For this 7th episode of the club, I am going to talk to you about wine tourism. However, before we go on, if this is the first time you are listening to this podcast, there are 6 episodes waiting for you before this one. So feel free to hit pause and read those episodes. If you like this podcast, I also invite you to give it 5 stars on Apple Podcast. It moves it up the rankings and helps me enormously to produce more. If you like this podcast and do not want to miss any of it, you can join the club for free. So let us move on to wine tourism. You have surely already heard this slightly clunky term, but do you know what lies behind it? In this episode, we set off to discover the secrets of wine tourism.

Definition of wine tourism

Wine tourism, or winegrowing tourism, is about setting off to discover wine regions through their estates and the places dedicated to wine. While that definition is worthy of a dictionary, nothing could be simpler. Wine tourism is the tourism of wine. So why turn to wine tourism for your holidays? In reality, there are many answers to this question:

  • Enjoy the outdoors: visiting vineyards lets you stroll through the vines. What could be better for getting some fresh air out in nature during your holidays?
  • Understand what is in your glass: during your visit, you will have the chance to be guided by professionals and to meet the people who make the wine. So you will be able to understand what is in your glass and put a face to the people who let you enjoy these delicious nectars. Even if you have already listened to our episode on how to make wine, I am sure you will learn a lot.
  • Discover the heritage of the regions: wine tourism is particularly well suited to setting off to discover regions and their know-how.
  • Admire the architecture of the châteaux: the châteaux and estates you will visit often have incredible architecture. Photos with beautiful backdrops await you.
  • Learn about history: winegrowing estates are places steeped in history. In Champagne alone, you are bound to be treated to the monastic history of the estate and the tale of the counts of Champagne. By choosing wine tourism, you can learn more about the history of France and the history of the region you are visiting, through a product close to your heart.
  • Taste: what could be better to round off a visit than to taste a few wines with an estate professional there to tell you about them? It is hard to answer that question. Visits often include a wine tasting during which you can ask all your questions. You can also often buy the wine while you are there at a slightly lower price than in the usual shops. They can then join your wine cellar.

Are you convinced that wine tourism is for you? Know that there is more. Many estates offer options on top of what I have just mentioned. You can find offers for vinotherapy, courses, gastronomy or sports activities. In short, you are not about to get bored.

Organising your wine-tourism trip

Now that you know what wine tourism is and that you are convinced for your next holidays, let us move on to organising your trip. In France, there are 31 museums and themed sites related to wine. So you are bound to find something to your liking. And that is without counting the various châteaux and estates that can welcome you. So how do you go about organising your wine-tourism trip? First, know that there are many agencies that can take care of everything for you. You will be able to choose the itinerary that suits you based on your favourite regions, the châteaux you want to see, your time and your budget. You can also organise this trip yourself. For example, many estates have visit-booking modules on their website. In some cases, you can sleep at the estate and enjoy château life for a night. Besides the estates that practise wine tourism as a real economic activity, know that many winegrowers will be delighted to welcome you and show you their work. However, remember to make a phone call before going to the estate to check that it is possible for you to visit. Also avoid the harvest period. You risk getting an answering machine and not being able to visit the estate.

A few key figures on wine tourism

Finally, you are starting to get used to this in this podcast, I cannot leave you without mentioning a few key figures on the sector. Wine tourism has been developing considerably in recent years. So I would like to give you a few key figures to help you understand the scale of this movement. In 2009, there were 7.5 million wine tourists. In 2016, 10 million people set off to visit French estates. Finally, wine-tourism visits to France’s regions are fairly evenly spread between regions. Indeed, 18% of wine tourists go to the Bordeaux region, 17.2% to Champagne, 16.9% to Alsace, 16.2% to Burgundy and 13% to the Loire Valley. The figures for the Rhône are not yet known. And there you go, well done, you now know wine tourism by heart. Once again we have seen that wine is not a drink like any other. It is in fact possible to go straight to the places where it is grown and produced to learn everything about it. Learning wine is crucial in order to finally enjoy it to the fullest. So I will see you in the next episode. In the meantime, to continue your efforts to learn wine, head to winemakersshow.com. By signing up, you will be notified of the next episodes and have all the associated bonuses, and learn wine easily. It is free, it is interesting, and if you ever change your mind, you can unsubscribe whenever you like. So go ahead and sign up to our club right after this episode.