Vineyards for Sale in the "Land of Sun and Good Wine": $3,438 an Acre
Date: 07/30/2009
“Take whichever bike you want…just bring it back by five.”
It’s fair to say that my chosen vehicle has seen better days--a blue frame sprinkled with rust, wonky handlebars, and brakes that only suggest slowing down--but for $10 a day, I’m not complaining. Besides, I don’t need to pedal with any real pace. Wine tasting is a civilized, genteel activity, and I have no intention of upsetting the laid-back vibe down here--in Mendoza, Argentina.
As I travel awkwardly along the dusty road in Maipú on my rusty bike, flanked by neat rows of blooming vines, I’m struck by the natural beauty of the place, and the tranquility that it brings in me. It’s amazing how quickly the smog and anxiety of the city can evaporate in the crisp, clean air at the foothills of the Andes.
Mendoza is known by locals as the “tierra del sol y buen vino” (land of sun and good wine); and with good reason. Crisp, clean air, well-managed irrigation and a favorable climate--Mendoza is blessed with almost perpetual sunshine--allow grapes of all varieties to thrive. In fact, around 70% of all Argentine wine is produced in the province, all under the gaze of some of the tallest mountains in the Southern Hemisphere.
There is a buzz around the Argentine wine industry at the moment, as it emerges from decades of isolation to become a major international producer. Mendoza’s prolific output and growing reputation for quality has drawn plenty of comparisons with California’s Napa Valley, an accolade that has investors flocking from all over the world.
The friendly owners and workers I meet at various wineries appear healthy, in both a physical and spiritual sense. The quiet, sunny days here are clearly just as important for the wellbeing of the residents as they are the grapes. It’s not too hard to imagine why. Just picture waking up among your very own vines, and looking out from your front porch as the sun sinks silently behind the frosted peaks of the Andes. Imagine serving guests a bottle of wine with your name on the label.
It is the stuff of dreams, and in most of the world, only for the super wealthy. In Argentina, however, you can still buy your very own vineyard for a few thousand dollars an acre.
A 50-acre netted vineyard, with a mixture of grape varieties that are sold to a local winery, lists right now for $299,000 ($5,980 per acre). Another 32-acre lot, with a small (12.5 acre) vineyard and orchard, an owner’s house with a pool, and an on-site workers’ house is going for $110,000 ($3,438 per acre).
If running your own winery isn't something you'd like to take on right now, then you can easily buy into one of several turnkey operations in Mendoza. Parcels of land on private vineyard estates generally start at around $20,000 an acre. Once you have bought your lot, chosen which grape varieties you want to grow, and designed your own on-site villa, the community’s team of experts will take over the day-to-day management, leaving you free to enjoy the more romantic aspects of winemaking.
If you want to escape to wine country--for fun or profit--there's never been a better time. Not only is owning a vineyard well within your reach in Mendoza…it could earn you a healthy income. International Living's new report shows you everything you need to know.
Marc Rogers
For International Living
To read more IL articles about owning a vineyard, see:
Own a Vineyard in Argentina for $5,000 an Acre
A Vineyard of Your Own for Less an $100,000
Why This Could be the Best Time to Buy Your Own Vineyard
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