $2.1 million in early 2007 for the licensed rental retreat, which has a Spanish-inspired main home, plus a detached guesthouse and a bonus suite atop the five-car garage—for a combined total of six bedrooms and seven baths in roughly 6,200 square feet.
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The soaring mezzanine-topped living room flows to a massive kitchen outfitted with a seated wet bar.
As for the three-bedroom, four-bath primary dwelling, the white stucco and terracotta-roof structure was created in the late 1980s by a cadre of designers and architects from California, Australia, and Mexico, according to marketing materials. Highlights include a fireside living room resting beneath a soaring whitewashed wood-beam ceiling embellished with black brackets.
A massive kitchen sports an eat-in island, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, a wet bar, a butler's pantry, and a breakfast nook, while the primary suite comes with a fireplace, dual walk-in closets, and a soaking tub-equipped bath. Two more bedrooms and a bath can be found in the guesthouse, which has its own living room and kitchen, and an open-concept bonus suite above the garage features a bedroom, bath, and living area.
Spiral stairs lead to an open-air observation tower for coastal breezes and picturesque mountain vistas.
Especially standing out on the scenic hillside grounds—designed by noted landscaper Jeffrey Gordon Smith and sited amid the so-called "Hole in the Sky" microclimate known for its temperate weather—is an open-air observation tower outfitted with a cozy built-in sofa. There's also a pool with a slide and an accompanying spa, along with several fire pits, a barbecue station, and a meandering walking trail.
Per listing agent Lindsey Harn of Christie's International Real Estate Sereno, the entire property can bring in up to $2,400 a night in rent, with the potential to make more than $450,000 annually. Hobbyist vintners will note the purchase includes a fully operational winemaking venture and label, with the opportunity to contract with a winemaker to produce your own vintages.
Click here for more photos of the coastal California estate.
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