Become a winemaker with Terra Hominis

How can you finance your winegrowing start-up or development?

Participatory winegrowing investment is an alternative form of financing that enables you to set up as a winegrower or develop your own winery via the crowdfunding system.

A win-win partnership:

  • Winegrowers free themselves from the pressure of buying vineyard plots
  • Winegrowers pay a consideration in bottles of wine

A fundamental human approach, which makes the difference with the forms of financing proposed by banking or credit organizations for a farm installation.

The intervention framework

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A simple, secure legal structure for becoming a winegrower

For each of our vineyards, the set-up is simple.
Terra Hominis creates a GFV (a group of partners who co-own the vineyard), which leases the land to the winegrower, enabling him or her to set up in farming.

The winegrower retains governance and independence:
– He is the manager of the new GFV structure. The Groupement owns the vines.
– It operates independently, as before. The winery is separate from the vineyard.

Under the terms of the lease, the winegrower undertakes to pay rent, which is always paid in bottles of wine.
This rent corresponds to dividends (at a rate of 4.5% per annum on the capital invested) and is calculated on the basis of the public sale price of bottles of wine ex-cellar.
This method of calculation, which satisfies the interests of all parties, enables us to obtain a rent price that complies with prefectoral decrees, and to work towards a common goal: the production of the best possible wines.

Every year, a General Meeting (AGM) is held, at which associates are not legally obliged to attend. It is above all a festive event.
No additional administrative burden: As the GFV is not an operator and has no expenses, simple cash accounting is sufficient.
The AGM simply confirms the payment of the rent in bottles and the continuation of the lease as originally agreed.

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The winemaker's commitments to the GFV

Each year, the winegrower is responsible for paying the equivalent in bottles of wine for each share acquired.

At the end of each financial year, the winegrower is responsible for convening and organizing a General Meeting with his associates. To do this, the winegrower must draw up and circulate a notice of meeting and minutes to his associates.

Templates and procedures provided by Terra Hominis.

Taking care of the soil and vines to ensure they are passed on to future generations.

Respect the environment.

  • Paying property tax on GFV vines
  • Establishing and declaring vineyard leases
  • Draw up and declare annual cash accounts to the tax authorities

Informing and welcoming associates on a regular basis (e.g. vineyard tours, cellar tours, wine tourism, tasting workshops, discovering the winemaking profession, explanations of the winemaker’s work, participation in the grape harvest).

Relay them via social networks and other communication media.

Why create or develop a winery with Terra Hominis?

The advantages of participative wine financing to become a winegrower or expand your business

  • Finance your farm or winery development without bank loans and without the burden of land ownership.
  • A network of carefully selected ambassadors throughout France and abroad
  • Enhance your image financially
  • Keep your independence in managing your business
  • Marketing support for professionals through the wine merchant networks of the Vina Hominis winegrowers’ association and the Terra Hominis online store.
  • Communication support via the Terra Hominis network and actions
  • Regular monitoring of the project and support in case of need or emergency from the Terra Hominis Founder
  • Take advantage of a network to help you set up your own vineyard: Vigneron Demain
  • Share information, materials and ideas with other winegrowers in the community
  • Passing on your passion and forging deep human relationships. 

Selection stages for vineyard start-up or development projects

Discuss your project and your expectations.

Vineyard tour and tasting of vintages (if available)

Vitivinicultural, financial and accounting due diligence by a committee of experts (CETV)

Expert committee decision and founder of Terra Hominis

Drafting of communication and presentation materials

Launching projects and finding partners

Selection criteria for becoming a Terra Hominis winemaker

The founder of Terra Hominis, Ludovic Aventin, together with the Comité d’Ethique pour la Transition Viticole (CETV), are studying the following points:

  • Assessment and study of existing and/or projected situation
  • Project study: wine-growing region, terroir, appellation and desired wine-growing area, wine-growing practices, type of winemaking (e.g. organic wine, HV3 or other).
  • Motivations of the winegrower-candidate: human and financial and environmental approach
  • Technical viticulture/oenology skills: knowledge of vine cultivation and vinification, knowledge of enology and level of experience.
  • Management skills (administrative, financial, accounting)
  • Communication skills (proficiency in digital tools such as emailing, social networking and website management)
  • Good interpersonal skills to welcome associates.

Who we are

Terra Hominis' mission

Terra Hominis is the first company with a mission in the world of agriculture. Its unsubsidized, public-interest mission is to preserve the strength of winegrowing: the diversity of its terroirs and winegrowers. This diversity is under threat, however, as 2/3 of winegrowers are over 55 and often have no successors. What’s more, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the new generation of winegrowers to set up in business. It is estimated that over the past 10 years, 3 French winegrowers have disappeared every day.. Action is urgently needed.

Terra Hominis was created to help people realize their dream of becoming a winegrower through participative wine financing. Since its creation in 2011, 51 co-owned vineyards have been built, in promising appellations, bringing together 3,900 associates (120 on average per group),

The process of setting up as a winegrower is long, complicated and often discouraging.

Terra Hominis aims to be a facilitator, thanks to its network of associates and partners. A club of new winegrowers called “Winegrower Tomorrow has been created to ensure that setting up in farming is no longer an individualistic process, but a collective one. A club for exchange and sharing, so that the experience of some can be of use to others.

Our innovative and effective approach was recently the subject of a colloquium at the French National Assembly.

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Partner organizations

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comite ethique financement participatif viticole

Key figures

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251
hectares of vineyards

54 condominium vineyard projects

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4 000 co-owner partners

 Innovation and Territory Award

France’s1st humanist company

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1st wine company with a mission

Secure legal structure registered with the clerk’s office

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A network to help farmers set up in business

Setting up as a new winegrower isn’t easy.Acquiring land (vines) is difficult:

  • banks don’t lend easily
  • some terroirs are too highly prized by large merchants or estates, making them difficult to access for young winemakers

The road to realizing your dream of becoming a winegrower is not a “long, quiet river”. You may feel alone and overwhelmed by the administrative procedures and the multiple skills required….

That’s why Terra Hominis, creator of co-owned vineyards and specialist in the installation and development of winegrowers via participative wine financing, is creating an informal network of aspiring winegrowers to support them in their conversion.

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