The Wall Street Journal MarketWatch Looks to Manatt Partner on Burgeoning Wine Industry
"How to Invest in a Winery: Keeping Your Glass - and Your Wallet - Half Full
The Wall Street Journal MarketWatch
August 13, 2013 - Manatt partner Clayton Gantz was quoted by The Wall Street Journal MarketWatch in an article on the opportunities and challenges of going into the wine business. Sales of wine in the United States increased by 2 percent in 2012, hitting a new all-time high of $34.6 billion.
Though the market is growing, making wine is an expensive, time-consuming endeavor, according to MarketWatch, and returns on investment can take years, if not decades, to realize.
The article explores the economics of both growing your own grapes in high-cost areas like California's Napa Valley, as well as buying grapes or juice on the open market and building your own "brand."
"It's a pure marketing play," said Gantz, whose practice includes a focus on the wine industry and who also has his own vineyard.
It's not only a less capital-intensive way to get into the business, but it can also be a more expeditious one, since there's no waiting for the vines to come of age, the publication said.
Read the article here.