Sip, Sell, Repeat: Well Known Cape May Winery Seeks New Owner

Want to become a winemaker? Here's your chance.

A well-established Cape May County vineyard and winery is going up for auction next month with a minimum bid of $500,000.

Natali Vineyard and Winery in Cape May Court House, a 25-year-old winery, will be offered in an online auction held by Max Spann Real Estate & Auction Co. from May 11 to May 13, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.

The sale, presented as a turnkey business, includes the Natali Vineyards & Winery business and production equipment, as well as the 22.3-acre property at 221 N. Delsea Drive in Cape May Court House.

A Little History

Natali Vineyard and Winery was established as one of the first licensed wineries in Cape May County, according to its website.

Over the years, its founder planted many different Vinifera grapes on the winery’s 23 acre estate, including some unique Spanish and French varieties. He also spearheaded the naming of Cape May Peninsula as one of only four federally approved viticultural areas within the state.

According to his old Natali Vineyards bio, Al Natali, the founder of Natali Vineyards, worked on Wall Street and was a professor at the City University of New York.

His college dissertation research in France and Italy introduced him to the dry red wines of the Mediterranean region.

Born in Philadelphia,  Al spent summers in Wildwood and Atlantic City with his retired grandparents.

He noticed that coastal summers brought cool breezes that were conducive to making the vinifera wines he remembered from his college days in Europe.

Natali Vineyards was purchased in June 2021 by Richard Caplan, a retired attorney with many years of vineyard and winery operations experience.

He put the vineyard manager of his Lancaster County, PA, Twin Brook Winery in charge of diversifying and growing Natali Vineyard and Winery.

Five years later, the property is up for auction.

Max Spann told the PBJ that Caplan is looking to sell the winery as he gets older.

The Deal in the Auction

The property listing says Natali Vineyards & Winery produces 6,000 gallons annually from its 8 acres of grapes. It also houses a tasting room open on weekends, which sells wine by the bottle or the glass.

The auction for the Natali property is being promoted as giving the buyer a shortcut to getting into winemaking.

"Boom, you're in business. It's no ramp-up time or big upfront capital infusion,” Spann said.

The PBJ article makes it clear that the auction has not disclosed the financials of the business.