Trump Winery
Trump Winery (formerly "Kluge Vineyard and Estate") is a premier Virginia winery situated on Trump Vineyard Estates in Charlottesville, VA. The vineyard was purchased by American business mogul Donald Trump in April 2011[1] and was officially opened in October 2011.[2]
Acquisition and criticism
Trump bought the 1,000-acre vineyard and winery for a fraction of its original value. He was criticized for his "ethics" during this acquisition. He began by buying the 200 acres surrounding the property for less than $500,000. He then placed "No Trespassing" signs around the property. This warded off potential buyers and gave Trump exclusive access to the property. This forced the property into foreclosure and gave Trump the opportunity to buy the land from Bank of America for $3.6 million, a small fraction of the property's real worth ($12M).[3] Development and renovation of the property was given to Eric Trump, who also supervised the acquisition.
Awards
Before Trump acquired the winery, it had already won over 21 awards throughout the United States and the world. It received 10 Gold Standard awards, including the "Best Sparkling Wines in the World" award with KLUGE SP ROSÉ.
In March, 2013, Wine Enthusiast gave the 2007 Trump SP Reserve a 91-point rating. This is the highest rating ever given to any still or sparkling Virginia wine.[4]
References
- ^ Annie Gowen (2011-02-25). "Trump buys former Kluge-owned winery". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ^ "Trump Winery Opens in Albemarle County". Newsplex.com. 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ^ Frank, Robert (2011-07-01). "Donald Trump Picks Up Patricia Kluge's Virginia Assets - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ^ Berninger, Jack (2013-03-24). "Vines and Wines: Trump Winery's 2007 SP Reserve - TimesDispatch.com". Online.TimesDispatch.com. Retrieved 2013-04-04.
