JUST AS A GOOD WINE CAN ENHANCE an experience within a destination, a good destination can help enhance the experience with a bottle of wine. Wine tourism is on the rise around the world, cultivating a passionate following of like-minded travelers looking to savor the true flavor of a region while gaining involved insight into the art that takes place behind the label.
Wine tours are offered in some of the world’s most iconic wine regions including Tuscany in Italy, Burgundy and Champagne in France, the Napa and Willamette valleys in the United States and in the birthplace of wine, the Republic of Georgia.
Guided wine tours can take visitors behind the scenes of their favorite wines or discover new flavors in a new region of the world by wandering through the vineyards, breathing in the scent of the local air and soil, and chatting or tasting alongside the winemakers themselves. Something remarkable happens when basking in the same sunshine that ripens the grapes while sipping the fruit of past vintages — bringing a deeper understanding of the complexities that take place within the glass.
For one family in France’s renowned Burgundy region, bringing visitors behind the label often means delving deep into history. The Drouhin family has actively made wine since 1880, and today Maison Joseph Drouhin produces some of the world’s finest wines from its vineyards in France’s Burgundy region and Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
“Joseph Drouhin is not just a name, it is a fourthgeneration family with passion dedicated to the region,” says Laurent Drouhin, director of the United States market, Maison Joseph Drouhin Wines. He notes the tours of the Burgundy estate are unique due to the history that lies beneath the ground. “[Touring our historic cellars] is the best way to get the feel of what we have been doing in Beaune for more than a century. … History through the walls gives another dimension to the wines, and visitors are able to realize that it is not simply a beverage but a wine that will tell you stories.”
Many of the stories from the Drouhin estate include the four children’s experience growing up among the vines and cellars, where Veronique and Philippe would race along the barrel tracks in roller skates past vintages dating beyond their birth years. Other stories include how the cellars were used to support the nearby Hospice de Bellville during World War II. Today visitors trace the ancient passageways as they wind through the cellars and enter into the modern-day wine shop from a clandestine backdoor entrance.
Wine tours aren’t limited to the vineyards themselves. Tour operators like Swedish-based BKWine Tours, U.K.-based Grape Escapes and U.S.-based Avalon Wine Tours specialize in wine tours in the best wine regions around the world. These operators offer more than itineraries of tasting appointments and instead bring guests along for wine-themed journeys, often elevated with luxury lodging, Michelin-starred dining experiences, private tastings, harvest experiences and more.
Read This Next
Wine-Themed Travel
August 2018
Aug 1, 2018All Reads on This Topic
Read Them All
Introducing
FX Excursions
FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
#globility
Insta FeedDaily
Mar 28, 2024New Adriatic Yacht Cruise and Tour Itineraries Unveiled for 2025
Set sail through crystal-clear waters and explore ports, islands and more on three new yacht cruise and tour itineraries in the Adriatic Sea from Riviera River Cruises. New 2025 itineraries combine yacht cruises with onboard accommodations and land extensions with hotel stays in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Itineraries also include tours of charming coastal towns and stops in national parks and swimming hole locations.
Sponsored Content
Fill Your Heart with Ireland
Whether it's the people, the craic (fun) or the coasts, travelers always find something to love about the island of Ireland. What fills your heart?
March 2024
Mar 28, 2024Cruise Lines Elevate the Onboard Fine-Dining Experience
It’s been a long time since the food on cruise ships resembled the bland, uninspired fare that gave onboard dining a bad name. These days, cruise passengers can look forward to menus created by Michelin-starred chefs made with top-quality ingredients served in stunning spaces. Choices abound as well. In addition to elegant main dining rooms, cruise ships have created a huge array of specialty restaurants that focus not only on perfectly executed traditional European and North American dishes but flavors and experiences from around the globe as well. In fact, meals served aboard cruise vessels have gotten so good, they’re drawing passengers onto ships: According to a recent report by luxury travel planning network Virtuoso, advisors report after Europe (specifically Italy and France), the No. 2 dining destination for travelers is aboard an ocean or river cruise. “This shows how cruise lines have really stepped up their culinary game, with consulting chefs and new restaurants and making that a focal point,” said Misty Belles, vice president, Global Public Relations, Virtuoso.
Daily
Mar 28, 2024Athens’ National Museum of Contemporary Art Opens What if Women Ruled the World? Exhibition
National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens was founded in 1997 and is supervised and subsidized by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports. The museum began its operation in 2000, when it acquired the first artwork of its collection and the first temporary exhibition took place.
Sponsored Content
Hit the High Notes in Nashville
Nashville’s once-modest skyline continues to evolve as its luxury market grows. Lavish hotel properties are added to the landscape while acclaimed chefs stake claim in the robust culinary scene and premier cultural offerings round out the city’s repertoire.
Daily
Mar 28, 2024AmaWaterways Debuts Specialty Summer Cruises in Europe
AmaWaterways recently unveiled its lineup of experiences and exclusive offers for its 2024 Summer European river cruise season, and the list includes 20 Celebration of Wine Cruises, with two hosted by Samantha Brown and Chef Joanne Weir; and three Loyalty Appreciation Cruises.
Hotel Indigo La Paz Puerta Cortés Review
eFlyer Reviews
Mar 27, 2024Japan Airlines Purchases 32 Airbus, 10 Boeing
eFlyer News
Mar 27, 2024eFlyer News
Mar 27, 2024China Airlines Expands North American Network with Non-Stop Flights to Seattle
China Airlines will begin offering non-stop flights to Seattle (SEA) from Taipei (TPE) starting July 14. The new route expands the carrier’s passenger services to the northwestern United States by offering five weekly flights via the Airbus A350-900.
Sponsored Content
Why Buy Annual Travel Insurance?
One affordable plan can protect an entire year of trips: business or pleasure, short or long, domestic or international.
eFlyer Deals
Mar 27, 2024Sleep Sanctuary at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort
In West Florida, indulge in a stay at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. This season, the hotel’s Sleep Sanctuary offer promises premium, beachfront accommodations; and sleep-enhancing amenities. Amenities include two aroma bracelets, a handmade soap, a bath bomb and foaming sugar scrub from Artful Soap Co.
ShareThis