Wine tourism, or enotourism, involves experiencing the world of wine from the inside: wineries, vineyards, production processes, history… It is also closely related to gastronomic and cultural tourism linked to the wine industry.
Thus, wine tourism arises from the combination of rural tourism, culture, gastronomy, and wine as the main attraction. Wine culture, architecture, and landscape are some of the elements that stand out in this type of travel.
It might seem like this is a novel initiative, a recent trend born from the growing interest in wine. Nothing could be further from the truth. Winery visits are ancient; records show that organized trips already existed in the times of ancient Greece and Rome.
There are wineries in Spain that hold centuries-old documents, such as guest books, which attest to the interest that the world of wine, and wineries in particular, aroused in the mid-19th century. These archives contain numerous records of visits from monarchs, nobles, members of the clergy, and professionals in the sector.
Empress Eugénie de Montijo visited the Alvear winery, Queen Isabella II visited the González Byass wineries in 1862, and King Alfonso XIII toured Codorníu, Domecq, and Franco Españolas wineries, among others. These are all significant examples, as José Peñín notes in his book '12 Great Wineries of Spain'.
Another historical aspect that confirms the interest in wine tourism is the existence of numerous events, exhibitions, congresses, and scientific meetings held in Spanish wineries. Documents exist that prove these gatherings date back to the 19th century, some of which were international events.
But despite its existence for many years, its development has not occurred to the same extent as in other European countries. In 2015, Spain received 2.4 million wine tourists, while France receives around 15 million wine tourists each year. In Italy, for example, they receive 1.3 million visitors on a single day, Wine Tourism Day.
A type of cultural tourism that has been increasing greatly due to the rise of tourists seeking experiences in their free time, to have a good time.
Italy was the world's leading wine tourism destination in 2022, achieving an index of approximately 8.3 points. Portugal and Spain ranked second and third respectively, with more than seven points each, followed by New Zealand, Greece, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and Hungary, according to https://es.statista.com/.
The index is based on several factors: average consumption, average production and wine routes per 100,000 inhabitants, the vineyard area of each country and the price of a bottle of wine.
The "European Charter for Wine Tourism" (presented in 2005) establishes the eight essential aspects for a territory to be considered a "wine-growing area" and therefore be limited to the scope of wine tourism:
1. Responsibility. Wine-growing territories must play a decisive role in the conservation, management and valuation of territorial assets, and assume the value of a model in concrete experiences, both in their objectives and in the methodology of their application, as well as assume their responsibility in relation between the territory and its exploitation.
2. Management. Territorial and wine-growing resources must be protected, preserved and carefully managed, so that they can always be available for individual and economic use by the territory.
3. Caution. The use of territorial resources, and particularly wine-growing resources, must not harm the survival of other animal or plant species in the ecosystem.
4. Protection. Wine-growing ecosystems must be effectively protected and safeguarded from their vulnerability, a consequence of the strong real estate and speculative impact.
5. Organization. Wine-growing regions can establish themselves as reference entities (associations, routes, etc.) for the development of a territory. Management models, defined on rigorous scientific grounds, must guarantee the conservation of ecosystems in their integrity and biological complexity.
6. Cooperation. To achieve these objectives, wine-growing areas must promote effective cooperation among themselves, especially when they share the same region or country.
7. Information. Wine-growing areas must promote the exchange of information in terms of data, knowledge, management models, technology, and analysis models.
8. Culture. Wine-growing areas must play a decisive role in the dissemination of an authentic "wine culture", which will result in the need for comprehensive, correct and careful management, for its rational exploitation in both ecological and social terms.
The stays of wine tourists
According to the latest study by the Spanish Association of Wine Cities (Acevin (2021), wine tourists usually stayed in rural accommodations (21.29%), although in 2022 four-star hotels were the preferred option for accommodation with 21.72%.
One of the main characteristics of wine tourism is that it is not seasonal. Along Spain's Wine Routes, it is a high-quality tourism product that can be enjoyed year-round, although, according to reports on visits to wineries and wine museums, October is usually the month with the highest number of visitors, coinciding with the grape harvest. August is the second most popular month.
Organizing trips
According to Acevin, wine tourists organize their trip as follows: 54.01% book their getaway online, 23.94% by telephone, and 18.10% arrive without any reservation.
The profile of the wine tourist
Trips for couples remain the most common (48.76%), followed by trips with groups of friends (32.85%). Families with children are almost twice as numerous as families without children, leading the report to conclude that wine tourism could be a reasonable option for family vacations.
The experiences offered to tourists vary depending on the destination, winery, agency, and other factors. For example, some wineries offer a sensory tour where taste is stimulated through wine tasting; smell is engaged by exploring every corner of the winery, the barrels, and the vineyards; and sight is captivated by learning how wine is made. Ultimately, each winery has its own package, and customers choose the one that best suits their needs.
Sources:
https://www.jeanleon.com/blog/
https://www.vinetur.com/turismo/
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