How do I check a vineyard’s pruning and harvest crew arrangements?
Find out who does the pruning and the picking, whether they are employees, a contracted crew or both, and what is agreed in writing. Then ask what happens if the crew does not return. A vineyard that depends on a few skilled people is only as steady as their willingness to stay.
Ask the seller to list every task done by hand through the year and who does it. Pruning calls for skill, and picking needs numbers for a short window. Find out whether the same people return each season, how they were found and who supervises them. Ask to meet the crew lead, with the seller’s permission.
Read any written arrangement: a contractor agreement, a pay structure, housing or transportation promises, and who holds responsibility for training and safety. Ask how recently the arrangement was renewed and whether it moves to a new owner without the other side’s consent. Your lawyer can read these documents for you.
Then test the weak spots. What happens if the crew cancels a week before harvest? Is there a backup? Ask how pay compares with neighbouring vineyards, since crews move to the better offer. Plan for the seller to stay on through at least one pruning and one harvest, so the relationships carry over. Ask what the seller would do differently if starting over, and whether any crew member has hinted at leaving. Their answers show how much of the operation rests on goodwill rather than on paper. Ask for the dates of last year’s first and last picking days.
Key takeaways
- List every hand task and name who does it.
- Ask whether crew arrangements transfer to a new owner.
- Ask the seller to stay through a pruning and a harvest.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to reduce employee turnover
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