3225 Soda Canyon Road - Resort Living Napa Valley

It's not a show-me-look-at-me kind of property, it's real, it's indigenous. From landscaping that complements rather than competes with nature, to buildings made of stone harvested on site, this is a wine country home in love with its surroundings. They wanted to set this up so people would be invited to come out onto the land. And in a way, the cellar had been invited by the land itself. This all started with a little neighborly trespassing. The cellar was staying nearby at a friend's house and went on a hike. And he was drawn up into this canyon. And when he got to this exact spot, and he looked out to this beautiful view to the west, intimate canyon views here to the east, he realized that this was the place to which he wanted to escape. The vineyard came first. Some landscaping, and then a site plan. But it was not until a top architect, fresh from a year in Spain, sketched a design on brown wrapping paper that the buildings take form. Awarded numerous prizes, the residence is small, but lives larger than its footprint, to quote one magazine. Incorporating mahogany, marble, and limestone, this is a dream cottage that seems to have grown organically, outward. Outdoor cooking. Dining. Bathing. Living. The barn, which is now used as a home theater and for guests, also has ample outdoor facilities, including a superb plunge pool. The vine-draped winehouse has cedar walls and antique doors. And for an endorphin rush, there's a gym with a wall of windmills. Everywhere here, nature is brought in, and wildlife is at home, in what appears to be a country village that has evolved over time. They wanted this to feel real, and they wanted it to be human scale. So they didn't want it to feel contrived or artificial. What's also real are two splendid wines that come from this ground, magnanimous and perpetuity. The former given to charities, the latter to fund the farming. A self-sustaining philanthropy that suits the land, that invites people in. More than most properties, this is one that you really have to experience. So when you come to visit, be sure to give yourself enough time to really soak it up. Cheers, I'm Donald Vandermark. For more information, please contact Sid Greer of Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley.