Vineyards & Wineries For Sale
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Diamond Real Estate Group helps people buy and sell vineyards, winery properties and vineyard estates in Napa County, Sonoma County and the rest of California’s North Coast. This guide covers what these properties sell for and why, where the grape market stood after the 2025 harvest, the county rules that decide what a parcel can become, and how a purchase or sale actually runs. Figures carry their dates; the page was last checked in October 2026.
¿Prefiere atención en español? Nuestra guía de bienes raíces en Sonoma incluye preguntas sobre propiedades rurales y viñedos, y cómo comunicarse con Diamond.
Compare the land, the crop and the winery separately
A vineyard purchase can include several businesses and assets: agricultural land, producing vines, a residence, grape contracts and, sometimes, a licensed winery. Start with the use you need and the acreage that can support it. Then compare the property with other sales on the same basis; a vineyard estate with a valuable house is a different comparison from a farming ranch.
For regional searches, start with Sonoma County vineyard property, Napa County vineyard property, Lake County vineyard land and the California wine-region comparison, including Mendocino.
Matthew Martinez’s vineyard sales are primarily private and off-market. For a confidential discussion, share your target AVA, budget, acreage and timing through the inquiry form. Public MLS searches do not represent the private market; availability and permission to share individual property details vary.
An official grape-price baseline for the comparison
2025 crop figures, reviewed October 28, 2026. These are grape returns per ton, not vineyard sale prices or AVA land values.
| Growing district | All varieties, dollars per ton | Geographic scope |
|---|---|---|
| Mendocino | $1,675.66 | District 1: Mendocino County |
| Lake | $1,163.60 | District 2: Lake County |
| Sonoma and Marin | $2,762.88 | District 3: the two counties combined |
| Napa | $6,635.85 | District 4: Napa County |
Source: CDFA/USDA final 2025 Grape Crush Report, released April 30, 2026, district definitions and Table 6. Variety mix and contracts affect these weighted averages. A specific block can earn a different price, and crop revenue still has to cover farming, harvest and ownership costs.
For a property comparison, record asking price and closed price separately, show both total and planted acres, and identify any residence, winery improvements or business assets included. Our vineyard valuation guide explains why dividing the full purchase price by planted acres can distort the result.
For a broader land search beyond vineyards, compare California agricultural land for sale by usable acreage, water, soils and supported use.
Vineyards and wineries for sale
Search current listings with our property search. A vineyard listing tells you less than a house listing does: planted acreage, varieties, water source and any winery permit are often missing or loosely described. We confirm those details from county records, the seller’s block data and the use permit itself before a client makes an offer.
Some vineyard owners prefer a quiet sale to a small group of qualified buyers, usually to protect employees, grape buyers and neighbors from a public listing. When a seller chooses that route, it’s their written decision under the MLS rules in force at the time, and it trades exposure for privacy. If you’re buying, tell us your appellation, acreage, budget and intended use, and we’ll watch both public and private channels for you.
What is the North Coast vineyard market doing in 2026?
The short answer: grape prices and planted acreage are falling, while the best-located small vineyards in Napa still command very high prices per acre. Two different markets are moving in different directions.
California crushed 2,761,914 tons of grapes in 2025 at an average of $977.76 a ton, according to the final 2025 Grape Crush Report released April 30, 2026. Napa County’s average was $6,635.85 a ton, down 5% from 2024. Sonoma and Marin, reported together as District 3, averaged $2,762.88, down 6%.
| Indicator | Napa County | Sonoma County | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average grape price, all varieties | $6,635.85 per ton | $2,762.88 per ton (with Marin) | CDFA final crush report, 2025 crop |
| Tons crushed | 144,806.9 | 186,845.8 (with Marin) | CDFA final crush report, 2025 crop |
| Winegrape crop value | $968,687,700 (2025) | $626,550,200 (2024) | County crop reports, released July 2026 (Napa) and September 2025 (Sonoma) |
| Producing vineyard acres | 42,937 (down from 45,967) | Not published in the release | Napa County 2025 crop report |
| Vineyard removed, Oct. 2024 to Aug. 2025 | Not reported separately | About 2,700 bearing acres | Report commissioned by the California Association of Winegrape Growers |
Behind those numbers is a wine glut. Turrentine Brokerage reported that Sonoma’s district average for Chardonnay was about $2,370 a ton in 2025 while spot sales ran closer to $800, a gap that tells you how much depends on whether a vineyard has a long-term contract. Statewide, about 38,000 bearing acres were pulled in the same ten-month period as Sonoma’s 2,700.
Land has held up better than fruit at the top of the market. A study of Napa County assessor records from 2017 to 2021 found average values of about $632,598 an acre for vineyard parcels of 1 to 10 acres, against about $145,683 an acre for parcels of 40 to 100 acres. Those are appraised values rather than sales, but the pattern matches what we see: small estate parcels sell to lifestyle buyers on a different basis from large farming ranches. For a broker’s view of where the value sits, see our guide to how vineyards are valued.
What decides the price of a vineyard?
Location sets the ceiling, and the vines, water and permits decide how close a property gets to it. Price per acre is a starting point, and it misleads more often than it helps.
- Planted, plantable and unusable acres. A 40-acre parcel with 12 planted acres, 8 more that could be planted and 20 acres of creek setback, oak woodland and steep ground is a 12-acre vineyard with an option on 8 more. Each kind of acre is valued separately.
- Appellation and site. The AVA, elevation, slope, soil and exposure, and how well the planted variety fits them.
- The vines themselves. Age, rootstock, clone, spacing, trellis and virus status. A block near the end of its life needs a replanting budget, not just a price.
- Water. Well yields, reservoir rights, frost-protection water and the groundwater rules in that basin.
- Income. Grape contracts, their term and price per ton, and whether a new owner can take them over.
- Improvements and entitlements. A residence, barns and roads, and above all whether there’s a permitted winery or tasting room. The permit often matters more to value than the building it covers.
Napa and Sonoma appellations at a glance
An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a federal grape-growing region defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). To put an AVA name on a label, at least 85% of the wine must come from grapes grown inside it, and a county name requires at least 75%, according to TTB’s appellation rules. California adds conjunctive labeling: wines from the sub-appellations inside Napa Valley must also say “Napa Valley,” and since January 1, 2014 wines from an AVA wholly inside Sonoma County must also say “Sonoma County.”
| Region | Well-known AVAs | What buyers usually look for |
|---|---|---|
| Napa Valley valley floor | Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Yountville, Stags Leap District, Oak Knoll District, Calistoga | Established Cabernet Sauvignon blocks and estate parcels |
| Napa Valley hillsides | Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain District, Mount Veeder, Diamond Mountain District, Atlas Peak | Mountain Cabernet, privacy and views; tighter planting rules on slopes |
| Southern Napa and Carneros | Coombsville, Los Carneros | Compare the actual site and AVA boundary; Los Carneros straddles the Napa-Sonoma county line. |
| St. Helena-area hillsides | Crystal Springs of Napa Valley (established 2024) | A separate hillside comparison: use the official boundary on the St. Helena and Calistoga maps. |
| Sonoma County | Russian River Valley, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, Bennett Valley, Sonoma Coast, West Sonoma Coast (2022) | Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the cooler AVAs; Zinfandel, Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc in the warmer valleys |
Our area guides go further: Napa Valley’s appellations and Sonoma County’s wine appellations. Keep one distinction in mind. An AVA is a labeling and marketing boundary. It says nothing about whether a parcel can be planted, built on or used for a winery. The county decides that.
Which rules decide what a vineyard can become?
In both counties, the property’s zoning, slope, streams, trees and water rights matter as much as its appellation. Check them before you price the property, not after.
Napa County
- Napa created the country’s first agricultural preserve in 1968. Its 1990 Winery Definition Ordinance requires new or expanded wineries to source at least 75% of their grapes from Napa County and sets a 10-acre minimum parcel for a new winery, as summarized by the 2014-15 Napa County Grand Jury.
- Under the county’s conservation regulations (County Code chapter 18.108), earthmoving on slopes over 5% needs an agricultural erosion control plan. Work on 30 to 50% slopes, or inside stream and wetland setbacks, needs a use permit exception. In the Agricultural Watershed zone, projects in mapped forest and oak woodland must keep 70% of the canopy that existed on June 16, 2016 (Napa County).
- Tasting, tours and events are set by each winery’s use permit. The permit, not the building, tells you what the business is allowed to do.
Sonoma County
- New plantings and replants need a VESCO permit from the county’s Department of Agriculture, Weights & Measures before any work starts. The county warns that applications filed after September 15 may not be issued the same year, and offers a lighter registration for low-impact replants (Sonoma County).
- In the Russian River watershed, state regulation 23 CCR §862 treats frost-protection diversions as unreasonable unless the grower takes part in an approved water demand management program. The courts upheld it in 2014.
- Permit Sonoma uses a right-to-farm disclosure, so buyers of homes near farms are told that normal agricultural noise, dust and spraying are protected.
Rules in both counties
- Williamson Act contracts lower property taxes in exchange for keeping land in agriculture, and they bind every later owner. Cancelling one early costs 12.5% of the land’s current market value (California Department of Conservation).
- Groundwater: the Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Santa Rosa Plain and Petaluma Valley basins all operate under groundwater sustainability plans approved by the state in January 2023. Well permits and pumping rules can change as those plans are carried out.
- Wine production needs a federal TTB bonded winery permit and a California ABC winegrower (Type 02) license as well as county approval. A winegrower may make wine in another licensee’s facility under an “alternating proprietorship,” which is how many estate brands start.
Our vineyard development and replanting guide walks through the permit path step by step.
How does buying a vineyard work?
A vineyard purchase follows the same California contract as other property, with a much longer list of things to verify. Most of the risk sits in the due diligence period.
- Define the purpose. A lifestyle estate, a farming investment and a supply source for an existing brand call for different appellations, sizes and budgets.
- Line up financing. Agricultural lenders, Farm Credit associations and private banks lend on vineyards with different terms from home loans. See financing options.
- Write a contract with the right contingencies: water, soils, vine health, permits, grape contracts and crop treatment at closing.
- Investigate. Our vineyard due diligence checklist covers the records to request and the specialists to hire.
- Plan the handover. Who farms the vineyard on closing day, and who buys the next crop.
The full process, including timelines and offer strategy, is in our guide to buying a vineyard in Napa or Sonoma. Buyers from outside the United States should know that foreign persons who acquire an interest in U.S. agricultural land must report it to the USDA Farm Service Agency on form FSA-153 within 90 days. Penalties can reach 25% of the land’s market value.
How do you sell a vineyard for the best price?
Prepare the property file before you set the price. Buyers pay for certainty, and every unanswered question about water, permits or vine health becomes a discount.
That file includes block maps with variety, clone, rootstock and planting year; several years of yields and prices; grape contracts and whether they can be assigned; well tests and water rights; and every permit and final inspection. Timing matters too: a sale that closes mid-season has to settle who owns, farms and sells the crop. Read selling a vineyard or winery for the full preparation list, or ask for a confidential valuation.
Owning a vineyard: management, leases and income
Many owners don’t farm the vineyard themselves. They hire a vineyard management company, lease the vineyard to a grower or winery, or combine the two.
- Vineyard management in Napa and Sonoma explains service models, what to put in a farming agreement and how to judge a manager’s reports.
- Vineyard leases compares cash rent, per-ton and crop-share structures and the property tax trap in long leases.
New vines are exempt from California property tax until three years after the season they’re planted, under Revenue and Taxation Code section 211. That’s a small benefit next to the three or four seasons before a new block produces a commercial crop, but it belongs in the budget.
Where we work
We work throughout Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties, from the Napa Valley floor and its mountain AVAs to the Russian River, Dry Creek and Alexander valleys and Mendocino’s inland valleys. Each county guide covers its towns, markets and rules: Napa County real estate, Sonoma County real estate and Mendocino County real estate. To search every listing, including homes on small vineyard parcels, use our property search.
How Diamond Real Estate Group works with vineyard clients
We run vineyard transactions as a small project team. For buyers, that means a strategy session on goals and time horizon, sourcing from listed and private opportunities, and coordinating the specialists: vineyard managers, soil and water consultants, land-use counsel, appraisers and tax advisers. We aim to hand over a property with a clear farming and capital plan for the first 24 to 36 months. For sellers, it means a candid read on value and likely buyers, fixing what can be fixed before launch, and an offering package that professionals can underwrite quickly.
Questions vineyard buyers ask
How much does a vineyard cost in Napa or Sonoma?
It ranges widely. Napa County assessor data for 2017 to 2021 put small vineyard parcels at about $632,598 an acre on average and larger parcels well under $200,000 an acre, and an agricultural manager quoted by Farm Progress in April 2025 said prime Napa vineyards can sell for over $500,000 an acre. Sonoma County vineyard land usually trades for less, in line with its lower grape prices. A specific property needs a specific valuation.
Can I live on a vineyard property?
Often, yes. Many vineyard parcels include a main house, and some allow a second unit or farmworker housing. Whether you can build or add a residence depends on the zoning, the parcel’s minimum size and, in Napa, the conservation rules on slopes and streams. Confirm it with the county before you rely on it.
Do I need wine experience to own a vineyard?
No, but you need the right team and a realistic budget. Most owners use a vineyard management company and sell fruit under contract. The owner’s job is to make decisions: what to plant, when to replant and who to sell to.
How long until newly planted vines produce?
Usually three to four growing seasons before a commercial crop, and several more before full yield. That’s why replanting is priced as a multi-year project.
Can I hold tastings or events at a vineyard?
Only if the property has, or obtains, a use permit that allows them. In Napa, the permit sets visitor numbers and event counts; in Sonoma, county planning approves tasting rooms and events case by case. A vineyard without a winery permit is a farm.
Does an AVA name make a vineyard more valuable?
It can, because it affects the price wineries pay for the fruit. But the market prices the site inside the AVA too. Two parcels in the same appellation can differ sharply in soil, water and frost risk.
Sources & notes
- CDFA and USDA NASS: Final 2025 Grape Crush Report (April 30, 2026)
- Napa Valley Register: Napa County 2025 crop report (July 28, 2026); Sonoma County 2024 crop report (September 9, 2025)
- Sonoma Index-Tribune: vineyard removals; Turrentine Brokerage via Wine Industry Advisor (March 13, 2026)
- Santos et al., Wine Business Journal (August 18, 2025); Farm Progress (April 8, 2025)
- TTB: appellations of origin and Crystal Springs of Napa Valley AVA; AB 1798 (Sonoma County conjunctive labeling)
- Napa County: conservation regulations; Grand Jury report on wineries
- Sonoma County: VESCO; Permit Sonoma right-to-farm disclosure; Russian River frost regulation
- Department of Conservation: Williamson Act FAQ; groundwater sustainability plans approved; Revenue and Taxation Code §211
- California ABC license types; USDA FSA: AFIDA reporting
Market figures are dated where they appear and are refreshed when the next crush and crop reports come out. This is general information, not legal, tax or agronomic advice; confirm rules for a specific parcel with the agency named. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
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A useful next step
Use the contact form's message to describe the county or AVA, budget, target planted acreage and intended use: a vineyard estate, a farming investment, a grape source or an operating winery. Include any known water, winery-permit or timing requirements. For a sale inquiry, include the property location and the assets you expect to sell. Include a listing link if you have one, so the inquiry can focus on that property and its intended use.
Vineyards by wine region
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- Anderson Valley Vineyards: Navarro Water, Fish Habitat, Ridge Overlap and Zoning
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- Coombsville Vineyards: MST Groundwater, Recycled Water, Boundary and Zoning
- Dry Creek Valley Vineyards: Boundary, Frost Water, Creek Habitat and Hillside Permits
- El Dorado AVA Vineyards: River Boundaries, Winery Ordinance, EID Water and Fire
- Howell Mountain Vineyards: The 1,400-Foot Line, Hillside Rules, Wells and Fire
- Knights Valley Vineyards: County-Line Boundary, Frost Water, Fire Zones and Permits
- Moon Mountain District Vineyards: Hillside Planting, Tree Removal, Water and Permits
- Oakville Vineyards: Ag Preserve Zoning, Measure P, Winery Rules and Water
- Petaluma Gap Vineyards: Wind, Two Counties, Groundwater and Planting Rules
- Red Hills Lake County Vineyards: Volcanic Uplands, Winery Permits, Wells and Wildfire
- Rutherford Vineyards: Boundary Lines, Napa River Frontage, Groundwater and Permits
- San Diego County Vineyards for Sale: AVAs, Winery Tiers, Water and Fire
- Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyards: Contour Lines, Winery Tiers, Groundwater and Fire
- Santa Lucia Highlands Vineyards: Terraces, the River Road Corridor, Groundwater and Boundaries
- Sonoma Valley Vineyards: Nested AVAs, Groundwater Fees, Creek Permits and Winery Rules
- St. Helena Vineyards: Valley-Floor Boundary, Groundwater, City Limits and Winery Permits
- Stags Leap District Vineyards: River and Contour Lines, Hillside Rules, Permits and Water
Wine regions by county
- Sonoma County wine regions
- Napa County wine regions
- Lake County wine regions
- Alameda County wine regions
- Contra Costa County wine regions
- El Dorado County wine regions
- Marin County wine regions
- Mendocino County wine regions
- Monterey County wine regions
- Placer County wine regions
- Sacramento County wine regions
- San Mateo County and San Francisco wine regions
- Santa Clara County wine regions
- Santa Cruz County wine regions
- Solano County wine regions
- Yolo County wine regions
Choose a vineyard or winery acquisition path
A vineyard search focuses on land, planted blocks and the farming arrangement. A winery acquisition also needs a clear view of the premises, operating assets and permissions. Use the focused guide that fits your intended purchase.
- Napa Valley vineyards for sale
- Napa Valley wineries for sale
- Sonoma County vineyards for sale
- Sonoma County wineries for sale
Private acquisition inquiries can begin with the location, intended use and broad timing. Discuss your plans with Diamond.
