Luxury Real Estate for Sale in Europe
Luxury Real Estate and wineries have been part of the fabric of European culture for thousands of years, and their importance has never diminished. Luxury Real Estate dot the mountains, valleys, and plains of every country in Europe, but the grape varieties and profile of the resulting wines varies from country to country and region to region. Europe has vineyards for sale in every one of its unique wine regions, all of which have seen tremendous growth over the last decade.
European vineyards are well-known and productive. In fact, four of the top 15 wine-producing countries in the world are located in Europe: France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal. The European wine market is booming: in 2019, Spain exported $1.3 billion and France exported almost $6 billion worth of wine to non-EU countries. There has never been a stronger worldwide market for European wine, so it is the perfect time to look into purchasing a vineyard in the region.
If you are looking to purchase an established vineyard, Europe has a major advantage over most wineries and vineyards on the market in the US: it’s been around longer! Europe has always been famous for its wine, while the wine markets in other parts of the world are still developing and there are fewer established vineyards. In Europe, most vineyards have vines over 10 years old, and many have vines over 30 years old! Older vines are more productive and best of all, they yield more concentrated fruit which makes for richer and more complex wine. It can take up to three years before a new grape vine is ready to be harvested for the first time, so there are great advantages to buying an established vineyard with older grape vines.
Many visitors to Europe want to explore the well-known wine culture, so recent decades have seen a surge in wine-related tourism throughout the region. It helps that Europe boasts some of the oldest and most famous vineyards and wine regions in the world. All of Spain’s Catalonia is dotted with picturesque vineyards, but even within Catalonia, smaller areas make wines with distinct personalities. Portugal’s Douro Valley is one of the best and oldest wine regions in the world, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Bordeaux, France is one of the largest wine regions in Europe, especially popular with tourists because it combines great wine with medieval history. Champagne – the only place in the world that can really give its bubbly wine the famous name – was also recently named a UNESCO World Heritage site. And while Germany may be famous for its beer, there is nothing better than a glass of Riesling in its famous Mosel region.
Since the climate, soil, and geology of Europe shifts from region to region, each area is best suited to certain types of wine grapes. The best wine is produced from wine grapes grown in the right microclimate to meet their particular needs. Other than the famous Chardonnay, France is best known for its red wines, especially those from the Burgundy and Bordeaux regions. On the other hand, two-thirds of German vines are white wine grapes like Riesling and Müller-Thurgau. Spain is known not only for its red wines and its sparkling cava, but as the birthplace of Sherry, a fortified wine. Europe is the perfect place to find your dream vineyard, whatever your vision.