A unique wine school has been founded in the Puligny-Montrachet France to help deepen the knowledge of wine professionals as well as devoted amateur wine lovers. The Ecole du Vin et des Terroirs is a non-profit organization created by members of the Burgundy wine world to broaden wine and viticultural knowledge with an ecological, environmental and humanistic approach. The Ecole du Vin et des Terroirs holds seminars (one half-day to two days long) which focus on understanding soils, wine techniques, biodynamics, tasting, botany, and many other topics. The seminars are limited to just 12 people and are taught by a variety of people including an ethnobotanist, a creator of tasting glasses, authors, engineers and of course, winemakers. The seminars are taught primarily in the vineyards and are resuming now that harvest season is ending.
Regent Jet has created a new jet card just for people who spend their winters traveling between New York and Florida. The Palms Jet Pass offers travel between New York and Florida. Passengers book their flights 24 hours ahead and can fly from several airports in the New York City area including Teterboro; Morristown; White Plains; Farmingdale; Islip and East Hampton to various South Florida locations such as West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Naples. The Palms Jet Pass jet is The Hawker 400XP which has seven seats and can do a non-stop New York to Florida flight in about 2 hours, 30 minutes. Larger jets are also available. The Palms Jet Pass starts at $50,000 for five one-way flights between Metropolitan New York and South Florida on the Hawker 400XP.
Here we are again with another sports celebrity selling a home in the town they used to play for. You might think that former Green Bay Parker quarterback Brett Favre would have one of the most lavish homes in the Green Bay area. You would be wrong. The Real Estalker Mama led me to the listing for Favre's home in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin which reveals a simple ranch style home in a quiet neighborhood.
One of the Real Estalker's able commenters reports that Favre's main manse is in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and this is just the home he stayed in during the football season. He and his wife, Deanna bought the four-bedroom home in 2005 for $416,000 so it was likely just a temporary home in a town that he was planning not to stay in after he retired from football. This likely explains the decor which seems to have been shipped straight from the local furniture store. It is listed at just $475,000.
Tiger Woods has announced his latest golf project, Punta Brava, a private golf and ocean club community on the Baja Peninsula south of Ensenada, Mexico about 40 minutes south of San Diego. Punta Brava sits on the tip of a peninsula that extends seven miles into the Pacific Ocean making for beautiful views on the planned 18-hole par 70 oceanfront course. The project also includes 40 estates lots ranging from three-quarter to three acres and priced between $3 million and $12 million, 30 Individual-own villa residences of 4,500 to 7,000 square feet, 60 Partnership villas of 4,500 to 6,500 square feet and a 20-villa private hotel for residents and their guests. There will also be a private clubhouse, an ocean club, a wellness spa and multiple dining venues. Construction is set to begin early next year with completion by 2011. it's a gorgeous spot but the prices seem a bit ambitious for what used to be an area best known for spring break on the cheap for California college students. He's hardly alone though, Trump has a project nearby which has been selling well.
The bottle of Glencadam single malt shown above has an interesting history. It hidden behind a trap door during the Prohibition era and then found in the 1950s during renovations of a home in Washington state. It was most recently in Sweden and will end up in Edinburgh on November 12 when it is auctioned off by Bonhams during their whisky sale. The bottle of Old Pot Still Scotch Viking (Glencadam) is estimated to sell for £3000 and £5000. Martin Green, Bonhams' Whisky Consultant, describes the bottle of Old Pot Still Scotch Viking (Glencadam) as "one of the rarest early 20th century malt whiskies to appear at auction in recent years." This is Bonhams first sale dedicated to just whisky and is one of four to be held in Edinburgh each year. Bonhams will hold four Whisky Sales per year in Edinburgh, beginning in November 2008. Other whiskies to be sold in the sale include a bottle of Balvenie 1937 (estimate £3,000-5,000), Macallan Select Reserve 1948 (estimate £2,000-2,500) and a 50-year-old bottle of Springbank (estimate £2,000-2,500).
The Jonas Brothers, shown above on a private jet, probably won't have to worry too much about a background check when they fly on private planes but you might. USA Today brings the news that the TSA has made a new proposal to have travelers who fly on private corporate jets undergo background checks. The TSA is looking to bring these new security measures to approximately 15,000 corporate jets and 315 small airports across the U.S.
Private plane owners and pilots are up in arms over potential regulations that they say would be costly and intrusive. One of the main selling features of private and charter services is the idea that you don't have to undergo lengthy security checks to get on board. The TSA points out in their comprehensive 260-page proposal that there is no immediate threat but that they could be used in terrorism strikes. The proposal would costs $200 million but the corporate jet owners would be paying 85% of that.
The only good news is that once cleared passengers won't have to go through the process again and the proposal does not require physical screening of passengers. This proposal does not call for regulation of smaller piston planes but that may be the next some time in the future.
Wall Street may be in turmoil but that hasn't affected the need for luxury baseball suites yet it seems. Bloomberg reports that the New York Mets have already sold out the luxury suites in their new stadium, Citi Field. These 49 suites start at $250,000 a year and go up to $500,000. Mets season-ticket holders are also renewing even though the prices for the team's first season at the new $800 million ballpark are higher (the top ticket price is $495). All this at a time when the financial services sector, traditionally a big spender on luxury suites for sporting events, is rapidly bleeding jobs. Dave Howard, the team's executive vice president for business operations, has said that troubled companies Lehman, AIG and Bear Stearns were not purchasers but Citigroup did pay $20 million a year for naming rights.
One of Colorado's historic lodges is up for sale. Grand Lake Lodge has been in the same family since 1953 and is a unique piece of vacation property. The lodge is located in the town of Grand Lake and above Grand Lake, Colorado's largest natural lake and has beautiful lake and mountain views. The 54-acre property includes 100 cabins and outbuildings and has been open as a lodge since 1919. The property also includes a restaurant, gift shop, heated swimming pool, playground, picnic area and volleyball/basketball court. Over the years it has been used as a venue for events such as company parties, family reunions and weddings and is a registered National Historic Landmark. It is listed at $15.16 million.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Francesco Trapani, chief executive of Bulgari Group, sold his 137-foot yacht, the "Christianne B." The yacht, a beautiful sailboat built by Perini Navi in 1986 was for sale for a while through Cavendish White, first for 9.25 mullion euros in 2007 and then for 8.75 million euros before it sold this year. For a while the yacht was known as "the Bulgari yacht" and Trapiani sometimes conducted interviews on board. A gallery of pictures of this elegant yacht can be found here. Trapiani has said that he is being more frugal right now, not buying any more homes (although he did rent a vacation home this summer) and generally cutting back on his expenses.
One company that doesn't seem to have felt the financial pinch yet is Rolls-Royce. The luxury car company delivered 129 vehicles in September, which is up 7.5% over last year bringing total deliveries since the start of the year to 827. Rolls-Royce cites emerging economies including India as their strongest markets. The company hasn't released details on how many current orders it has but has said it remains confident about the future. The next move is the plan for the "baby" Rolls known as the RR4 which will be available in 2010. The push to bring car deliveries up to close to 2,000 by then has necessitated the creation of 200 additional jobs at the factory at Goodwood, East Sussex.
The global economic crisis may be troubling minds everywhere but those attending the Luxury Collection exhibition this weekend at the K Club in County Kildare, Ireland might do best to put it out of their minds for at least a little while. From now until Sunday, the golf resort will be home to a variety of luxury exhibits including the first Bugatti Veyron on show in Ireland. Art experts from Sotheby's will value paintings, international property developers will be showcasing the latest villas and vacation spots and a collection of 1920s and 1930s vintage jewels will be displayed. The K Club website has a full list of the events planned.
Golfers and wine seem to be a natural match. Greg Norman, Ernie Els and Nick Faldo are just a few of the golfers with a label to their credit. Now the list swells to welcome one of the best female golfers to play the game, Annika Sorenstam Sorenstam has been working with fifth generation Winemaker Karl Wente of Wente Vineyards on her own namesake Syrah, Annika, which will be released in May 2009. The ultra-premium Central Coast Syrah will sell for $75.
I've been missing the real estate intelligence of Bob Goldsborough over at Big Time Listings after the site was unfortunately hacked. But now he's back with a vengeance, dishing out an impressive amount of celebrity scoop. One of the biggest is the listing for Regis Philbin's Greenwich, Connecticut home. Regis has been saying for a while on his show that he was selling his home but no one had dug up the listing until now. The home was built in 1980 and is on 5.68 acres that include a tennis court, pool, gazebo and gardens. The house itself was featured in 2002 in Architectural Digest, and includes a formal dining room, paneled living and media rooms, a library with a wet bar, a family room, a gourmet kitchen and a breakfast area that opens to a covered terrace. There are four bedrooms including a master suite with a sitting area, fireplace and his and hers baths. The lower level of the home includes exercise and recreation areas. Regis bought in 1992 for $2.5 million and is now asking $5.4 million for the home.
A new website from the Arts Council England lets people create their own art collections online in virtual living rooms. My Own Art Collection uses virtual collections of real contemporary art and also offers interest-free loans of up to £2000 for people wanting to start their own contemporary art collections. Galleries all across England and Scotland are participating in the project. Those creating a virtual living room online can submit their 'rooms' to the Arts Council and win £500 to buy a real piece of art for their homes.
As my colleague Jared Paul Stern reported earlier this year, Fort Lauderdale has been working on its image lately. The latest project is a new pair of condo towers, the Sapphire Condominium project located on A1A just two blocks south of Oakland Park Boulevard. There are two 12-story towers with blue glass and stainless steel accens planned and completion is expected for this coming season. The project includes f 172 two- and three- bedroom residences ranging in size from 1,274 to 2,680 square feet of living space and selling for ranges from the mid $500,000s to over $800,000. Penthouses start at $1.28 million. Homes include private balconies, large master suites and modern kitchens. Building amenities will include a large pool, cabanas, a whirlpool spa, fitness center, juice bar, saunas, a club room, a resident concierge, a garage with a 24-hour valet or self parking and a business center. Residents also get a membership to the Club at Harbor Beach Marriot Resort & Spa.
