If you want to buy a vineyard and don't have a lot of experience working a farm or growing grapes, you'll probably want to see if you can spend some time working the vineyard you're thinking about (if it's currently established) so you can see what it's really like to own a vineyard. The current owner might be willing to let you shadow him or her for a few days so you can get a taste for what the life of grapes is like.

Just like you wouldn't open any other business with no experience, you shouldn't think you can go into winemaking or vineyard management without trying it out first. Of course, if you're buying an established vineyard the management system might already be in place where people know what they need to do without much guidance from you, but you'll still want to be aware of what's going on and what needs to be done at each stage of the season and with promotion, shipping, customer service and all the other things that go into running a winery or vineyard.

You'll probably want to have the property of any vineyards for sale that you are interested in looked over by a viniculture expert (assuming you are not one) so that you know what to expect and if there are any problems with the property.

Like any other real estate transaction, bank loans, lawyers and appraisers may all be involved. Some things you should know before you choose a winery include:

• What kind of grapes are planted and how much of each variety?
• What water sources are available?
• Has a survey been completed?
• Is there a soil analysis?
• How old are the grape vines?
• How much do they produce in an average year?
• Who buys the grapes and for how much?
• Are there any known diseases in the vines?