BERKELEY — Walk into the now-shuttered office of John Fox’s business, where he concocted a $45 million wine Ponzi scheme that bilked more than 4,000 wine collectors, and you’ll find a large weight room and virtual reality golf simulator. The Premier Cru owner, who spent his ill-gotten gains on expensive cars, also left luxurious car parts strewn about the Berkeley wine store and warehouse, like Ferrari wheels, a Ford GT 500 hood and a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner hood and wheels. On Saturday, all the remaining items abandoned from Fox’s bankrupt company will be auctioned off at the store at 1011 University Ave. in Berkeley. The 79,000 bottles of wine already were auctioned off in federal bankruptcy court for $3.6 million to a wine auction house in August. “It’s a little different,” said Daniel Clar, whose auction house has spent months cleaning up the property and preparing to sell the items. Crews already had to dump two large bins of cardboard and a truckload of empty wine bottles, he said.

“Where it’s really different is we have 2,000 (empty) wine crates of Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Petrus, and other expensive wines.” In August, Fox, 66, of Concord, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of wire fraud, admitting to ripping off his high-end wine customers and spending the money on expensive cars, private golf memberships and women he met online. Federal prosecutors are recommending more than six years in prison and restitution. His plea agreement sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 14. According to his plea agreement, Fox embezzled funds from Premier Cru accounts and spent the money on Corvettes, Ferraris, Mercedes-Benzes, a Maserati, along with paying off personal credit cards, personal expenses and more than $1 million on women he met online. Premier Cru sold “pre-arrival” or “wine futures,” in addition to normal retail wine, which meant Fox would take money up front and promise wine months later. Between 2010 and 2015, Fox admitted to selling about $20 million in “phantom wine,” according to his plea.

Premier Cru eventually filed for bankruptcy in January, claiming $70 million in debt and almost $7 million in inventory. Affected customers are expected to get pennies-on-the-dollar for their investments. Saturday’s auction will likely bring in more wine enthusiasts, as the high-end wine crates are collectible and can be used to decorate wine cellars or bars, Clar said. Such crates can sell between $35 and $135 each online, he said. The inventory also includes antique wine bottles dating back to the 1870s from some of the most cherished wineries, Clar said, along with expensive glassware, wine refrigerators and tapestries from the walls. In addition, Premier Cru’s large warehouse will be liquidated, including racks and forklifts. And of course, the small personal gym and golf simulator will be up for grabs as well, Clar said. A public preview is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. The building will open at 9 a.m. Saturday, and the auction will begin at 11 a.m.

You must attend in person to place a bid; nothing will be done online, Clar said.We’ll turn your home into a tasting room, bringing the wine lifestyle to you. You and up to 16 guests can learn about and buy our exclusive artisan wines with our unique, taste-before-you-buy wine experience. Invite your friends, lay out a few simple apps and enjoy pouring up the fun! Your Independent Wine Consultant will be your guide, providing wine education and tips throughout your Wine Tasting.best red wine for casual drinking Book a Tasting with your Wine Consultantbest places for wine london Invite up to 16 wine-loving friendsbest soils for wine Provide simple appetizers & glassesbest dry wine to cook with

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