[4] The winery and vineyard were established by Patricia Kluge in 1999, later purchased by businessman (later U.S. President) Donald Trump in April 2011 and officially re-opened in October 2011.

The land outside the mansion's front door and bordering its long driveway is a 217-acre stretch of rolling greenery that had a former life as John Kluge's private Arnold Palmer–designed golf course.

[13][14] A quirk in the divorce settlement let John Kluge own this parcel, as his ex-wife kept the mansion and the land underneath, insulating it from Patricia's future financial woes.

[3][15][16] Trump, a longstanding friend of John and Patricia Kluge, purchased the 1,300-acre estate, including the vineyards and winemaking operation, out of foreclosure from three different banks for $8.5 million.

He initially offered the banks $20 million to bail out Kluge Estate, but when they refused, he began to buy the property through foreclosure auctions and private purchases.

[30] The 2020 San Francisco International Wine Competition awarded the winery's 2014 Sparkling Reserve, Best in Class-Brut, Double Gold, 97 points, scoring higher than those from Napa, Sonoma, Spain, Italy, Australia and Champagne.