52-acre wine vineyard and home near Red Bluff ripe for new owner at $2.395 million
It might not be the first place you think of when talking about California wines, but a 52-acre property with an award-winning certified organic vineyard, a 2,900-square-foot home and a popular tasting room near the foot of Mount Lassen is for sale for $2.395 million.
Alger/Lassen Creek Vineyards — located in the small town of Manton, east of Redding and Red Bluff and near Lassen Volcanic National Park — cultivates 32 acres of an eclectic variety of grapes, with room for more.
Twenty-six acres are planted with petite sirah and syrah grapes, another six acres grow cabernet sauvignon, malbec, pinot gris, viognier, merlot and other varietals.
The area is home to several small, family owned wineries. The warm summers, cool nights, volcanic loam, 2,500-foot altitude and clean mountain spring water provide a great environment for creating premium wines. The conditions are similar to France’s wine-growing regions.
John and Linda Alger have owned the property in the Manton Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) since 1992, according to listing agent Scott Soder of California Outdoor Properties. The region received the AVA wine designation in 2014.
John Alger and one full-time employee handle most of the work on the vineyards, Soder said, such as planting and pruning. A crew comes in to harvest the grapes, which are grown organically with a biodynamic approach.
The property’s four-bedroom, three-bath Spanish-style stucco home with a red tile roof was built in 2004. There is a formal dining room and separate living and family rooms that boast spectacular views of the vineyard, the mountain valley dotted with farms and forest lands.
“The vineyards are on rolling hills,” Soder said. “It’s very pretty.”
A large country kitchen features an eating bar, stainless steel appliances and kitchen nook.
There is also a separate two-bedroom home for farm workers near the entrance to the vineyard.
A three-car garage is connected to the main residence by a breezeway with a large patio overlooking the valley. Inside the garage, there is cool storage for up to 1,200 cases of wine.
Above the garage sits the 1,000 square-foot wine tasting room with a wine bar, tables and picturesque views. The tasting room is only open on the weekends, and Soder says it gets busy.
“These guys have people coming from the Bay Area to taste wine, so it’s a bit of an attraction,” he said.
Alger Vineyards’ 2014 petite sirah, cabernet sauvignon and syrah/shiraz wines won silver and bronze medals in the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
Alger hauls his grapes to a winemaker in Woodland for processing and bottling. He bottles about 40 percent of the grapes for the on-site tasting room, the vineyard’s wine club and retail shops , Soder said. Alger sells the other 60 percent in bulk to Sonoma and Napa wineries, with Fetzer being a big customer, he added.
A number of wineries buy Alger’s grapes to add distinct and unique character to their offerings, “like a spice,” Soder said.
The property is primed for expansion. Soder said there is not a winery on site, but the owners have permits for a winery and water for up to 25,000 cases per year.
Beer could also be brewed and tasted on site with the same permit that is currently in use for the on-site wine tasting room, according to the property listing.
A new owner could do even more with the property. The land is also zoned to allow a bed-and-breakfast, RV camping, glamping and other agri-tourism options, according to California Outdoor Properties.
The Algers decided it was time to retire and sell their business to new owners who can invest the time and energy into expanding the operation, Soder said.
This story was originally published January 10, 2020 at 8:34 AM.
