3. Water!

          The Davis Mountains receive about 17 inches of rain per year, considerably more than the surrounding desert which only gets about 9. For reference, the Napa valley gets 20 inches per year, Burgundy 30, Sonoma County 36, and Bordeaux 37. Because there is not much rain, irrigation will be key to growing healthy and productive vines. I will drill a well on the property in order to tap into the large igneous aquifer system underlying the region. Water can be found by drilling almost anywhere in the area, but the amount of water can vary considerably. The big question is, “when I drill a well on the property will it produce enough water to irrigate my 3 acre vineyard?” If the answer turns out to be no, I don’t want to be stuck with 25 acres and a new well and still not be able to plant my vines. In order to mitigate this risk, the well will actually be drilled before I close on the property. If the well produces adequate water, I will move forward and complete the purchase. If not, then I will walk away from the purchase and look for a different property. I will still have to pay for the well, but there doesn’t seem to be any way around that. Hopefully there is plenty of water. Fingers crossed! 

Other news: The contract is signed! I now have 45 days to drill the well and either move forward and close on the property or walk away and look elsewhere.

Hopefully Para Smurf isn't the only one with fresh water...