FrankSinatra

Can the Sinatra name sell wine? The Sinatra Family Estates has announced its first wine offering, Come Fly With Me, a limited-production 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.The winery partnered with the Frank Sinatra Estate and his three children (Tina, Nancy and Frank Jr.) to produce the wine. The wine is being produced from a five-acre vineyard site in Napa Valley, and only 500 cases will be bottled and are selling at a steep price of $570 for six bottles. The website says the wine has notes of cherry with hints of leather and spice and says it has a 92 rating but no indication of where that rating came from. Each vintage will be named after a Sinatra classic and the wine label features a logo of a record.

[via Limewire]

Classic cars owned by Rat Pack-ers Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra will be auctioned off in Carmel, CA on August 14 during Bonhams' annual Collectors' Automobilia and Motorcars sale at the Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club. Sinatra's car is a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, estimated at $275,000 - $325,000, and Martin's is a beautiful 1962 Ghia L6.4 coupe (above), one of only 26 made by Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Ghia, estimated at $185,000 - $225,000. Both cars have bespoke touches; Sinatra's Caddy features an original set of magnetic shot glasses and a cigarette case in the glove box, while Martin's Ghia comes with set of custom fitted calfskin luggage matching the tan leather upholstery.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Darren Julien may have lost the Michael Jackson auction but he's got plenty of other celebrity items up his sleeve. The Julien's Auctions Summer Entertainment Sale is an annual memorabilia event that usually always features a few items from blue-chip celebs like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley as well as a treasure trove of ephemera for old movie buffs. The sale will be held at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on June 26th and 27th, 2009.

The Marilyn Monroe items include clothing from her personal and professional wardrobe and furniture from her Brentwood, California home. Marilyn's dining room table is estimated at $10,000 to $12,000 and other pieces including a coffee table and a tapestry are priced for less.

On the Elvis tip you can rather ghoulishly acquire prescription bottles made out to Elvis as well as many other personal items. But maybe the creepiest item of all is the Frank Sinatra oil painting of a clown. Old Blue Eyes painted this 22 by 24-inch painting which he gave as a gift to producer Guy Della-Cioppa. Apparently Sinatra began painting clowns before painting more abstract pieces. If you want it haunting you from your wall you'll have to bid in the $10,000 to $20,000 range.

[via NY Daily News]

Also included in the June 11th Antiquorum watch auction is this Cartier Pasha watch model that was a gift from Rat Packer Frank Sinatra to other fellow Rat Packer Sammy Davis Jr. The watch auction comes with news photos of Davis Jr. wearing the watch, while the rear of the watch still bears the engraving by Sinatra that reads, "Sammy, I Luv Ya, F.A.S." A highly collectible item for Cartier fans and Rat Pack devotees alike.

The 18k gold Pasha watch is printed with its manufacture date of 1987, and bears a quartz movement, being the "in" thing of the time. Today this would lead you to believe that Sinatra might have been miserly with his gift, but this was not the case in the late 80's when quartz movement based watches were much more popular than mechanical ones. The watch complications include the time, date with day, moon phase, and second time zone. The watch is very rare, and is estimated to go for a likely lower than actual auction price of $10,000 - $20,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

London luxury goods firm Dunhill is offering a new limited edition gold lighter based on a model from their archives that was owned by Elvis Presley in the 1950s.

The slim, elegant 18-karat yellow gold Apex lighter features a classic crosshatch pattern in Dunhill's famed Rollalite style. Only 50 pieces are being produced at $13,000 each.

Dunhill, which dates back to the 1890s, produced its first lighter, dubbed the Unique, in 1923. Noel Coward, Coco Chanel and Frank Sinatra, who also had his tuxedos made the firm, all owned Dunhill lighters as well.

The precious but understated lighter indicates that before he got sloppy Elvis was a man of taste. Some of his later, more vulgar accouterments are currently being auctioned off in NYC.

[via JustLuxe]

Between 1966 and 1972, Lamborghini built what has come to be known as the "Holy Grail" of its many famous sportscars: the legendary Miura. Named after a Spanish ranch famed for its ferocious bulls, the Miura's (pronounced me-you-rra) flamboyance and engineering astounded the public when it was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in 1965. It quickly became the supercar of choice for the coolest of the cool and richest of the rich - members of royal families and two of the world's most famous and stylish musicians owned one, for starters.

Miles Davis is said to have driven his Miura around with a .357 Magnum stashed under the seat and enjoyed outrunning police cars while terrified passengers like Jimi Hendrix held on for dear life. He crashed the car in 1972, breaking both ankles in the process, and immediately ordered another. Frank Sinatra arrived at the Lamborghini factory outside carrying a roll of specially tanned wild boar skin with which he instructed the workmen to upholster the interior. He chose orange metallic paint for the exterior and matching shag carpet within.

So why are we talking about the Miura now? Because Joe Sackey, the world's leading authority on the vehicle, has just published the definitive volume on it - aptly titled The Lamborghini Miura Bible - after 20 years of diligent research. Sackey makes the case that the Miura is nothing short of "The Most Beautiful Sports Car of The Postwar Era." Having himself himself owned, maintained and restored five Miuras, he knows whereof he speaks. "The Miura is not a car without its flaws," Sackey notes. "But, what a benchmark post-war classic! A special car, it is to be enjoyed and indeed put on a pedestal. In terms of reliability and utility, it may not be the ultimate example of a sports car, but for sheer charisma and emotion the Miura is hard to beat."

Twin Palms, shown above, the original Palm Springs home of Frank Sinatra is now for sale for $3.25 million. The listing is here.

Luxist reader Nick reports that the Bridgehampton Idea house which we profiled as an estate of the day in January has had a deep price reduction. It was listed at $18 million, was down to $15 million when we wrote about it and now is listed at just $9.95 million. The listing is here.

From Newsday's Real LI:
--Fox Hall, an estate we've been watching since 2005 when it was listed at $20 million has a new broker and a new price, $14,999,999 million. The listing is here.
--Billy Joel 's Centre Island home is back off the market once again. Joel purchased the home in 2002 for $22 million. He listed the Tudor-style waterfront mansion for sale in September 2006 with Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty for $37.5 million when it was our estate of the day and later tried to sell it for $32.5 million.

From the LA Times Hot Property:
Director Rob Cohen has listed his Malibu home. It's our estate of the day later today.

From Cityfile's Buyers and Sellers:
--Bruce Lisman, the former co-head of global equities at Bear Stearns, has cut the price of his apartment at 923 Fifth Ave. The four-bedroom is now $16.75 million, down from $22.5 million. The listing is here.
--Kenneth Cole has reduced the price on his New York City penthouse. We'll be checking it out as the estate of the day on Monday.

From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--Fashion designer Domenico Vacca has reduced the price on his New York City condominium from $9.5 million to $8.9 million. The listing is here.
--Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Thani, of Qatar, has listed his three-bedroom apartment at Trump Park Avenue for $14 million. The listing is here.
--Hollywood producer George Furla is asking $3.495 million for his unfinished penthouse apartment in downtown Chicago. He paid $3.15 million for the unit in 2005. The listing is here.


From the NY Observer's Manhattan Transfers:
--Colombian ambassador to the U.N. Claudia Blum and her husband Francisco Barberi have paid $3.9 million for a third-floor co-op at 936 Fifth Avenue, which is next door to the other apartment in the building thy bought for $3.35 million earlier this month

Steve Wynn has announced two restaurants for his Encore hotel in Las Vegas. The first, called Sinatra, will be an homage to Frank Sinatra. The Italian restaurant will be decorated with Sinatra memorabilia including Sinatra's Academy Award for best supporting actor in "From Here to Eternity," and his Grammy awards loaned from his family. Paul Anka is contributing the gold record he won for writing the English lyrics for "My Way," one of Sinatra's most famous songs. Wynn says the restaurant won't be a museum. His other restaurant announcement is called Switch, which will feature transformations during dinner including changing walls and ceilings and the staff switching clothes. The Wynn Encore opens December 22.

An ultra-rare 1955 Jaguar D-Type (above), the first production example ever made, is being auctioned off by Bonhams during the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Sussex, England on July 11. The car, which carries an estimate of $4 - $5 million and has a colorful racing history, is one of the most coveted sportscars ever produced; a similar one was owned by Steve McQueen.

Also featured in the historic sale: a super-cool lime green 1970 Lamborghini Miura P400S Series II Berlinetta similar to those owned by Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis, est. $440,000 - $500,000; a rare 1968 Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300 coupé, exhibited at the first Louis Vuitton Concours D'elegance in 1990, est. $400,000 - $500,000; a 1962 Cooper-Climax Type 61 'Monaco', raced by several famous name and one of only three believed to be in existence, est. $300,000 - $360,000; a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 competition saloon, est. $200,000 - $240,000; and more.

From the NY Post's Gimme Shelter:
--Donald Trump is asking a truly stunning amount of rent for one of his unsold Park Avenue penthouses: $200,000 per month for a three-bedroom condominium, shown above, that is listed at $45 million. The listing is here.
--We first heard rumors of this back in December but now it seems that it is official that the listing for Oscar-winning producer Marty Richards' apartment went to contract. It's selling for somewhere just below its $22.7 million asking price. The buyer is said to be fashion-show mogul Elyse Kroll. Her 23-room townhouse is on the market for $29.75 million. The listing is here.
--Hopedene, a fabulous mansion on Newport, Rhode Island's famous Cliff Walk has hit the market. It's our estate of the day later today.

From the NY Observer's Manhattan Transfers:
--Steven Croman who has been named to The Village Voice's 10 Worst Landlords List, has picked up a townhouse at 7 East 75th Street,paying $14.5 million to a family that had owned the house for decades. (The home's facade was used as home on the TV show The Nanny). Croman says he has no plans to make it into a single family home or to raise rent for existing tenants.
--Writer and Oprah scapegoat James Frey has picked up a $985,000 one-bedroom apartment which is next door to his three-bedroom apartment at 505 Greenwich Street.
--One of New York city's most coveted homes, Brooke Astor's 778 Park Avenue duplex may soon be on the market. Agents from five of the city's top brokerages met in the 778 Park duplex's library to audition for the listing which could be as much as $46 million.

From The Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--Bear Sterns Chief Executive Alan D. Schwartz has taken his Purchase, New York house off the market and is renting it instead. The home was listed for $4.5 million. Bear Chairman and former CEO James Cayne closed last month on a $27.4 million purchase of two adjacent apartments at the Plaza in New York.
--Allman Brothers Band drummer Claude "Butch" Trucks has cut the asking price on his Palm Beach, Fla., house again this month to $3.995 million, down 17% from the original $4.8 million. The listing is here.
--In Manhattan, a few new high-profile condo buildings with unusual designs are selling at high prices for downtown neighborhoods. At 100 11th Ave., an irregular, glass-faceted tower designed by France's Jean Nouvel, 70% of the building's 72 original units have sold since sales began in April. Eight of the nine units at Shigeru Ban's "Metal Shutter Houses" development have sold at full asking price of up to $10.25 million. Herzog & de Meuron's 28-unit green-glass 40 Bond building still has one original unit for sale after two years on the market, in addition to several resale listings.

From Berg Properties Big Time Listings:
--via WSJ Private Properties, retired quarterback Drew Bledsoe is selling his home in Westlake, Texas. He already lives in Bend, Oregon. The listing is here.
--Sitcom actress Jaime Pressly has paid $2,250,000 for a new five-bedroom home in Sherman Oaks.
--British TV presenter and Simon Cowell girlfriend Terri Seymour, has paid $4.6 million for a home in the Bird Streets area of the Hollywood Hills. Pictures of the beautiful contemporary home are here.
--A modern home in the Hollywood Hills that once was owned by actress Milla Jovovich has been listed for $2,399,000. The virtual tour is here.
--Michael J. Fox has paid $6,300,000 for a new six-bedroom house in Quogue, N.Y.
--Charlotte Bobcats shooting guard Jason Richardson has listed his five-bedroom home in Oakland, CA for $3,100,000. The listing is here.
--O magazine editor-at-large and Oprah BFF Gayle King has closed on the purchase of a $7,100,000 condo in Manhattan.
--Rumor has it that Jessica Simpson may have purchased a large house in Nashville, Tennessee but so far she has denied this.
--Danny Masterson has sold his four-bedroom, Spanish-style house in the Beachwood Canyon area of Los Angeles for $1.2 million.
--via TMZ Tom Arnold has listed his five-bedroom, 4,211-square-foot house in Tarzana for $2,275,000. The virtual tour is here.

From the Real Estalker:
--The $81.5 million Sidney Kimmel home in Palm Beach may have already gone to contract for a number over $75 million.
--Actor Enrique Murciano has listed his home in Los Angeles for $1.795 million. The listing is here.
--via NY Daily News, Mary J. Blige has paid $12.3 million for a home in Saddle River, NJ that was originally listed at $17 million.

From the LA Times: Hot Property:
--Another look at the home that DJ Paul Oakenfold has put on the market for $10 million. It was our estate of the day in February.
--Hotelier Jason Pomeranc has purchased a former Hollywood Hills home of actress Sandra Dee and singer Bobby Darin for about $3 million.
--Frank Sinatra's Palm Desert hideaway,Villa Maggio, has hit the market for $4.995 million. The compound sleeps up to 22 people and there is a helicopter pad, movie theater and outdoor dance floor. The listing is here.
--Actress Dedee Pfeiffer, sister of Michelle Pfeiffer, has listed her home in Mandeville Canyon for $1.195 million. It looks like the three-bedroom home with hot and cold Japanese-style dipping pools has already gone to contract. The listing is here.
--Actor Gregory Harrison has listed his southern Oregon home at $5.9 million. We covered this home as an estate of the day back in January but were unaware of its celebrity provenance

This 1985 Chrysler Town and Country would normally be worth less than $1,000, but throw in the fact that it belonged to Frank Sinatra and suddenly the price leaps to close to $40,000. The car has 77,777 miles on it and is currently located in England. The current owner bought it in Palm Springs in 2004. This car is considered prized to collectors because it may have been the last car Sinatra ever drove. It's probably also the least sexy car he ever drove. It is being sold by the Autotrader in England.