Grape vines - to buy or not to buy?

[tanyabeattie]

Am thinking of purchasing a small parcel of grape vines (approx 1 acre). I have found a local vigneron who's willing to come and have a look at them. But does anyone have any experience of looking after vines or the process of buying them? Someone told me it's an 8 hour/day job... Any advice would be appreciated.

[Santiago]

I know a thing or two

Firstly, sale of agricultural land in France is controlled by SAFER. Their basic tenet is to make sure that land of agricultural value remains in the hands of people who know how to farm it.

Vineyards in Banyuls are pretty desirable and are often tied to a cooperative. Whoever wants to sell you this land cannot do so without it being offered to all neighbouring vignerons and the Mairie. If you did manage to buy it you have to get permission to work the land. This usually involves having a viticultural qualification or having a formalised contract with a qualified vigneron.

Sorry to put a dampener on the situation. If you do manage to buy the vines, let me know. I would be interested in taking the grapes if they were looked after by someone who knows what they are doing.

[tanyabeattie]

Thanks for your reply. It doesn't sound too positive... I thought the SAFER thing only applied to land over a couple of hectares. And I'd have to apply to the Chamber of Agriculture to work it, not good news. I have a local vigneron who's happy to give me some advice but that doesn't sound quite adequate enough does it!

It's a shame because there's quite a few parcels of abandoned vines around here and you'd think they'd be happy for someone to try and rescue the vines rather than let the weeds grow.

I'm going to see the vines with the vigneron on Tuesday so I'll see what he has to say about this then although am now not too hopeful.

[Santiago]

If they have not been looked after last year they will be difficult to get back in shape. I think you should ask yourself a few questions before you part with any money.

What are you going to do with the grapes?
Is the plot tied to a coop?
Who is going to do the weeding and pesticide treatments?
How will you pick the grapes and get them to where you want them to go?
Why has the vineyard been abandoned?

Looking after a couple of vines in the garden is one thing, tending a few thousand is another game.

[Debbie and Noel]

I am not an expert but would also suggest you should know the variety, age and condition of the existing vines. Are they diseased, an unusual variety or give a very low yield due to age. Also is the parcelle contaminated?

I would have thought there is more benefit in growing fruit and veg on a small plot. The local micro climate should allow you to grow some interesting and unusual plants.


Noel

[Santiago]

I was talking to some fellow vignerons over New Year and asked about this. I was wrong about one thing.

They told me that you don't need any agricultural qualifications if your total land holding is under 5ha.

The problem with vineyard land is that it is not much use for growing fruit and veg. Too dry and too poor. That's why you find vines on stony hillsides and arable crops on the more fertile plains. You will notice that many of the orchards that replaced old vineyards have irrigation but the vine do not.

I think I should also add that getting permission to build anything on agricultural land is very difficult, unless you are a registered agriculteur and even then you need to prove the need for the building. I'm not saying this applies to you Tanya but the British have a bit of a reputation for property "development" and the French authorities are very sensitive to that.

Did you have any further thoughts after seeing it with your friend?