In March, the former “home ranch” of poultry industry innovator Nicholas Turkey Breeding Farms returned to its vineyard roots through a transaction brokered by Blakeslee & Crain, who represented the buyer. Palm Drive Vineyards is a partnership of wine industry veterans Andrew Mariani, Andrew Avellar, and Kristof Anderson. “We couldn’t be more pleased,” said Michael Crain. “The property was on the market for three years, and no one had been able to figure out what it was worth due to all the large turkey sheds, multiple houses, conservation easements, and environmental concerns. It was a very complex property to assess. In cooperation with Blakeslee & Crain broker Mark Stornetta and his existing relationship with the buyers, we were able to establish value and navigate the entire process to a successful conclusion for our client.” The 256-acre property at 2030 Napa Road, Sonoma, originally listed for $5 million and sold for $3.895 million. In the 19th century, immigrant German families planted some of the region’s first vineyards on the sloping land. In 1939, George Nicholas converted the property into an internationally acclaimed turkey-breeding operation, which is now based in West Virginia. Palm Drive Vineyards, named for the site’s tree-lined access road, has wasted no time in realizing its vision. “Our goal is to revive the historic property while adding our own touch,” said Andrew Mariani in an interview with The Sonoma Index-Tribune. Non-native trees and long steel sheds have already come down, while work is underway to resurrect 60 acres of vineyards planted as early as 1857. As reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, the firm will grow mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes as well as some Riesling and Zinfandel and hopes for a 2011 harvest. An existing building will become a solar-powered storage facility for some 4,000 barrels of wine. For visitors, Palm Drive is restoring a 1915 Spanish-style home as a hillside tasting room that will feature an unobstructed view of Arrowhead Mountain and the property’s 150 acres protected by the Forever Wild Sonoma Valley Conservation Easement. It is slated to open in 2008.