Award-winning $16m Hunter Valley winery for sale
An award-winning Hunter Valley winery estate is up for grabs for $16m.
Nestled in the Polkolbin wine region of the Hunter Valley, Calais Estate has been a family run winery by the Bradley family for over 20 years.
Having hosted winery long lunches, gourmet picnics, weddings, events – even Shakespeare in the vines – the time has come for the Bradley family to hand over the reigns to the next owners.
Listing agent Kate McCullagh from DiJones Southern Highlands described the estate as “show stopping”.
Calais Estate in the Hunter Valley wine region.
The vineyards of the boutique winery located at 151 Palmers Lane.
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“It’s beautiful land, the view out to the mountain range is breathtaking when you arrive through the front gates,” she said.
Located at 151 Palmers Lane, the Bradley family have transformed the estate since owning it and building aspects of the business.
“The owners have owned it for a long time, it’s run by two generations of Bradleys,” Ms McCullagh said. “
“They have maintained it and the acreage and the vines – it’s just so beautifully maintained.”
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An outdoor fire pit located on the property.
The estate comes with multiple businesses, employees and assets all included.
An audit has evaluated the inventory including wine bottles, barrels, tanks and cellar door stock at about $5m.
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“It has all the wine making infrastructure and the barrel room for events,” Ms McCullagh said.
The restaurant Kawul.
Entrance to the restaurant, gift shop and cellar door.
Views over the vineyards and mountains from the restaurant.
The boutique commercial vineyard sits on around 110 acres and is home to a cellar door, Resturant Kawul and a homewares and gift shop.
“The restaurant is pretty special, the locals love it,” Ms McCullagh said.
The Barrell Room can host around 300-350 guests for weddings and functions.
The barrel room full for a wedding.
The barrel room is both functional and used for events which can host up to 350 people.
“The barrels and the atmosphere in there has all worked very well,” Mr Bradleyy said.
As the Bradley’s look to retire and to live closer to family, Ms McCullagh said there had been interest from people keen on the lifestyle and the business.
“We have had all sorts of interest,” she said.
“Sydney people looking at it as a residence to keep it as is and just tinker. Other local vineyards and some of the other substantial wineries in the region are interested as well as a lot of interest from abroad.”
Along with the current businesses, the listing states “further development could include capitalising on the accommodation shortage in the Hunter Valley including back valley subdivision into lifestyle lots”.
“It will be interesting to see who ends up buying it,” Ms McCullagh said.
The wine making facilities.
The cellar door.
The Cellar Door is in a colonial style sandstone building with solid timber beams and boasts “one of the largest collections of quality boutique wines,” according to the estate’s website.
“There is also a significant wine club, it’s boutique and quite special,” Ms McCullagh said.
A “charming” five bedroom farmhouse is also on the property, that has modern interior renovations and includes a five bedroom home with views of the from every room and a pool for owners to enjoy.
Mr Bradley said they had previously rented out the farm house to guests.
The pool for the residents of the home.
Inside the renovated five bedroom farm house.
Views for the owners to enjoy too.
The winery and wine sales boast a gross profit exceeding $3.79 million in the last financial year, with a net profit of $1.7 million.
The estate is sustainably run, operating efficiently off the grid with freshwater sources, bioseptic systems, and extensive solar infrastructure on the property.
Fresh water on the property.
The Bradleys undertook landscaping, planting hundreds of trees, plants and flowers, while the winery, cellar door and old winemaker’s cottage have all been renovated.
“It’s stunning in itself, you arrive and it’s one sensation after another. There’s so much to take in when you’re there,” Ms McCullagh said.
