Photo used under Creative Commons from Zest-pk
There are advantages and disadvantages buying an existing BC Vineyard, or developing your own. Some of the pros and cons for these 2 options as summarized below:
a) Buying an existing vineyard
The advantages for buying an established vineyard are:
- The hard work of establishing the vineyard has been done.
- You can investigate and review the viability of the business by checking out the accounts of the business.
- The vineyard has an established market - locally or exported overseas.
The disadvantages of buying an established vineyard are:
- You inherit the varieties of grapes that are grown, row spacing, trellising, equipment, etc.
- You are stuck with the physical attributes of the vineyard - terrain, orientation, soil, shelter, etc.
Some of the above can be modified over time, but some others like the orientation of your site, terrain, altitude and local climate pattern can not be altered.
b) Developing your own vineyard
The advantages for developing your own vineyard are:
- You can decide the varieties of vine, row spacing, orientation, trellis system, etc.
- You can search out the perfect site for a vineyard rather than making do with a sub-optimal site.
The disadvantages for developing your own vineyard are:
- You might get these decisions right as it is difficult to get the right combination.
- You will have to wait a long time, 4 to 5 years before you begin to get any return on your investment.
Make sure the basic factors are favorable
Whether you are buying an existing vineyard or starting one from scratch, check out all the factors critical for the success of a vineyard (e.g. orientation of land to sun, degree of shelter, soil suitability, drainage, varieties planted, room for expansion). It is almost impossible to get a site for your vineyard with all the factors scoring the maximum scale for vine production. When too many factors that don't merit a good positive score, you are unlikely to make a decent living out of your vineyard.
You can view the info on a BC Vineyard - Basque Vineyard located at Thompson Valley near Ashcroft and consider it's suitability to revive this once thriving vineyard. Seller is flexible to negotiate the terms of sales and Seller financing can be considered.
For more info, contact James Wong at 604-721-4817 or email him.
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