This abode’s for you.
It’s an American palace that includes an on-site winery, brewery, a go-cart track, 180-foot waterslide — and a selection of retired Clydesdale horses, once part of Budweiser’s classic ad campaign.
Dubbed Mount Ida, the property boasts 26 separate houses across a 4,500-acre expanse of central Virginia wine country. The estate’s primary nine-bedroom home, built around 1780 along the James River, was hauled onto the farmland about three decades ago, according to the Wall Street Journal. Another historic dwelling, the Mount Pleasant Manor, was built on the land in 1810.
Along with the aforementioned attractions, the full-service expanse also boasts a pool, two tennis courts, miles of hiking trails, two lakefront beaches and 18 other ponds. It also offers — in keeping with a clear appreciation for alcohol and velocity (though, hopefully, not combined) — antique carriage rides led by the Clydesdales. However, upkeep for the veritable adult theme park requires a full-time staff of 20 employees, plus various contractors for maintenance.
Listing agent Daniel Heider, of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, suggested the sprawling residence could be used as an upscale retreat or resort.
“Everything is just in immaculate condition … just unbelievable condition,” Heider boasted to NBC station WVIR. “There’s not any aspect of Mount Ida that has been neglected. It’s certainly one of the largest parcels of its kind and I would say really nothing is of its equal.”
And, for those who are counting, the listing on Sotheby’s also notes the property is “three times larger than nearby Trump Winery & Estate.” Other neighbors along the Southern Albemarle County winery route, near Charlottesville, include musician Dave Matthews’ Blenheim Vineyards as well as Steve Case’s Early Mountain Vineyards, which the AOL co-founder owns with his wife Jean.
Among the palatial estate’s previous owners is Bernard Arnault, the 71-year-old CEO of LVMH, the luxury conglomerate which owns Moët, Hennessy and Louis Vuitton, among other brands. The mansion’s current owner, former wireless telecom entrepreneur Tom Sullivan, has reportedly spent about $ 100 million on upgrades to the home, according to the listing.
The sale of the wine country expanse would far and away exceed the previous record set in the state: $ 45 million for a north Virginia property once home to another AOL co-founder, James Kimsey.
Exactly how and why Mount Ida acquired the beer brand’s iconic mascots was not revealed by property management.