Page 14 of The Vines Between Us
- Tourist market: Growing 8% annually in wine regions
- Corporate consolidation: 15% of family vineyards sold to corporations in past 5 years
I created a competitive analysis, researching every vineyard in the appellation. Domaine Moreau's terroir was exceptional—similar soil composition to châteaux selling bottles for €80+. The problem wasn't quality potential; it was capital and marketing.
I pulled up regional agricultural data, EU subsidy programs, even climate change projections. By dawn, I had a forty-page analysis that would have impressed any corporate board.
STRATEGIC OPTIONS:
Option 1: Liquidation
- Sell to corporate competitors for debt clearance + small profit
- Pros: Immediate resolution, no further risk
- Cons: Destroy 12 generations of family legacy, contribute to corporate consolidation, live with the everlasting guilt of having failed Henri
Option 2: Minimal Rehabilitation
- Focus on 8 best hectares, sell remainder
- Capital required: €425,000
- Break-even timeline: 4-5 years
- Risk level: High
Option 3: Full Restoration
- Rehabilitate entire property, modernize operations
- Capital required: €1,000,000
- Break-even timeline: 7-10 years
- Risk level: Extreme
Option 4: Strategic Partnership
- Combine resources with adjacent property (Domaine Tremblay?)
- Shared costs, maintained independence
- Capital required: €600,000 (split)
- Break-even timeline: 5-7 years
- Risk level: Moderate-High
I stared at Option 4. In corporate terms, it was in essence a horizontal merger—two struggling entities combining resources to achieve economies of scale while maintaining separate brand identities. It could work, but it was also the last option I would want to consider because then I would have to see Hugo.
That is also if Hugo would even consider it. And if his financial situation wasn't already worse than my own.
Then if we could find the capital.
If I stayed.
The sun was rising over the vineyard as I closed my laptop. For the first time since arriving, I had clarity. Not emotional clarity—that remained murky—but analytical clarity. I understood exactly what we were facing and what options existed.
