Wine geeks, put down your wineglass and listen up. You're going to want to check this out. Inside this Tuscan -- style villa in Flower Mound, TX, is a high-end, ultraluxurious wine cellar.
Before you pour, prepare to bid. Currently listed for $2.6 million, the home's going up for auction on April 9, and there's no reserve price set. Whoever bids the highest will walk away with the keys to the manse.
"Someone's going to get a great deal (on this house) at auction," says Randy Haddaway, senior vice president at DeCaro Luxury Auctions.
"It's one of the best wine cellars you'll ever see," says Haddaway. Topped by a brick ceiling in the shape of a barrel, the climate-controlled cellar features an island and built-in shelving to hold more than 6,000 wine bottles. There's even enough room to host a small group for dinner or a wine tasting.
"It is just set up to absolute perfection," Haddaway says of the five-bedroom, eight-bathroom property, which was custom-built in 2011 for the seller, who also owns Red Mare Wines in Napa Valley, CA.
Set on 2 acres, the estate is also ripe for entertaining. The kitchen and great room alone measure 3,000 square feet.
"You can entertain up to 400 people in the backyard," says Haddaway. In a dedicated outdoor entertaining space, behind a wall of screens, is a full-size kitchen, TV, and fireplace.
The indoor kitchen features a giant granite island that required a crane to install. The five bedrooms each have an en suite bathroom, and the home's custom furnishings (including an armoire that reportedly once belonged to Napoleon) are available for purchase.
Other reasons to eye the 8,100-square-foot property are its proximity to the Dallas -- Fort Worth International Airport (a 20-minute drive) and the Grapevine Lake (plus a pool and spa), which is in its backyard.
"This is an extremely busy lake," says Haddaway. "This is where people in Dallas come to enjoy themselves. It's a getaway."
So why is this getaway going up for auction?
"By setting a deadline, (as the owner) you know when you're going to move on," says Haddaway, who adds that the owner's children are now grown. Also, "a lot more people are using auctions to expose the property (to more people)," he says.
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