This is an unusually good time to be shopping for land and ranches in Dry Creek Valley and other areas around Healdsburg. Most times in the past three decades you would only have one or two pieces to choose from, and most of those would be the picked over properties that were lacking water, perc, or charm…or all three. Today’s selections include some rugged hillside property suited for a secluded getaway, but they also include plantable vineyard land, vineyards, estate homes, and wonderful view acreage overlooking Healdsburg.
Will Rogers’ comment about “…not making any more land.” referred to coastal property, but Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Valley wine country comes close to coastal land in terms of desirability, uniqueness, and limited supply. If you have given any thought to a home in the wine country, this may be the best opportunity in a long time.
I wonder , even with the lul in the market, if the price of raw vineyard properties will yield a suitable roi in the 1st decade of production?
My feeling is that producing your own wine is the most reasonable way to get a decent roi. You’re just not going to have enough margin unless you own the land outright. With farming only the roi at +/- $100K planted cost per acre is only going to be 2-4% by the fourth year. If you have the right clones and great soil and exposure you might bump that up to 5%or even more in later years, but you’re never going to get rich on growing grapes.