How Wine Tourism Has Evolved in the Last Couple of Years

Wine tourism is considered one of the most important economic activities in the last decades, undoubtedly after the Covid-Pandemic it is also one of the most dynamic tourism industries of all. 

The Rise of Wine Tourism Boosted by the Covid Pandemic

After two years of staying at home due to travel restrictions, illness implications and economic difficulties one of the most important things we now value is being outdoors with our family and friends, seeking for more contact with nature and less processed foods. Wine tourism is one of those industries that has evolved by the Pandemic these last couple of years, as wineries offer a unique opportunity and more even, a full experience, to be close to the vineyard, experiencing a real farm to table pairing, and understanding the whole process of winemaking at the countryside. 

During Covid wineries tried to stay close to their consumers by hosting several virtual tastings. Unfortunately, this digital setting quicky became overcrowded. Even more, showing its importance to the consumers of wanting to be close to the winery, the experience of tasting their wines and seeing the vineyards as well as of learning the whole process of viticulture and winemaking. However, all these digital efforts and the wine clubs with highly allocated wines and their tailormade events really helped to promote wine tourism as a great option for wine lovers, bon vivants and true foodies. 

One of the things that had a major impact on wine tourism is that the Airbnb Platform launched a new category called “Vineyard Category” in June 2022. Now offering tourists more than 120,000 vineyard options around the world to choose an amazing stay. This shows how wine tourism has been one of the most resilient industries despite the Pandemic. The platform offers locations between the beautiful Tuscan Villas in Italy to the most luxurious lodges in Napa Valley. 

Some analysis on the numbers shared by Airbnb shows that after Pandemic the “vineyard category” and “unique stays” those including historical houses, wine castles or tree houses have grown up to 120% compared to 2019. Locations such as UK, Croatia, Provence, Portugal, and Argentina seem to be the most wanted by wine tourist’. 

Mexico Is a Top Wine Tourist Destination

One of the best examples of wine tourisms developments is Mexico as a wine country. The oldest winery still operating in all of America is found in Mexico in the state of Coahuila called Casa Madero established in 1597. The development of premium wineries, premier hospitality and the fifty best Latin America Restaurants has turned Mexico into one of the top destinations to enjoy a lifetime experience. 

Today there are fifteen states producing excellent wines and have a great hospitality structure. North Baja California is the most important wine growing region of Mexican wine production, about 70% of all Mexican wine is made here. Regionally, Valle de Guadalupe contributes most of the wine production here. 

Baja is known among the best international chefs, journalists, winemakers, and sommeliers from all over the world. Important gastronomy festivals like Festival de Conchas y Vino or Las Fiestas de la Vendimia gather thousands of wine lovers and foodies each year. This is where the consumer can engage directly with the winemakers and chefs from the region. Here you also find top luxury resorts like El Cielo Resorts and Winery where the guests can have a true wine and food experience. Top Restaurants include a personalised wine pairing with the best wines from the region, restaurants like Fauna, Deckman’s El Mogor or Corazon de Tierra have been awarded among the international critics. 

As a statement of Mexico bringing bon vivants and wine experts from all over the world, like the prestigious Concours Mondial de Bruxelles which is focused in exhibiting the best wines from different wine countries will be held at Guanajuato, Mexico coming June 2024. These sessions will be dedicated to White and Red Wines and will host more than 300 professional judges from all over the world. Guanajuato has become a leader in wine tourism due to its rich history, ideal climate for viticulture and for their diverse gastronomy from traditional Mexican cuisine to the trendiest terraces at the famous village San Miguel de Allende. An additional advantage of this region is their closeness to Mexico City; it is only a 3-hour road trip with amazing landscapes and places to visit on your way to the city.

Let’s talk About Italy’s Amazing Resilience

Italy is another great example of resilience after Covid-19. They were one of the countries that suffered the most due to the lockdowns. Reopening their borders again in 2022, long after other countries already were receiving a flow of tourism again, being a very challenging situation for Italy. Despite this, they recovered very fast. Wineries started to leverage their beautiful castles, lodges, and luxury villas as the best and safest places to stay. Italy is where “La Dolce Vita” is lived, and certainly is one of the dream destinations for any wine lover, Tuscany will always be one of the most important tourist destinations, as people can also visit Florence and Siena during their wine stay. 

Florence is one of the Italy’s cities where art, food and wine can be explored for many days; from the Mercato Central where fresh vegetables, cheeses and pastas can be enjoyed in a walking tour, to the world-famous restaurants. Gucci Osteria is one of the iconic restaurants from Florence appreciated by wine and food tourists, this restaurant by Massimo Bottura is leaded by a Mexican Chef called Karime Lopez. Originally born in Mexico City, she has been traveling around the world and creates her own culinary proposal interacting with the best ingredients and wines from Italy. 

Brancaia, a wine estate organically certified, is located between Florence and Siena. They have a beautifully remodeled old farm for a perfect wine lovers’ vacation. The farm is located between the rolling hills of Chianti, surrounded by fragrant herbs and flowers, olive trees and impressive vineyard landscapes where the guests can experience the authentic Tuscan lifestyle. The modern establishment includes private kitchens to cook Tuscan dishes by the guests themselves. And the winery offers delicious pairings by their Chef Giovani Palladino in Osteria Brancaia where guests can enjoy a home-made pasta and fresh Tuscan dishes with the best wines from the winery. 

Dreamy Views from the South African Wine Scenery

Lastly, I want to talk about the amazing developments at Tour Platforms like Civitatis or Get Your Guide. Thinking about far and heavenly wine destinations like South Africa, being is among the best recommended experiences for a wine lover. By offering very well-organised programs, the guests can find a personalised wine tour which includes the most iconic wineries from Stellenbosch to the oldest winery of the country Groot Constantia at Constantia Valley. All giving an authentic fresh South African food experience or biking trail around the vineyards with its dream landscapes. 

The guests can choose to stay at Cape Town and enjoy its cosmopolitan city with the best restaurants and shopping malls. Or they can stay at the Franschhoek Wine Valley which exhibits the influence between Frances Provence region and the heart of South Africa. This valley is famous for their Wine Tram which offers Hop-on Hop-off experiences with a combination of rustic buses and trams taking the guests to the local wineries. Especially, for the bon vivants they even offer an exclusive experience of a guided tour by a wine specialist to visit three wineries, which offer a luxury lunch and local pairings like “Wine and Biltong”. Biltong is a form of dried cured meat seasoned with different spices, a local culinary delight!

In general, we are starting to see more often that long-distance tourists plan their trips based on a wine region or based on the most iconic restaurants in the world. This certain lifestyle has become more engaging for them, and wine enthusiasts have now the desire of engaging more with their favorite wine regions, meeting the winemakers or the local starred Chefs they see at their favorite TV Series besides just experiencing it at their house or local city. We are willing to go far and beyond to meet our expectations.

We can all agree wine tourism has surged post-COVID, offering outdoor experiences with nature and farm-to-table dining. Airbnb's "Vineyard Category" and platforms like Civitatis enhance wine travel options. Mexico's wine tourism flourishes, led by Baja's Valle de Guadalupe. Italy rebounds quite rapidly with winery stays, and South Africa offers organised wine tours with local culinary experiences. Wine enthusiasts increasingly plan trips around wine regions and top restaurants, seeking immersive experiences beyond their localities.

Written by

Margot van Lieshout DipWSET FWS RV

Wine marketeer, sales expert with over 20 years in the trade, public speaker and international wine judge. Thousands of wines scored from Steiermark to Ningxia, and a trade she knows from the inside out. Wine with Margot is where she helps wine brands tell the stories that sell them.

LinkedInInstagramSubstack