Ever wonder what it would be like to own your own winery?
Ever dream about the wine country lifestyle?
Ever want to try your hand at winemaking?
For those who want to get into the wine business, there are two basic requirements: time and money.
“It is 10 years from the time you plant a vine to the market,” says Terry Hall, communications director for the Napa Valley Vintners Association. In an interview with Wine Enthusiast, Hall adds: “Wine is a very long-term business investment. That’s why it’s critical people plan well.”
Fifteen years ago, Jonathan Maltus had the other key ingredient for getting into the wine business: money. He had just sold his engineering firm and used the cash to purchase a 19th-century chateau and adjoining vineyards in the Saint-Emilion region of France.
Maltus has done well in the wine biz, but it has required constant reinvestment. Without passion for the business and the craft, he might think differently about the ongoing capital outlay.
He says that if a person can’t decide between buying a racehorse or buying a vineyard, the person should buy the vineyard.
As he explains: “You are then saying, ‘I don’t care about losing the money.'”
