The lay of the land
We developed over 200 acres in San Rafael Mendoza into a premium vineyard with lodging.
I’ve been here fifteen years and have seen plenty of foreigners come and go. Many lost a lot of money.I've seen a special breed of Passport Bro — Social Security Fellas. Older guys, usually kind of married, who buy a compound in a low-cost country and bunker down. They never learn the language, only hang around other expats, and lead a kind of miserable existence.
How do you come to a place like this and not get taken advantage of? Avoid losing your shirt?
I learned the hard way. In the early days, we didn’t have any water, and the "kindly Yankee" helping us assured me it was due to the drought. The next year, he blamed sinkholes in the ditches.
Turns out, a few years later and thousands of dollars down the drain, my kind helper was just neglecting to pay the Irrigation Ministry. Where was that money going? I think you can guess.
So, what's my advice for someone coming to a place like San Rafael and tackling something ambitious like a vineyard without losing a lot, getting discouraged, and leaving?
Learn the lay of the land. This means learning the language and talking to people. The first people who approach you, the really eager ones — they're probably not who you want to work with.
After six months in a place, you’ll get a feel for who’s trustworthy, who does good work, and who the locals use. By locals, I mean people who have been in the town for two generations or more.
