‘American Idol’ producers offer vineyard for sale
No audition is needed to score this Paso Robles spread — just $22 million and maybe a taste for romance.
Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe were exhausted.
The two “American Idol” producers had just wrapped up a stint in San Francisco, the last stop of a nationwide tour for the show’s second season that saw them audition more than 40,000 hopeful singers. Rather than flying back to Los Angeles, they opted for the scenic route and drove down Pacific Coast Highway, stopping in Paso Robles along the way.
There, they hatched an idea with the show’s other big names — host Ryan Seacrest, judge Simon Cowell and creator Simon Fuller — to buy a vineyard. The other three eventually dropped out, but after a few years of scouting, Warwick and Lythgoe bought a 164acre spread for $5 million in 2005.
The duo spent the next five years creating a Tuscanstyle vineyard called Villa San-Juliette. Now, they’re looking to sell the fruits of their labor for $22 million.
“Our knowledge of the wine-making process at that time was certainly not what it needed to be,” Warwick said. “But with our extended experience of aesthetics and set design from our 50 years in the TV business, we were very adamant about the style of the buildings and the atmosphere we wanted to create.”
Bringing a slice of Italy to the Central Coast, they razed the existing home on the property and built Tuscan-inspired structures for hosting wine-tasting visitors and staging events surrounded by sprawling lawns and gardens. Warwick and Lythgoe also added a pair of three-bedroom villas that mirror each other on each end of the property.
“I immediately felt like I was transported to Italy when I first arrived,” said Rodeo Realty agent Brianna Deutsch, pointing out highlights such as a centerpiece fountain and California Oak tree.
For the wine, the producers replaced 80% of the vines and grew smaller batches of grapes that age in French and American barrels.
Although challenges included water supply, the varying market price of grapes and being at the daily mercy of the weather, the vineyard has grown to produce 12 varietals and as many as 30,000 cases of wine a year, Warwick said.
Among the events the place has hosted this year are 41 weddings, Warwick said. The owners are selling because they’re getting older and want to travel more.
“Coming from a small cobblestoned backyard with an outside toilet in Liverpool’s Merseyside, the romance of owning a vineyard in California is a dream come true,” Lythgoe said.
“We will leave with a heavy heart but a beautiful memory,” Warwick said.
In California’s luxury market, a vineyard can sometimes come as a bonus amenity — same as a swimming pool or basketball court. Celebrities such as Robert Redford and Emilio Estevez have owned homes with vineyards, and last year, hotelier George Rosenthal offered a 180-acre spread with a 10,000-vine vineyard for sale at $38 million in Malibu.
In addition to “American Idol,” Warwick has produced multiple reality competition shows such as “Pop Idol,” “Gladiators” and “America’s Got Talent.”
Lythgoe also produced “Pop Idol” before creating and judging the competition show “So You Think You Can Dance,” which recently wrapped up its 17th season on Fox.
Deutsch and Paul Margolis of Rodeo Realty hold the listing.
Pop star sells second 90210 home
Katy Perry is officially out of Beverly Crest. A few months after selling her guesthouse for $7.475 million, the pop star just unloaded the main house for $18 million — the same price she paid for it in 2017.
The sale comes as no surprise. In 2020, she moved to Montecito with her fiance, Orlando Bloom, shelling out $14.2 million for a sprawling nine-acre compound.
Built in the 1950s but updated since, the Regencystyle home showcases dramatic style across 5,400 square feet. Even the entrance is over the top, as massive gates open to a quarter-mile driveway lined with trees and hedges.
Ivy and oval windows frame the entry, leading to spaces such as a skylit gallery, step-down living room and wood-paneled library with a fireplace. Another highlight comes in the teal primary suite, which has a fireplace, marble bathroom and garden terrace.
Amenities fill out the rest of the floor plan, including a gym, sauna and cold plunge. Outside, a swimming pool and spa overlook the surrounding canyons.
Brett Lawyer of Hilton & Hyland held the listing. Peter Maurice and Tregg Rustad of Rodeo Realty Beverly Hills represented the buyer.
A native of Santa Barbara, Perry has released six studio albums over the last two decades with hits such as “Dark Horse,” “Teenage Dream” and “I Kissed a Girl.”
The 37-year-old released her latest record, “Smile,” in August 2020 and gave birth to her daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom, the same month.
Architect’s creation in Little Holmby
Few architects have left a larger mark on Southern California’s architectural landscape than Paul R. Williams. The prolific builder worked on thousands of projects during his decadeslong career, including a healthy mix of public landmarks and private residences.
One of the latter just surfaced for sale in the Westside neighborhood of Little Holmby, where a Colonial Revival-style spot is up for grabs at $5.25 million. It’s the first time the house has hit the market in half a century.
Williams, who made history as the first Black member of the American Institute of Architects, built the home in 1937 for Watterson Rothacker, the owner of a film processing lab. At the time, it cost $19,800 to build.
The estate traded hands a few times over the years before selling to the current owner, interior designer and businesswoman Ann Ascher, for $176,000 in 1971.
Stone, shutters and dormer windows bring colonial style to the exterior, while inside, the grand foyer showcases a Paul R. Williams trademark: the spiral staircase. The swirling steps boast gold carpet and uncoil around a crystal chandelier.
Elsewhere are five bedrooms and six bathrooms in 5,250 square feet, including a blast from the past in one of the guest bedrooms complete with bright floral wallpaper surrounding lime green carpet.
Walls of glass cover the kitchen, leading to a leafy backyard with a swimming pool. The property spans just over a third of an acre.
Bret Parsons and Aaron Montelongo of Compass hold the listing.