A single hectare of Burgundy grand cru vineyard cost €6.5m euros on average in 2019, which is up by 4% versus 2018, according to French land agency Safer.
That’s if you can find anything to buy, of course; if vines change hands within top Burgundy climats then buyers often deal in values of less than one hectare.
Safer figures show that average prices for Burgundy grand cru vines have risen by 71% since 2012.
If that you think that sounds prohibitive, then some winemakers in the Côte d’Or would likely agree. Safer cited ongoing concerns among producers about rising land costs and the difficulties this poses for wineries within France’s inheritance laws.
Elsewhere in France, it will come as no surprise to see the best-known appellations topping the vineyard price charts.
A single hectare in Bordeaux’s Pauillac appellation cost €2.3m per hectare on average in 2019, up by 5% on 2018, while Pomerol rose by 6% to €1.9m per hectare.
In the Côte des Blancs area of Champagne, vineyards cost a little more than €1.6m per hectare last year, up by 2% versus 2018.
However, there is a huge disparity in vineyard prices in France – as you might expect, given the size of the country’s wine industry.
Across France, appellation controlée (AOP) vineyards cost €148,000 per hectare on average in 2019, up by 0.5% versus 2018, said Safer.
Prices for AOP vineyards have more than doubled since 1997, but some were still well below the average.
A single hectare of Faugères vineyard in Languedoc (now Occitanie) cost €16,000 per hectare on average in 2019, having not changed since 2018.
Prices can vary significantly within some areas for different plots, depending upon their quality potential.
Outside of the AOP zones, French vineyard prices rose by 1.5% on average in 2019, to €14,400 per hectare.
It’s worth noting that buying a vineyard is just one step in a winemaking dream that is likely to involve significant up-front costs in general. Seek professional advice before making any decisions, of course.
Pas De Merde 