About Daveste’ Vineyards

Introduction

In recent years, North Carolina has been growing it’s presence and production in the Mid-Atlantic world of estate vineyards and wineries—and is now producing some of the finest estate wines to be found anywhere on the East Coast of the U.S. North Carolina now boasts 525 vineyards and 185 wineries, and as of 2021 it was the 11th largest wine-producing state in the country—with about 2,300 grape-bearing acres under vine and producing over 1.1 million cases of wine.

Daveste’ Vineyards (DV) is one of the newer integrated vineyards-wineries to join the vibrant and growing estate wine industry in North Carolina—making the Tarheel state a favorite destination for wine lovers from all over the country. DV strives to make wines of the highest quality, which has garnered them numerous awards including, on more than one occasion, the coveted North Carolina “double gold” for the best wines in the state.

LOCATION and RELEVANT MARKET AREAS:

DV enjoys a superb country-side location—but is still part of an overall market area which is the most vibrant and growing in North Carolina and the overall mid-Atlantic. This Combined Statistical Area (CSA) is home to over 2.8 million people, and in the 10 years between the 2010 census and the 2020 census it grew by 18.5%—and continues on that growth trajectory putting it among the very top tier of growth rates for large CSAs across the entire country.

Not only is this CSA growing, but the economic profile of that growth creates and attracts a well-educated business, professional, and entrepreneurial demographic with high levels of disposable income who tend to engage in hospitality and entertainment offerings outside of the home on a frequent basis—such as enjoying local fine wines and food in estate winery settings such as that found at Daveste’ Vineyards.

Also, DV is only about 5 miles from the northern shore of Lake Norman, and is also very proximate to what are considered the best towns that the vibrant and dynamic Lake Norman area has to offer—those of Mooresville, Davidson and Cornelius—each of which is within a range of 15 to 20 miles or 20 to 30 minutes away.

Other noteworthy driving distances and times from Daveste’ Vineyards are as follows:

• Statesville 7.4 mi. 15 min.
• Huntersville 24 mi. 30 min.
• Kannapolis-Concord 30 mi. 45 min.
• Hickory 31 mi. 40 min.
• Charlotte Speedway 37 mi. 42 min.
• Charlotte Downtown 37 mi. 44 min.

THE SETTING and The ACREAGE TO CONVEY:

The countryside rolling acreage lays just beautifully, and includes vineyard views, elevated vistas from the “Wishing Tree” near the large pond and waterfall—which are just adjacent to the tasting room and pavilion area.

Embedded here is an aerial-ortho boundary map view of the acreage intended to convey, and also shows the vineyard site, tasting room hospitality complex near the lake, the new vineyard-winery building and the multi-use white barn structure near the vineyard:

The offering comprises a total of about 14.0 +/- AC, which comprises the “core”vineyard-winery business acres to be divided from an existing parcel of 37.05 AC A new survey will be completed and recorded in connection with the sale. The new deed will also include a deeded right of way and easement for establishment of a Residential Local Subdivision Road, consistent with prevailing NCDOT standards at the time of the sale.

Substantial, additional adjacent acreage may be available for purchase only to the buyers of the core acreage and business currently on offer. Such acreage could be used for expansion of the core business, or for investment purposes as it could be quite valuable for residential development purposes.

VINEYARD BLOCKS, ACREAGE, VARIETALS & TYPICAL PRODUTION YIELDS:

The vineyard site is just under 4 acres, and is currently comprised of 3 interesting and desirable varietals which were carefully selected to thrive in the local climate and terroir characteristics. Those varietals (with vine counts and acres) are as follows:

• Rkatsiteli 932 vines 1.5 AC
• Traminette 854 vines 1.4 AC
• Chambourcin 498 vines 0.8 AC

The highest tonnage yield to date has been about 10 tons overall, or 2.7 tons per acre.

VINEYARD BLOCKS

For those not immediately familiar with the Rkatsiteli wine grape, it is an ancient pale-skinned varietal from the Republic of Georgia—the oldest wine-producing region on earth and typically is described as restrained and refreshing with crisp green-apple flavors and hints of white peach. A white wine perfectly suited to the Lake Norman area served by Daveste’ Vineyards. Here are comments directly from the DV website:

“Great wine starts with a great grape. Our signature wine, Rkatsiteli, is made from estate grapes. We were the first to plant Rkatsiteli in North Carolina. This is one of our most award-winning and critically acclaimed wines, with vintage after vintage capturing numerous medals including the coveted North Carolina Fine Wine Competition double gold —an award reserved for truly exceptional wines which top their category.”

Planting and maintaining a modestly sized vineyard minimizes vineyard labor costs and weather risks, and also provides the opportunity to augment the estate grown varietals with other selections from season to season—which is precisely the business model being implemented by many of the leading integrated vineyard-winery operations in both North Carolina and Virginia.

Among the other noteworthy varietals processed and bottled by DV over recent years are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Edelweiss, and Viognier. During the 2022 harvest period, DV processed 7700 gallons of wine, or the equivalent of 3,200 cases.

THE NEW WINERY:

Beginning in 2021, DV owners planned and commenced the building of a new estate winery on the property—just adjacent to the Tasting Room and Pavilion complex. The new winery building comprises 6,900 SF of space, and was executed to the highest standards of construction for structures of its type, and includes all new production equipment and state-of-the-art control systems and other fitments that make it an estate wine-maker’s “dream” environment.

In terms of capacity, the new winery has production capacity of 4,000 cases of wine annually with existing equipment—however, the plans and structure included available space to add sufficient tanks and barrels to take production capacity up to the range of 5,000 to 6,000 cases annually.

THE TASTING ROOM/ART GALLERY BUILDING:

Completed in 2008, the Tasting Room building with its “Napa-esque” cedar and stone-trimmed exterior, wrap -around covered porch area and massive wooden main entry door — makes for an inviting wine-tasting experience. The main level comprises 1,500 SF on the main tasting level and is augmented by a 950 SF cellar level for wine and beer storage. Upon entering through the main wooden door, one is greeted by a very open and delightful tasting space with a beamed wooden cathedral ceiling above, adding much warmth to the overall ambiance. At floor level, there is a spacious tasting bar and numerous casual seating and table areas throughout—all complemented by a fireplace at one end of the room with gathering space nearby.

Another attractive and appealing feature of the Tasting Room is that it also serves as an Art Gallery. Following the artistic methodology begun by Daveste’ founder and artist Estèr DeFehr, DV wine bottle labels feature original work by established North Carolina artists.​
These artists work mainly in the watercolor medium, but also with pastel, oils, acrylics and collage—and you can find work by these artists and many others displayed for sale in the Tasting Room/Art Gallery. The changing offerings in both wines and art work from time to time definitely help stimulate return visits to Daveste’.

THE PAVILION and SURROUNDS:

Just to the rear of the Tasting Room building is a very spacious covered outdoor pavilion with 1,850 SF of space, and augmented with open deck areas—all designed in support of tasting room guests as well as special private events. All of this overlooks a beautiful and pleasant pond area, with a picturesque arched bridge and a very well done waterfall feature. These natural elements all combine to provide much relaxing ambiance for the overall casual enjoyment of wine, craft beer, and food at Daveste’ Vineyards.

CRAFT BEER OFFERINGS:

Daveste’ takes pride in being more than just a winery. Daveste’ craft beer is brewed on site in small batches—with water from their 600 foot deep well. Typical offerings include:

• Krystalweizen: lightly filtered, with hints of banana and citrus, made from a blend of American and European style hops​
• Blonde Honey: a light beer featuring clover honey, with a clean finish
• Kolsh: a balanced beer with subtle fruit and hop character, and a subdued maltiness
• Amber Ale: medium maltiness & caramel character, with American hops for nuance
• New England IPA: a traditional IPA with moderate malt sweetness to offset a generous amount of Centennial and Cascade hop varieties
• Oatmeal Stout: dark full bodied, rich and robust, with roasted malty notes of oatmeal—with a smooth finish, and touch of sweetness to complement the classically malty flavors

DAVESTE’ KITCHEN BY FLOCK BISTRO:

Just adjacent to the Pavilion area and easily accessed by guests is the new (late 2022) Daveste’ Kitchen by Flock which is their exciting partnership with Flock Bistro of Mooresville, which has led to the creation of Davesté Kitchen – a gourmet food trailer stationed on the premises, and operating exclusively every day DV is open.
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Guests may indulge in a wide range of delicious chef-prepared cuisine that’s designed to complement DV wines perfectly. From sumptuous Maine lobster rolls and monthly seasonal specials to vegan Mediterranean medleys and avocado bowls, there is something for every palate. This type of initiative is expected to attract many more visitors to DV, and add materially to top line sales of both food and beverages.

THE WHITE BARN:

Rounding out the structural improvements at DV is the White Barn, which was the first building built in support of DV operations—both vineyard operations and for winemaking.

It was completed in 2005 and comprises 3,800 SF on 4 levels. The lowest level is devoted to craft beer production and the upper levels offer residential apartments spaces and space for vineyard equipment, tools and related materials. With minimal updating, the residential spaces could potentially be made available for short-term lodging rental through AirBNB and cross-promoted on the winery website—as current ownership is doing with their personally owned lake front property on Lake Norman.

OFFERING SUMMARY:

• • Superb countryside location, but part of a large, vibrant, and GROWING market area
  • Charlotte-Concord CSA area of 2.8M people with typically high discretionary incomes and predisposition toward casual enjoyment of wine in estate settings
  • Close proximity to all that the vibrant and dynamic Lake Norman lifestyle offers
  • Reasonably short driving times & distances to other important metro market areas
  • Compact, yet sufficient, acreage for successful core enterprise operations at 14 AC
  • Substantial additional, adjacent acreage may also be available for purchase
  • Essentially brand new, well-planned and fully equipped winery with ample capacity
  • “Napa-esque” Tasting Room/Art Gallery, Pavilion Area, Gourmet Food Trailer and outdoor areas all provide for a superb and satisfying visitor/guest experience designed to stimulate return visits, as well as new wine-tasting visitors
  • Offerings cover wine, craft beer, and well-matched, freshly prepared gourmet food
  • Ample facilities, both indoor and outdoor, to support private and corporate events
  • Relatively small vineyard operations saves labor costs, reduces weather-event risks to overall production, and provides the opportunity to augment wine offerings with other desirable and varied wine selections in addition to DV’s award-winning estate selections—thus enhancing the overall wine-tasting experience

In short, Daveste’ Vineyards represents one of the very best purchase opportunities of the newer generation of boutique style vineyard-winery enterprises in the vibrant and growing North Carolina wine industry. Its location, quality reputation, and varied offerings provide for outstanding business growth opportunities. It just awaits your energy, commitment, and unique ideas for continued growth. Quit just dreaming of owning your own hospitality venue built around wine, craft beer, and gourmet food—just make it happen with the purchase of this unique offering!

LIST PRICE: $2,390,000 (Exclusive of Wine Inventory)*

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Please contact Tyler Williams with Virginia Estates, Inc. for more information and showings:

Tyler Williams, SVP, Business Broker, & REALTOR®
VIRGINIA ESTATES, Inc.                                         
Cell: 703-850-4914  Email: <ptylerwilliams@gmail.com

Licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Licensed in NC as Limited Nonresident Commercial Real Estate Broker
Vineyards-Wineries, Event Venues, B&Bs, & Country Estates Specialist 

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Listing Courtesy of Virginia Estates Inc