(Wines&Vines) - Replanting a high-quality wine grape vineyard is rarely an easy decision for the owner. The land will be out of production for at least two years, so the loss of revenue is absolute, and the cost to redevelop is significant: about $30,000 per acre in prime parts of Napa Valley.

The decision is even tougher when the property is a vineyard-designate for 20 wineries that pay an average of $20,000 per ton for their portions of the site’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc crop, which they use to create wines that command cult-wine prices of $150 per bottle and up.