Homes and estates
Buying vines or a wine estate in Burgundy.
Owning a few rows in Burgundy is a dream for many wine lovers. It is possible, with patience and the right advisers.
Contents
Burgundy vineyards are divided into small plots, the climats, and families rarely sell them. The most famous appellations reach very high prices and change hands very rarely. Here is how the market works.
A rare market
Vines are mostly passed down within winegrowing families. When a plot is sold, local winegrowers are often the first to know. The prices depend on the appellation, from regional wines to the grands crus, and vary enormously.
The SAFER
The SAFER, the rural land agency, is informed of sales of agricultural land and vines, and may have a right of first refusal, to support farming. The notaire handles this step. It adds time, and sometimes a surprise.
Vines that are let
Many vines are worked by a winegrower under a rural lease, which gives the tenant strong rights and a long duration. Buying let vines is an investment, not a way to make your own wine.
Owning shares instead
Groupements fonciers viticoles, vineyard companies, sell shares in vines worked by a domaine. It is a way to own a piece of Burgundy with a smaller budget, with specific tax rules to check with an adviser.
The house, my part of the project
Most of my wine-loving buyers start with a house in a wine village, and build their links with the winegrowers from there. I find the house; for the vines, specialised advisers and the SAFER are the right contacts. Homes on the Route des Grands Crus. I work in English and French every day. I also speak Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi fluently, Persian (Farsi) very well, and good Greek and Arabic.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy vines in Burgundy?
Yes, under the same rules as a French buyer, including the SAFER's right of first refusal.
Why are Burgundy vines so hard to buy?
Plots are small, families keep them, and the most famous appellations are very rarely sold.
Can I make my own wine from let vines?
Not while the rural lease runs: the tenant works the vines.
Is there a way to own vines with a smaller budget?
Shares in a vineyard company, a groupement foncier viticole, are one way. Check the tax rules with an adviser.