Saturday, March 14, 2009

Business. The crisis, and it's contra-face, opportunity.


The wheel spins on. The scenario heats up. The vigneron is hard pressed. He is long on capital and very short on liquidity. They are coming at him from all sides. The rent, the mortgage, the cars, the plaquiste, the plumber, and all the miscellaneous daily expenses that come with being him in his world.

In the meantime the taille of his vignes waits not. There is still a large chunk to go and his one ouvrier is threatening to go on strike until he is paid. It will be a walkout if he isn’t paid at least enough to have gas to get to work, and a few euro's left for some little somethings, what they used to call pin money, or the boys in jersey referred to as 'walking around money'.

The parcel in question had just been 'tailled'. The next day the vigneron came in with his first price. He has acknowledged he needs to sell something. He wants to sell it to his ouvrier to wipe out the debt owed him. He wants another ouvrier to possibly work ‘a la tache’ in some kind of barter. It’s a long shot but like that the vigneron might get his taille finished on time, and consequently the house construction too. It’s all open. Bargainable. The one thing is sure he needs cash as quick as possible.

His price was 4.25 brick. That’s francs. It is based on a half hectare +/- . HALF of which is carrignan and the other cinsault. Is there a use for that? When the vigneron said the price, the ouvrier said nothing. Only that of course the canadian would have to look at it, being that he knew those sorts of things. The vigneron said he would get the papers out regarding the parcel, it’s geometre, it’s production from last year. The deed.

The other question is do you want the ouvrier with the deal. Yes the ouvrier has said that wants in, and it’s true in a big way. For all the reasons you said, flagships floating back to the new world, the joy of the project that goes on with the seasons, the chance to be in on creating something of quality, and doing it with all from the land. And there is more.

You see the ouvrier wants a piece of the land, terroir in his french neighborhood. It’s where he has what pass for his nouveau french roots. It’s a zone of farmers. He wants to be a farmer too, but not a real one the everyday one. He just wants entry into the deeper roots of how to make the grapes grow and how they are fined into wine. This project seems to have all the parts that will work, and at the end he drink the fruits of the labors. Yes, the ouvrier wants in. How about you.

He brings labor, and cash, and a small but useful reseau. He wants in on at least the growing end. As for the vinification end that would be as much or as little as the canadian feels like sharing. So those are the things in play. The first offer has been made. 42575f. Rumor has it the canadian will be back the 18th.

1 comment:

  1. aller. terrior. some organic geometry for you to call your own. sounds like life is being lived. aller. you only live once, hein?

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