You may have had this fantasy: quit your job in the big city, move to Napa or Greece, buy a straw hat and make wine. Sales of wine-estate properties have, in fact, been rising across southern Europe for years. But the reality is, owning a vineyard is stressful, volatile and financially precarious, and the FT's Marianna Giusti warns us to avoid it at all costs. Mari's family runs a vineyard in Tuscany, Italy. As the oldest child, she is first in line to inherit it. But she doesn’t want it! This week, she joins Lilah to discuss the highs and lows of vineyard life, and explain how hard it is to make really good wine.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com, we’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Mari’s piece, The many perils – and occasional pleasure – of owning a vineyard: https://on.ft.com/46vKMcL

– Mari is on Instagram @mauipippi and on Twitter @mauipippa

– Jancis Robinson on what the rise in wildfires means for fine wine: https://on.ft.com/3NKbczK

– Another recent column by Jancis, about a vineyard in New Zealand battered by heavy rainfall, ‘the first vineyard visit that left me feeling sad’: https://on.ft.com/3NIwjCA

– A more uplifting article by Jancis, on biodynamic wine: https://on.ft.com/3pfq93D

– And one on how German wine has transformed itself, but buyers haven’t noticed: https://on.ft.com/3NIoHAd

– We also mentioned A Good Year (2006) directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Don’t run away and buy a vineyard

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