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Now, for a real look at the glamorous wine/farming/industry.

We know a man, whose grandparents owned a farm/ranch/vineyards in the California Valley. His parents in their 90’s still live there and still farm/ranch/ and have producing vineyards. He grew up farming and working in a vineyard.

He went to UC Davis and was one of 3 farm kids (his joke/words) and got a degree in winemaking.

Then, a prominent early winemaker got to know him and paid for his MBA at Stanford. Again, there were 3 farm kids in his class of close to 300. He worked at the family farm/vineyard on weekends and summers.

Since then, with the help of the winemaker sponsor, his dad and grand dad, he became known as an expert of what land to plant grapes on and where/when and what grapes and the tending to and of the grapes after planting.

Also, what land not to use and what grapes not to plant.

He is not the norm in the wine industry. Below is the unfortunate norm in the wine industry.

A common joke in the Wine Industry: “How do you make a million $’s in the wine industry.”

Your parents and grandparents give you 30 to 50 Million $’s to invest it and to make wine. Then, you buy land, plant a vineyard, build a winery and a tasting room with the 30 to 50 Million $’s given to you.

If you are lucky after a 5-10 years, you then make a million $’s by selling your vineyard and winery for a million $’s.

Of course you can’t factor in the 30 to 50 million $’s you spent to get that Million $’s. It is gone forever, like 5-10 years of your life.

PS: California Dairy Farmers have the same $hitty problem thanks to the enviro legislators.