WINE TOURISM - OENOTOURISM - ENOTOURISM

“Wine provides the passport to experience what lies behind the label ”

— Photo source: Wine Keller (Limoux region, France)

What is Wine Tourism?

‘Wine tourism’ is considered a key trend in world tourism. According to the latest statistics, within 3 years, wine tourism could have an impact of some €44 billion on the world economy, involving more than 100 million tourists per year!

Also known as oenotourism, enotourism (Greek origin) and vinotourism (Italian origin), it is generally defined as travel organised in wine regions, around the appreciation, tasting, and purchase of wine, where the wine is made.

Wine tourism is seen increasingly as a good example of a move towards ‘slow tourism’, which involves visitors getting closer to nature and seeking meaningful connection with people, places and communities.

What - or who - is a wine tourist?

Our definition of a ‘wine tourist’ is definitely a ‘wine lover’, but certainly by no means a ‘wine expert’.

We understand today’s ‘wine tourist’ to be interested in learning about the ‘origin’ of different wines - i.e. to discover where and how different wines are made and the people who make them - and to really be able to experience and connect with this.

We believe todays ‘wine tourist’ is looking for an immersive and active wine region experience, which goes far beyond wine tasting. In addition to wanting to explore and enjoy the breathtaking, natural beauty and sights of the world’s wine growing regions, today’s wine tourists are looking to be immersed in the communities, the traditions, the culture, the history and gastronomy of the region too. In fact, you could say that today, wine tourism is reinventing the cultural experience of a destination.

We recognise that the wine tourist - and this certainly applies to us - may also be interested in active outdoor pursuits, or perhaps wellness and wellbeing activities, or the arts and music, as well as nature and the environment and therefore our wine tours tend to reflect this.

Explore the world’s wine growing regions by wine producing country:

Why we love being wine tourists

We have always loved exploring different wine regions - sure we are wine lovers and wine enthusiasts but we find that wine provides a great way to reconnect with nature and to connect with the country and region - its geography, its history, its rivers and villages, its people and their customs and traditions.

And of course if you’re a foodie (as we unashamedly are) and you love to try local food produce and dishes, wine regions are often some of the best locations to travel to. Wine and food are a perfect match and wine regions tend to attract great chefs who make the most of local produce.

Touring a wine region offers so much more than just tasting its wines - if you know where to look! And that’s where we come in! You can truly immerse yourself in the place and create some amazing experiences and memories, if you have the knowledge and insights. That’s what we love to do and we love nothing more than sharing our experiences so you can experience them too!