Buying Vineyard Land

A high percentage of my consulting business comes from wine lovers wanting to buy vineyard property. The story is usually the same: about ten years from retirement, successful in business, getting tired of pushing paper in the rat race, they want to get back to an agricultural way of life to recapture a lost piece of their soul. Some believe that the best way to appreciate wine is to grow it themselves. Others may believe that being “in the business” will give them more opportunities to enjoy wine. All potential vineyard owners have one thing in common, though. None expect the process to be so complicated, expensive and time consuming. The purpose of this article is to make full disclosure. After reading it, you should have a much deeper understanding of the responsibilities, pitfalls and economic impacts of buying land for vineyard establishment. If the caveats dissuade you from planting a vineyard, I will have saved you a lot of money and disappointment. However, if after reading this article, you are still interested in starting a vineyard, you are a