Wine tourism is big business! Also known as enotourism, oenotourism and vinitourism, wine tourism takes place around the globe- but what is it and why is it such an important part of the travel and tourism industry? This article explains.
What is wine tourism?
Wine tourism, also known as enotourism and vinitourism, is a focused branch of food tourism which is specifically to do with wine. It is all about getting to know the world of wine as you travel. Activities typically include vineyard and winery tours, getting to see the wine production line and (of course!) wine tasting. There are even wine museums you can visit!
As with any type of food tourism, you don’t have to travel particularly far to engage with wine tourism. A visit to a local vineyard or a tasting session in a nearby wine region, for example, can be a wine tourism activity.
How big is the wine tourism industry?
Wine tourism is a significant and growing part of the tourism industry. Estimates of its size vary, but Statista estimated the global wine tourism market at around US$8.7 billion in 2020- a year when tourism was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic- and forecast it to reach nearly US$29.6 billion by 2030. Its importance is also recognised by UN Tourism, which has held an annual Global Conference on Wine Tourism since 2016.
Vins du Monde has published estimates, particularly related to where the most wine tourism takes place. These suggested that the USA has the most wine tourists each year, seeing around 15 million – France is another big draw, with around 10 million enotourists visiting per year. Germany hosts around 7.3 million, and Italy around 5 million. South Africa and New Zealand have much fewer wine tourists each year, welcoming around 0.5 and 0.2 million respectively.
The history of wine tourism
Wine tourism is a relatively new industry in comparison to winemaking itself. But where there is industry, tourism isn’t far behind. People are curious to see how the world around them works, which is why industrial tourism is popular. Wine drinkers are keen to see how wine is made, where it comes from and to try new flavours from different areas- in the same way that car lovers might visit a car factory.
Organised wine tourism is often said to date back to the early 20th century, when wine routes were developed in Germany. The most famous is the German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstraße) through the Palatinate region, which opened in 1935. The ‘Judgement of Paris’ wine tasting of 1976 was another turning point. French judges blind-tasted French and Californian wines in Paris and, controversially, the Californian wines came out on top. The result attracted worldwide media coverage and helped to put Napa Valley on the wine tourism map.
More recently, the 2004 film Sideways, which follows two men on a wine tour through California’s Santa Ynez Valley, boosted both wine tourism in the region and sales of Pinot Noir.
Why is wine tourism important to a winery?
Wine tourism is important to wineries for many reasons. With cheaper mass-produced wines being much more readily available now, smaller wineries are making less money and business is slowing down. For this reason, branching out into enotourism activities is vital for many wineries. Allowing tourists to visit and pay to taste the wine, see how it’s made and meet the winemakers is a brilliant way of providing income. Wine tourists also tend to spend more than the average traveller, so they are valuable visitors for wine regions as a whole.
What are the benefits of wine tourism?
There are many benefits of wine tourism. As mentioned above, enotourism has a positive impact on wineries and winemakers. It brings in an alternative income, and allows people to share their passion with people who will appreciate it. Wine tourism also introduces people to different wines, meaning wineries may go on to have regular custom from these visitors.
And are there benefits to the tourists themselves? Of course – as with any form of industrial tourism, wine tourism provides an educational opportunity to guests who want to learn about wine, winemaking, individual wineries and so on. It adds a deeper, more experiential element to a trip.
Wine tourism also takes visitors into attractive rural landscapes. Several wine regions are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Douro Valley in Portugal, the Champagne hillsides and the Burgundy ‘climats’ in France, and Germany’s Upper Middle Rhine Valley. This means wine tourism often overlaps with rural tourism and agritourism, spreading tourist spending beyond the big cities.
Wine tourism is also closely linked to culinary tourism, as many wineries offer food pairings, restaurants and local produce. Other benefits for visitors include discovering new wines and meeting like-minded people.
The top destinations for wine tourism
Wine tourism takes place in wine regions all over the world. Some of the best-known destinations are outlined below.
Germany
Covering around 103,000 hectares, Germany is not the world’s biggest wine producer, but its wine regions are among the most famous- especially for Riesling. Its steep riverside vineyards make it one of Europe’s most scenic wine tourism destinations.
Rheinhessen is the largest of Germany’s wine regions, and wine has been made here since Roman times. Many of its best-known vineyards lie along the Rheinterrasse, on the banks of the Rhine.
The Palatinate (Pfalz) is one of the largest Riesling-growing regions in the world and is famous for its wine festivals, including the Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt, which claims to be the world’s largest wine festival.
The Mosel valley is famous for its Riesling wines and dramatic, steep vineyards. The vines grow on heat-storing slate soils, which help the grapes to ripen in this northerly climate.
California
Wine tourism is hugely popular in California, particularly in the Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Visitors can choose from winery tastings, guided tours, e-bike tours, picnics among the vines and even hot air balloon rides over the vineyards. The region has also had to adapt to the effects of climate change, with major wildfires in 2017 and 2020 damaging vineyards and temporarily reducing visitor numbers.
France
If you want to see where some of the most famous types of wine come from, then wine tourism in France is for you. From Champagne to Bordeaux, many of France’s wine regions have given their names to the wines they produce, and many have designated wine routes for visitors.
Major French wine regions for wine tourism include:
- Bourgogne
- Vallée du Rhône
- Bordeaux
- Champagne
- Alsace
- Languedoc-Roussillon
- Val de Loire
- Beaujolais
- Sud-Ouest
- Provence
- Jura
From wine-and-golf weekends to champagne-making workshops, wine tourism in France is very diverse. Bordeaux is home to La Cité du Vin, a wine museum and cultural centre that opened in 2016, and day trips to vineyards from cities such as Paris, Bordeaux and Lyon are popular with tourists who don’t want a whole wine-focused holiday.
New Zealand
Wine tourism is a growing industry in New Zealand, which now has more than 40,000 hectares of vineyards. The country is best known for its Sauvignon Blanc, which makes up the large majority of its wine exports. Some of the best-known wine regions include:
Marlborough, the largest of New Zealand’s wine regions, which produces around three-quarters of the country’s wine. It includes the Wairau, Southern and Awatere Valleys, and visitors can explore it on self-guided, hop-on hop-off or fully guided wine tours.
Central Otago, one of the southernmost wine regions in the world. Its vineyards sit on terraces beneath snow-capped mountains, and the region is particularly famous for its Pinot Noir.
Video: The best wine tourism destinations around the world
Wine tourism: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about wine tourism.
What is wine tourism?
Wine tourism, also known as enotourism, oenotourism or vinitourism, is travel to visit wine regions, vineyards and wineries. Activities include winery tours, wine tasting, food and wine pairing, wine festivals and visits to wine museums.
What is another name for wine tourism?
Wine tourism is also called enotourism (or oenotourism) and vinitourism. It is a branch of culinary or food tourism.
Why is wine tourism important?
Wine tourism provides wineries with an additional source of income, builds customer loyalty, and brings visitor spending into rural areas. Wine tourists also tend to spend more than average visitors, benefiting restaurants, accommodation and other local businesses.
Which countries are best known for wine tourism?
Some of the most popular wine tourism destinations include France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the USA (especially California), Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina.
When did wine tourism start?
People have visited vineyards for centuries, but organised wine tourism is often traced back to the early 20th century, when wine routes were created in Germany. The German Wine Route opened in 1935.
Wine tourism, enotourism & vinitourism- further reading
If you found this article on wine tourism useful, you may also find these articles helpful-
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- What is domestic tourism and why is it so important?
- Culinary tourism explained
- What is agritourism?
- Rural tourism explained
- What is pro-poor tourism and why is it so great?
