NAPA VALLEY NORTH

CELLAR’S MARKET

After a recent California caper left local oenophiles to mourn the loss of more than $100,000 worth of rare Burgundy and Bordeaux, technology appears to be catching up with wine collectors’ specific security needs. In our own fair city, The Fine Wine Reserve on Front Street offers customers 24-hour service and seven separate layers of security, including biometric fingerprint scanners to protect those liquid investments in either private cellars or custodial cellaring. But what about for at-home storage?

When building a custom cellar today, collectors are rushing to install state-of-the art tools such as fingerprint and voice recognition software, magnetic locks that can be accessed remotely, and even in some cases, criss-crossing laser beams which would seem more at home in a museum than private abode. Cellar tracker technology has also improved with new bar code scanning devices to keep you abreast of your collection, and on the horizon, radio frequency labels are in the works to help locate bottles anywhere in the world.

OPERATING A WINERY is on a lot of people’s dream lists, especially after a bottle of Pinot and the umpteenth viewing of Sideways. For the price of a luxury home in North Toronto, oenophiles could find themselves plopped down in the Niagara region and in the possession of a gorgeous vineyard (turning out Chardonnay, Syrah and Reisling) that sits nestled amid 66 acres of land and six acres of structures including a residence. Stonechurch Vineyards is currently accepting offers through Zeifman Partners Inc. Say goodbye to Rosedale and hello to award-winning Rosé.

THREE WINE COUNTRY ESTATES RIPE FOR THE PICKING

GROWING RIGHTEOUS GRAPES, despite your love of fine wine, might not be your idea of a good time. That doesn’t mean that a beautiful estate in wine country isn’t. Located a short drive from the GTA, the Niagara region offers much for discerning homeowners. The countryside is breathtaking, and with the right wind, you can smell the Chardonnay bubbles on the air.

A TUDOR MANOR designed by Scottish architect Robert Ian McBeth in 1936, this gorgeous mansion sits on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment in idyllic Fonthill. From the five-storey turret to the tiered gardens and sunken courtyard, this 5,000-square-foot home oozes romance. With close to four acres of land, this pastoral oasis, pegged at just $1.2 million, is minutes from charming Niagara-on-the-Lake and a number of the area’s leading wineries.

THIS CENTURY-OLD RIVERFRONT home, priced at $4.490 million (with two adjacent lots, or $1.99 million alone), is a rare gem. Currently, it is one of the best-known B & B establishments in Niagara-on-the-Lake. If you’re not making wine, you can at least tell all the tourists about it. Built in 1910, the home features extensive covered porches overlooking the river, along with a marble foyer, Tudor living room with stone fireplace, a walk-up attic and main floor master bedroom suite with fireplace.

THIS FULLY RESTORED 19th-century farmhouse is located in the idyllic older area of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Listed for $1.325 million, this four-bedroom, 2,400-square-foot home also includes a gorgeous carriage house and a unique “bank barn” that currently houses an antique store. Luxury features include pine floors throughout, granite kitchen, beautiful porches and flagstone patios and large principal rooms with nine-and-a-half-foot ceilings.