Bethesda Magazine – May 7, 2015

The Lauren, under construction in downtown Bethesda, will have on-site wine tastings and workshops.

The Bethesda condo building set to include a $10.5 million penthouse has added yet another luxury amenity.

The Lauren, the 29-unit project at 4934 Hampden Lane, will have an in-house master sommelier to provide customized consultations, tastings and educational workshops for residents.

Jarad Slipp, a longtime restaurant director and one of five sommeliers to be inducted last year by the Court of Master Sommeliers, will run the program on a quarterly basis from The Lauren’s 1,500-square-foot wine lounge. The lounge will house private, climate-controlled wine storage units for each resident.

The first residents to move in to the building will get a one-year membership to RdV Vineyards, a winery in Virginia where Slipp serves as estate director.

1788 Holdings and Persimmon Capital Partners are developing The Lauren, which will include the $10.5 million penthouse unit that could be the most expensive condo unit ever to sell in Washington, D.C., area. Sale prices for the other condo units start at $1.5 million.

Slipp will be the sommelier in residence, according to a press release. The building will also feature private elevators to some units, a 24-hour concierge service and a fitness center.