This article has an unclear citation style .(December 2020) |
Trump Winery | |
---|---|
Location | Charlottesville, Virginia, US |
Appellation | Monticello AVA |
Formerly | Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard [1] |
Founded | 1999 [2] |
Opened to the public | May 2015 |
Key people | Eric Trump, owner [3] Kerry Woolard, General Manager Jonathan Wheeler, Winemaker |
Parent company | Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC |
Acres cultivated | 227 acres (92 ha) |
Cases/yr | 36,000 |
Known for | Sparkling Blanc de Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, New World Reserve |
Varietals | Cabernet Sauvignon , Cabernet Franc , Chardonnay , Malbec , Merlot , Pinot Meunier , Pinot Noir , Petit Verdot , Sauvignon Blanc , Viognier [4] |
Distribution | International |
Tasting | Open to the public |
Website | http://www.trumpwinery.com |
Trump Winery (formerly Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard [5] ) is a winery on Trump Vineyard Estates in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the county of Albemarle. It is within the Monticello viticultural area and is among the 23 wineries on the Monticello Wine Trail. [6]
The vineyard was purchased by businessman Donald Trump in April 2011 [7] and re-opened in October 2011. [8] Since 2012, it has been owned and operated by Trump's son Eric, trading as Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC. [3] [9]
The 227 acres (92 ha) of vinifera varieties makes it the largest vineyard in Virginia and the largest French vinifera on the East Coast, according to the company. [10] [11]
Patricia Kluge, former wife of American billionaire John Kluge, kept Albemarle in their 1990 divorce settlement. [8] Afterwards, Kluge spent her fortune establishing an award-winning vineyard and winery which opened in 1999. She and her third husband, William Moses, took out $65 million in loans and mortgaged the mansion to finance production expansion and a related real-estate venture. [11] [2] [12] In 2011, the couple defaulted on the loans and Bank of America acquired the mortgage on the mansion, Albemarle House. The land outside the mansion's front door and bordering its long driveway is a 217-acre (88 ha) stretch of rolling greenery that had a former life as John Kluge's private Arnold Palmer–designed golf course. A quirk in the divorce settlement let John Kluge own this patch, as his ex-wife took the mansion and the land underneath, insulating it from Patricia's financial woes. The land was still the family's to give, after Mr. Kluge died in 2010, leaving it in a trust to his son, John Kluge Jr., with Patricia as trustee. [5] [8] [2] [12]
Trump, a longstanding friend of John and Patricia Kluge, purchased the 1,300-acre (526 ha) estate, including the vineyards and winemaking operation, out of foreclosure from three different banks for $8.5 million. He initially offered the banks $20 million to bail out Kluge Estate, but when they refused, he began to buy the property through foreclosure auctions and private purchases. After acquiring the winery, Trump hired Patricia Kluge as vice president of operations and William Moses as chief executive officer. [8] [12] He also bought the parcel directly from the Kluge trust for $150,000. [2] The bank alleged that Trump subsequently arranged for "No Trespassing" signs to be placed around the mansion allowing the lawns to become overgrown in order to ward off potential buyers and to give the appearance of Trump's exclusive access to the property, although the bank's interest in the main house included right-of-way easements. Trump placed a winning bid of $3.6 million at auction for the mansion property, a significant discount from the $16 million the bank had paid at the foreclosure auction and Patricia's original $100 million asking price. Bank of America rejected the bid and retained possession. [5] [2] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]
In October 2012, Trump bought Albemarle House from Bank of America for $6.7 million, completing his acquisition of the entire estate. [18] [19]
The remodeled 26,000 sq ft (2,400 m2), 45-room mansion was opened in May 2015 as ‘Albemarle Estate at Trump Winery’. [2] [18] [20] In addition to the winery and vineyard, business operations include the hotel and facilities to host public banquets, weddings, corporate and winery events. [21]
The winery's 227-acre (92 ha) vineyard is the largest in Virginia and its French vinifera acreage is the largest on the East Coast. [10] [22] In March 2016, Donald Trump stated publicly that he owned "the largest winery on the East Coast" [9] which Politifact surmised as a ‘false statement' noting the winery makes 36,000 cases of wine per year, roughly half the production of Williamsburg Winery or Chateau Morrisette Winery. [23] [24]
The winery's manager, Kerry Hannon Woolard, supported Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and was a guest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention. [25]
James Suckling scored the winery's 2009 Blanc de Blanc 90 points and the 2010 Sparkling Reserve 91 points. [26]
In March 2013, Wine Enthusiast magazine gave the 2007 Trump SP Reserve a 91-point rating, which was at that time the highest rating for a still or sparkling Virginia wine. [27]
The 2020 San Francisco International Wine Competition awarded the winery's 2014 Sparkling Reserve, Best in Class-Brut, Double Gold, 97 points, scoring higher than those from Napa, Sonoma, Spain, Italy, Australia and Champagne. [28]
Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Charlotte. At the 2020 census, the population of the city was 46,553. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Charlottesville with Albemarle County for statistical purposes, bringing its population to approximately 160,000. Charlottesville is the heart of the Charlottesville metropolitan area, which includes Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, and Nelson counties.
Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 112,395.
John Werner Kluge was a German-American entrepreneur who became a television industry mogul in the United States. At one time he was the richest person in the U.S.
Missouri wine refers to wine made from grapes grown in Missouri. German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century founded the wine industry in Missouri, resulting in its wine corridor being called the Missouri "Rhineland". Later Italian immigrants also entered wine production. In the mid-1880s, more wine was produced by volume in Missouri than in any other state. Before prohibition, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. Missouri had the first area recognized as a federally designated American Viticultural Area with the Augusta AVA acknowledged on June 20, 1980. There are now four AVAs in Missouri. In 2017 there were 125 wineries operating in the state of Missouri, up from 92 in 2009.
The Yadkin Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area that includes land in seven counties of northwestern North Carolina. The AVA encompasses an area of approximately 1,400,000 acres (5,666 km2) in the Yadkin River valley. The Yadkin Valley AVA includes all of Wilkes, Surry, and Yadkin counties, and parts of Davie, Davidson, Forsyth, and Stokes counties. Yadkin Valley is home to 44 wineries.
Barboursville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Orange County, Virginia, United States. It is the birthplace of renowned American military commander and president Zachary Taylor. It also contains Barboursville, the home of James Barbour, the 19th governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, after which the community is named. The ruins of his home are now on land owned by one of the Piedmont region's wineries, Barboursville Vineyards. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 177.
Canadian wine is wine produced in Canada. Ontario and British Columbia are the two largest wine-producing provinces in Canada, with two-thirds of the Canada's vineyard acreage situated in Ontario. However, wine producing regions are also present in other provinces, including Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Wine has been produced in the United States since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84 percent of all US wine. The North American continent is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.
Michigan wine refers to any wine that is made in the state of Michigan in the United States. As of 2020, there were 3,375 acres (1,366 ha) under wine-grape cultivation and over 200 commercial wineries in Michigan, producing 3 million US gallons (11,000,000 L) of wine. According to another count there were 112 operating wineries in Michigan in 2007.
Illinois wine refers to any wine that is made from grapes grown in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 2006, Shawnee Hills, in southern Illinois, was named the state's first American Viticultural Area. As of 2008, there were 79 wineries in Illinois, utilizing approximately 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) of vines.
The state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine, ranking fourth in the country behind California, Washington, and New York. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders that are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the states of Washington and Idaho. Wine making dates back to pioneer times in the 1840s, with commercial production beginning in the 1960s.
State Route 53 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Thomas Jefferson Parkway, the state highway runs 18.32 miles (29.48 km) from SR 20 near Charlottesville east to U.S. Route 15 in Palmyra. SR 53 connects the county seats of Albemarle and Fluvanna counties. The state highway also provides access to the community of Lake Monticello and Monticello, the estate of Thomas Jefferson. The route of SR 53 became a state highway in 1930; the highway receives its present designation in 1947.
Barboursville Vineyards is a winery located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the unincorporated community of Barboursville, Virginia. It is located within both the Virginia and Monticello viticultural areas.
Virginia wine refers to wine made primarily from grapes grown in the commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia has hot humid summers that can be challenging to viticulture, and only within the last twenty years has the industry developed beyond novelty status. By tonnage, Vitis vinifera varieties represents 75% of total production. French hybrids varieties account for nearly 20% of total wine grape production in the commonwealth, while American varietals make up only about 5% of the total. As of 2012, the top 5 varietals produced are Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Vidal blanc and Viognier.
The Shenandoah Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and West Virginia. The valley is bounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian and Allegheny Plateaus to the west. Most of the AVA is in Virginia, with a small portion in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Most of the vineyards in the AVA are located in Virginia and grow a wide variety of Vitis vinifera, Vitis labrusca, and French hybrid grapes. The hardiness zone is mainly 7a except for some 6b in high areas.
Afton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Albemarle and Nelson counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is newly listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 313.
The Monticello Wine Company was a Charlottesville, Virginia cooperative founded in 1873 by local grape growers, led by a German, Oscar Reierson. Its four-story winery had a capacity of 200,000 gallons, and was located at the end of Wine Street, near Hedge Street. It was the largest winery in the South. It shut down with the onset of Prohibition in Virginia, which took effect on November 1, 1916.
Blenheim Vineyards is a winery located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the county of Albemarle. It is located within both the Virginia and Monticello viticultural areas and is among the 23 wineries located on the "Monticello Wine Trail".
John W. Kluge Jr. is an American venture capitalist, philanthropist, and activist.
Trump knew this...he got the Kluge trust to sell him the yard for the bargain-basement price of $150,000. "That is the art of the deal right there."
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: CS1 maint: location (link)Disclaimer : Trump Winery is a registered trade name of Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC, which is not owned, managed or affiliated with Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their affiliates.
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: CS1 maint: location (link)Trump Winery is Virginia's largest vineyard as well as the East Coast's largest French vinifera vineyard
Trump Winery is Virginia's largest vineyard
Best Brut - Trump Winery Reserve Brut, Monticello, USA