Wine Tourism - let's hear your story!

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Comment by raymond ringhoff on November 12, 2011 at 11:32pm

I would like to join this group  I am in tourism  hospitality  I just got back from a trip to china this summer  did a wine tour outside xian first time  been researching the wine industry in china  looking to do wine tours there     but my biggest wine tourism was backbacking around australia for 6 months  besides doing adventure expereinces with other backpackers  I did alot of wine tourism trips to the many wine regions throughout australia  I am very interested in wine touris doing wine tours  goingto china and china to amercia besides going to australia  I have dual citizenship   american and australian  if anyone ever had an interest about such wine tours  please send me a comment  like to hear your reasons and interest  doing a market survey on this subject   my e-mail  ringhoff@hotmail.com   I am also a wine sales rep for a wine distributer

Comment by Anthony Swift on April 7, 2010 at 12:44am

Nice overview of wine tourism. Am heading with a wine club from Norway to the Languedoc-Rousillon region of France in a couple of weeks and I don't think the level of wine tourism is as advanced as it may be in Bordeaux.

As for Spain there are some 5,500 wineries in Spain and at most 100 of them are open to receive wine tourists and of the 100 few are prepared for wine tourism.

Comment by Adam Stankiewicz on April 6, 2010 at 11:53pm

Wine tourism is a great way to learn about the people, culture, heritage, and customs of an area.
According to most of tourism business forecasts, oenotourism is regarded as having greatest potential. As result of the above it may become soon, the most lucrative tourism business venue in global scale.
One of the main reasons, is giant over production of wines all over the world. Overproduction, which cannot be presently consumed. Following the above, wine producers are forced to raise the quality of wines, lower their prices, as well as find more effective ways to sell their product.
Not to forget, that most of the vineyards are located In the most picturesque landscapes of the world.
Some of the famous wine producing regions have been producing wine for centuries or even millennia, and the production and consumption of wine is deeply ingrained in the local culture. One may meet for example in France some families, whose winemaking roots are back to 60 generations or even older ! Aldo, these areas tend to be off the beaten tourist track (although not that far off) so wine tourism can expose travelers to new and interesting areas. Getting out and visiting wine producers provides contact with local farmers and artisans who care deeply about the area. Wine growers are farmers, and their perspective on the local area, and life in general, tends to be different from other locals typically encountered while traveling.
Oenotourism is not limited, as many believe, to wine tasting as well as visiting winemakers and their .vineyards. At the time of wine tour we are facing a different, totally fascinating way of life, always within the circle of the best cultural traditions of our contemporary civilization.
The task of the wine tours is therefore, not only to introduce such way of living and local customs, but as well to friendly share it among all participants.
Year of 1950, is commonly regarded as birthdate of oenoturism. At that time one of the most important French negociants, strongly disappointed by annual sales results, decided to open its XIII th century giant wine cellars In Beaune (Burgundy) for the public. A circuit touristique , (wine itinerary), combined with some 14 burgundys tastings was marked up. La Reine Pedaque wine circuit became, at that moment, one of the most popular wine attractions in Burgundy (130 000 visitors in 2007).
Since that time, the most entrepreneurial people started to look for and find out new, most effective methods to attract quickly growing number of wine tourists from all over the world.
It is therefore quite easy to take part in wine tasting classes, professionally commented walks through the vineyards, visits to wine processing (vinification) plants, as well as assist to endless wine tastings of locally produced wines. Always charming, always tidy and up to high standards Bed&Breakfast accommodations are available at winemakers homes. Some of them [in France] offer so called table d’… which is a lunch or dinner based on traditional cuisine with complete spectrum of locally produced wines, carefully selected for each dish (wine & food pairing) and commented either by professional sommeliers or by winemaker himself.
Not to forget about most luxurious hotels always welcoming their guests from all over the world.
At present, in Burgundy over 900 caveaux (wine cellars) are open to the public. As average wine tourists are purchasing there bottles of wines, for approx. 83,5 mln € / year (as average 120.- € per couple). The largest wine region In France for such kind of services, is the region of Bordeaux with over 2 000 open to public cellars and châteaux.
With almost 8 mln / year of wine visitors, France is definitely on top among other wine countries of the Old Word. Traditionally most of oenophiles come to Bordeaux (21%), Alzace (17%), Burgundy (13%) and Champagne (12%).
Remaining wine regions In Europe are little behind.
Italy offers at present some 800 cellars, while Spain 3 300.
In the New Word: USA 5 000 cellars (95% of wine producers), Australia (1 500) i South Africa (570).
US winemakers enjoy a highest wine tourism turnover in the world (2 bln € / year).
Most of oenotourism professionals expect further dynamic business development, as result of new markets (China, Brazil and India) activities.
Another, absolutely fascinating side of wine tourism is development of a new trend in architecture. Trend called “wine architecture”.
In an “good” glass wine tastes better.
How about in a “good” building ?
Top wine producers and vineyards owners agree that proper building is as important as proper glass. They employ therefore most renown architects, in order to create projects which would combine, at the same time, wine production processes with easy access for wine tourists, tasting rooms, wine boutiques and restaurants. Many of them provide as well hotel accommodation facilities, spa, conference & congress facilities wine museums etc. The most famous architectural companies (projects valued several hundreds of millions US$) are engaged: Norman Foster (Bodega Faustino, Ribera del Duero, Spain), Herzog&deMeuron (Dominus Winery, Napa Valley, USA), Renzo Piano (la Rocca, Tuscany, Italy), Frank Gehry (Marques de Riscal, Alava, Spain and Hall's St. Helen Winery, Napa Valley, USA.).
For the oenophile, wine tourism is a wonderful way to better understand terroir, the difficult to define concept that wine makers often use to describe a key component of their art. Roughly speaking, it has to do with how the quality of the land in which the grapes are grown affects the taste of the wine. Tasting wine at a wine shop or in the comfort of home provide a hint at the terroir that produced the wine. But spending several days visiting the area, chatting with the wine makers and growers, and eating the local cuisine (which has evolved together with the wine for the two to perfectly complement each other) will provide an exceptional context for the wine and give deep insight into why and how the wine turned out the way it did.

Sources: vintrips, vikimedia
Copyright © by Adam Stankiewicz, VINTRIPS , 2010

Comment by Anthony Swift on January 27, 2010 at 1:15pm

@darlene. That's Great! Are you based in the US? Would you say that wine tourists first visit Italy then France the next year then get round to Spain?

Comment by darlene c on January 27, 2010 at 11:30am

I am not a wine expert, however I share the passion and respect for winemakers and their delicious wines from around the world. I savor those moments when then wine is being presented and ultimately enjoyed by all. My husband and I conduct wine tours overseas, mainly featuring Italian wines. Looking forward to learning more from the wine industry and its people

Comment by Kari Sjöblom on January 12, 2010 at 8:21pm

Swedih can but not Norwegians ...

Comment by Anthony Swift on January 12, 2010 at 1:33pm

Ok I think there are no restrictions between Estonia and Finland but the poor Swedish and Norweginas can`t get such a load in?

Comment by Kari Sjöblom on January 12, 2010 at 11:04am

We can take up to 8000 kilos - and that is a lot ....

Comment by Anthony Swift on January 12, 2010 at 10:33am

@Kari lol :)

Comment by Kari Sjöblom on January 12, 2010 at 10:09am

It will go between Estonia and Finland - :-)

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