How to manage a wine estate?
A wine estate, an exceptional place to live and tax and financial advantages which are all assets that encourage investors around the world to buy a French vineyard . But, in all cases, whether the investors are French or foreign, whether they come from the agricultural sector or the world of electronics, sport or medicine, their main common denominator is undoubtedly the love of the wine and the passion that the profession of winegrower inspires in them. It is this vocation that one day leads them to take the plunge, buy a vineyard in Gironde or in Languedoc , to make their dream come true. Nearly 50% of investors do not know the business of vine and wine. Passion for wine and business acumen may suffice, technical expertise being provided by a team already in place or recruited when the winery is acquired.
For each of your questions, the Vinea Transaction network provides an answer or directs you to the right service provider. In addition, members of the Vinea Transaction network are involved in training in the management and operation of wine estates both on the theme of pure wine management and in wine marketing!
So how do you manage a wine estate?
The winegrower: manager of the estate
The winegrowers have several hats!
The winegrower must be both a winegrower and a winemaker, but also a manager, salesperson, manager… In short, a super hero of the vine and wine.
In other words, excelling in all of these areas is complicated, and rare are the winegrowers who venture there alone. The management of a wine estate is not limited to producing, vinifying and marketing its wine, it is a real wine business, regardless of the wine region from Bordeaux to Champagne!
Become a winegrower to manage a vineyard
The profession of winegrower is not easy, work and training await you before tasting the fruit of your labor: l e wine .
Being a winegrower: Working the vines
Working the land, planting, trellising (tying the woods), pruning, over the seasons is the work of our winegrowers. This is a full time job until the day your grapes are harvested.
The winegrower who works his vines must master the technique of agriculture and also deal with the vagaries of the weather.
Being a winemaker
Once the harvest is raised, the winemaker begins transforming the grape into wine.
First of all, you have to ask yourself the right questions in order to know which type of wine you want to go for.
In general, the winemaker brings in an oenology firm, which has expertise in all the technologies for making wine in order to implement the method to obtain the best results. What is the right market? Which cuvée should we make?
Depending on the expected wine, the oenology office will offer you one or another vinification and aging technique: harvest date, control of fermentation temperatures, maceration time … The service provider will also guide you through the crucial part of winemaking: Assemblies that have a major impact on the final result.
The winegrower and winemaker who carries out all stages of production, generally produces great wines because he controls all stages. Being assisted by professionals such as an agricultural engineer or an oenologist guarantees a result. The Vinea Transaction network has an address book provided, a real after-sales service.
What is the training to become a winegrower?
If you are passionate about wine and highly motivated, it is quite possible to become a winegrower without a diploma and be trained with an experienced operator already in place.
Several types of training recognized for access to this profession are available, from CAP to BAC + 2 …
- CAPA Vine and Wine,
- Bac Pro Conduct and management of the farm, vine and wine option,
- Bac Pro Food sales consultant, wine and spirits option,
- BP responsible for the farm,
- Technical-commercial BTS,
- BTSA viticulture-oenology,
- BTS wine management.
Organizations also offer training for adults.
Vinea Transaction, with its knowledge and experience in the sector, regularly works in the main European wine training centers:
- Plumpton College in the UK.
- Changins, the leading wine and oenological university in Switzerland.
- The International Organization of Vine and Wine in Montpellier, France.
- Suze La-Rousse Wine University in France.
- The institutes of Bordeaux, Montpellier, Beaune, Dijon.
- …
The French vineyard offers training courses of all levels in each region that are really accessible even for beginners.
Marketing your wine
The profession of winegrower requires good business skills and good marketing knowledge. It is essential to stand out from national and international competition.
Wine is a cultural product which for years has experienced strong export trends. Today, selling your wine becomes a job in itself. We must no longer be satisfied with producing wine, we must stand out and sell our product: wine.
France is one of the wine consuming countries in the world. We must therefore be able to find a place in the wine market.
Restaurants, supermarkets, wine merchants, export… you have to create a clientele to sell your range of wines, whether they come from a vineyard bought in the Gard or elsewhere, and master the management of its winery.
Marketing
Because it is essential today to value your products and your work. Your wine has a story, tell it!
Today, the wineries for sale each have their own specificity, the takeover or the development of a wine business must integrate the art of communication and marketing into its overall project.
From the choice of the domain name to the positioning, from the label to the newsletter, from the website to the brochure, the communication and marketing policy of a wine property must be consistent.
The partners of the Vinea Transaction network can intervene at all stages of development and in all communication professions: design, marketing, multimedia, etc.
In conclusion
Managing a wine estate is like managing a multitude of businesses!
Which legal structure to choose to manage your business, its development, its capital, etc.? Vinea Transaction puts you in touch with experts in order to support and advise you, in order to find the most appropriate corporate form for your project.
With its experience, the Vinea Transaction network advises and guides you in order to carry out your audit and consulting services for the management of your vineyard.
Your needs and objectives will be analyzed so that your projects can materialize with adapted solutions.
The partners of the Vinea Transaction network will support you from the economic audit to the technical audit, including wine and oenological advice. Manage your vineyard with serenity!