How Nice: Lakefront Villa Ceago in California Wine Country Available for $17.5M

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own spread in wine country, this 28,000-square-foot Spanish Mediterranean gem in the heart of California should pique your interest.

This 57-acre compound known as Villa Ceago at 5115 E. Highway 20 in the small town of Nice is being offered for $17.5 million, along with the opportunity to purchase the adjacent 110-acre vineyard for $3.5 million.

The estate lies north of Napa County and east of Sonoma and Mendocino counties, right on the shore of California’s largest freshwater lake, Clear Lake.

The seller is Jim Fetzer, a titan of the California wine industry and former president of Fetzer Vineyards.

The listing is a record high for a lakeside property in Nice, but Fetzer is used to that. When he and his family of 11 siblings sold their 2 million-case winery in the 1990s, it set a record for the highest sale of any California winery at that time—reported to be around $80 million.

The estate was designed by architect Richard Ruff and built by Madden Construction. The design was inspired by Spanish-Mediterranean architecture and early California missions.

The 22-room, 28,000-square-foot tiled hacienda was completed in 2004 and features two large courtyards. The central compound includes eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a great hall with a massive fireplace, a media room, and a private gathering space with a corner fireplace.

There are also plenty of unusual touches, like an adjoining tavern and a cavernous 2,000-square-foot primary suite.

The estate includes a 2,500-square-foot, four-bedroom farmhouse; a 1,200-square-foot lake house; and three guest casitas.

“In addition to the expansive property and massive buildings, guest residences, patios, the abundant wildlife within the basin, beautiful scenery, and recreational opportunities, Villa Ceago is a spectacular place to unwind and refresh the soul,” says co-listing agent John Law, of Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty.

Villa Ceago comes with a private beach and a 340-foot pier, the longest on Clear Lake, with a private dock.

Clear Lake “is considered to be the oldest freshwater lake in all of North America, estimated to be approximately 2 million years old,” Law says. “There are 31 species of fish in Clear Lake and [it is] designated as the ‘Bass Capital of the West,’ holding frequent bass tournaments for fisherman in California and from out-of-state. It’s reported that there are more fish per square acre in Clear Lake than any other freshwater lake in America.”

There are also more than 3,000 species of permanent and migrating birds, from bald eagles to ospreys, egrets, and ducks.

The estate includes a 10-acre vineyard with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, sauvignon blanc, malbec, and other classic grape varieties.

“Ceago embodies the splendor of a Mediterranean landscape, featuring top-tier wine grapes but also fruit trees, walnut trees, olive trees, figs, a 2-acre expanse of lavender, majestic palms, California oak, and fragrant bay laurel,” Law notes. “Along the lakeshore, you’ll find a tapestry of tulle, willow, oak, cottonwood, and other riparian vegetation. Adding a touch of exotic charm, 2,000 Italian cypress trees and tropical palms can also be found on this remarkable property.”

The listing agents are Law, Craig Sikes, and Hunter Sikes, with Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty.

For more information and photos, check out the full listing here.

To see other homes for sale in Nice, CA, go here.