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Wine Rooms Particularly Popular Luxury Amenity

Italian philosopher, astronomer and mathematician Galileo reportedly once said, “Wine is sunlight, held together by water …” —and it appears those who call Orange County home agree with that idea.

The county boasts the highest percentage of homes with wine-related amenities in the country—2.4%—according to a 2014 analysis of listings by Trulia.com.

The percentage of homes in Orange County’s coastal luxury market with dedicated wine rooms is far higher.

“There are 88 active listings in Newport, Newport Coast, and Corona del Mar over $5 million,” said Surterre Properties’ president, Gary Legrand. “Seventeen have wine cellars—about 20%.”

Some spots appear to have more wine amenities than others.

“Nowhere are they more prevalent than in Newport Coast,” said Andre White of the Cain/White Group with HÔM Sotheby’s International Realty.

He said 41% of Newport Coast homes priced higher than $5 million have wine amenities and that 83% of homes there priced higher than $10 million do.

In the larger custom homes, real estate professionals say there’s a new emphasis on display and ability to entertain in a tasting room.

“Many are now being designed as the focal points of the room, with glass displays, a sit-down tasting room, and climate-controlled storage for several thousand bottles,” White said.

One room simply isn’t enough for some wine lovers.

Harold Noriega of Emerald Bay Real Estate with HÔM Sotheby’s describes a wine-collector client who repurposed a separate guest casita on his property as a wine cellar.

“The walls and floor of the casita were completely reconstructed with wine-stained wood from reclaimed wine barrels, in addition to installing the proper conditioning system to keep the wine at the appropriate temperature,” Noriega said.

Custom round wine bottle racks were installed, allowing for a capacity of approximately 4,000 bottles, “one of the finest wine cellars I’ve ever seen in all my years of representing luxury coastal properties.”

Roseanne Levan of Teles Properties shared her observation on the subject: “The most spectacular wine room I’ve seen in 20 years was in a 14,000-square-foot Pelican Crest house I sold. The home had its own ‘wine cellar wing’ in a subterranean area.” To get there, guests passed through an alfresco cigar patio and a wine-tasting area that included a tepanyaki grill and kitchen, finally arriving in the 3,000-bottle wine cellar, she recalled.

Orange County’s luxury homes offer wine rooms and all types of other amenities, as shown by recent high-end sales in January:

$6.4M for 2460 Monaco

The one-story home on a 0.40-acre lot at 2460 Monaco Drive in the Laguna Beach oceanfront community of Irvine Cove boasts a private beach, Catalina Island and white-water views, and a professionally landscaped setting that brings to mind a luxury hotel.

There are four bedrooms and 3 ¼ baths in the 4,752-square-foot home, which sold on Jan. 30 for $6.4 million, just under its December list price of $6.5 million.

Colleen Wurzell of First Team Real Estate represented the seller, and Gordon Henry of HÔM Sotheby’s worked on behalf of the buyer.

Beauty and the Bay

The bayfront Lido Isle home at 215 Via Lido Soud combines traditional finishes with modern amenities.

The 4,100-square-foot home is on a 4,050-square-foot parcel and has five bedrooms and five baths. It recently underwent renovations.

The home sold on Jan. 30 for $5.15 million, under its December list price of $5.5 million.

It was designed with an emphasis on details and features stone countertops, custom millwork, walnut flooring and walls of glass. There’s also a private dock that accommodates a 70-foot-plus vessel.

Donald Abrams of Abrams Coastal Properties represented the buyer, and Jon Flagg of Villa Real Estate worked as the seller’s agent.

Sale on Seacliff

Sought-after L.A.-based modernist architect Paul McClean designed the four-bedroom,

3 ½-bath home at 31696 Seacliff Drive in Laguna Beach in 2013.

The home is on a 7,405-square-foot lot and sold on Jan. 29 for $4.5 million, under its November list price of $4.6 million.

The 3,544-square-foot home has views from almost every room, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls that open to the ocean breeze and sunset views.

The chef’s kitchen has white Carrera marble counters with top-of-the-line appliances and Euro-style cabinetry. Smart technology controls all aspects of the residence via smartphone and iPad.

Scott Lytle of Beach Cities Real Estate represented the buyer, and Shauna Covington of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices was the seller’s agent.

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