Developments with a vineyard attached have been one of the most interesting innovations in the property world of recent years, and may prove a growing trend as an ageing population with increasingly sophisticated taste looks to buy abroad. Whereas much of the resort-style development of the last few decades has been based around golf, tennis and other sports, there's increasingly a realisation that these don't appeal to everyone, and for some buyers lifestyle as well as local food and wine are more of a draw.
In France, one of the most successful and imaginative such developments has been Les Jardins de St Benoit in the Languedoc region. There's an on-site vineyard and olive grove, as well as a medieval garden providing herbs and other produce. Owners have a share in all this, and the opportunity to get involved in wine making and olive oil pressing. The development is envisaged as a way to bring the adjacent village of St Laurent back to life and seen by its mayor as a way to promote local products such as the wine. A few cottage properties are still available at the development which has now opened, priced from €234,000.
Chateau des Carasses, also in Languedoc, being marketed by Jackson-Stops & Staff, is a small upmarket development based on a once-thriving wine estate. There are 28 residences in the converted 19th century chateau, priced from €608,000, and owners get to enjoy a share of the annual wine harvest estimated at 40 to 50 cases, along with cellaring facilities.
In Italy, the idea has also gained traction. Castello di Casole is a 4,200 acre estate in Tuscany, where you can buy one of the restored farmhouse villas either outright from €3.7m, or on a fractional basis from €290,000 for a one-twelfth share. Owners get the chance to participate in all aspects of the wine-making process and to enjoy wine-tasting events, wine-maker dinners, visits to wineries in the neighbouring regions, and the estate's own special reserve label, Dodici. Emily Davis, spokeswoman for developer Timber Resorts, says: "There are 100 acres of vineyards on the estate, and owners will also get an allocation of around 100 bottles each year. It's ideal for people who have a passion for wine, and want to learn from the experts about how wine is produced, different grapes, and pairing wine with food."
Properties at Castello di Casole are available through Aylesford International.
Alexander Garrett is a freelance property writer who contributes regularly to The Observer and British Airways' Business Life.