Vineyard estate in Paso Robles offers winemaking amid the wildlife for $4.9M. Take a look

An 85-acre estate in Paso Robles with an active winery, a luxury home and a guest house — a property that “embodies the essence of wine-country living” — is for sale for $4.95 million, according to Christie’s International Real Estate.

Greg and Tealy Barr, owners of Barr Creekside Vineyard, produced their first vintage at the estate in 2012. There are 11 varieties of grapes grown there.

“The heart of this remarkable estate is a striking 6,000-square-foot wine tasting room, where thoughtfully curated decor sets the stage for relaxing and savoring world-class wines,” according to the property listing.

The estate’s main residence, a three-bedroom, three-bathroom house, spans a 2,736 square feet. Outside, there’s an in-ground pool and covered patio and a grand outdoor fireplace.

A second home unfolds across 2,000 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

“It’s nice having 85 acres for privacy,” Greg Barr said about the property in an email. “You have to get used to the black, dark nights and the phenomenal star-filled sky.”

His wife Tealy noted the abundant wildlife around the estate.

“(We) enjoy watching all the birds on the property: quail, hawks, golden eagles, ravens, vultures and, of course, the owls,” she said.

The couple’s pending second retirement opens the door for the next homeowner and vintner to take over.

“From an operational standpoint, I designed the winery to make it easy for one person to make wine,” Greg said.

The couple has been producing wines since 2007. Before building the winery they used custom-crush facilities.

“I incorporated all the best practices I encountered at the three custom crush facilities we made wine at,” Greg said.

In a typical year, the property — located at 6944 Union Road in Paso Robles — produces between 2,000 and 2,500 cases, but the Barrs have a permit for 10,000 cases. There are 57 total acres of vineyards. Cabernet grapes are grown on 47 of them.

“The vineyard produces enough grapes to make 10,000 cases. This gives me the ability to flex my wine production based on grape sales to others,” Greg said. “We have no employees so this limits our production level, which is matched to our distribution.”

The property is fully equipped for large-scale wine production with ample storage, dedicated winemaking facilities and a 3,000-square-foot Dunn barn for events or retreats.

“The ideal buyer for this property would be someone who is already in the wine business looking to expand their presence into Paso Robles,” listing agent LIndsey Harn of Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno brokerage said. “Or, someone who is looking for an income-generating vacation home where they can offset the expense of a home on wine country with all of the benefits of having low taxes with the property’s Williamson Act contract and plenty of income-generating and tax-reduction benefits with the agricultural component.”

Another potential buyer may be someone who is up and coming in the wine industry looking to build more business, she added.

“The facilities and grounds here have been incredibly well maintained and are ready for the next generation of winemakers,” Harn said.