Can I get a loan to buy a winery?
Yes — but lenders split a winery into two assets: the real estate (land, vineyard, production building, tasting room) and the business (brand, inventory, licenses). Real estate loans of up to 70% LTV cover the first; the business side is usually seller-financed or bought with separate capital.
The real estate is the bankable piece. An appraiser can put a defensible number on 40 acres of planted vines, a 10,000-square-foot production facility, and a permitted tasting room. Case goods, barrels in inventory, the wine club list, and the label itself are business assets — most real estate lenders exclude them from collateral and from LTV.
In practice, winery acquisitions are structured as two closings: a real estate loan against the property and a separate note — often a seller carry-back — for the operating business and inventory. Splitting the purchase price honestly between the two in the contract matters, because the appraisal will only support the real estate portion.
Licensing is the trap that delays closings. Federal TTB permits and state ABC licenses do not automatically transfer with the deed. Start the license transfer or new-application process the day you go under contract, not after closing.
The Turnrow angle
Turnrow lends against the appraised real estate — land, vines, and improvements — up to $1.5M and 70% LTV, with no business financials required. Pair it with a seller note for the operating company.
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