Wine tourism is an experience in which tasting local wine production is combined with visiting production places and territories, and learning about the culture, traditions and people who live there.
If wine tourism was once considered a niche segment, today it has become attractive to a diverse audience made up of experts and professionals, as well as enthusiasts and curious travellers. Around wine, new and more distinctive experiences have emerged: not only tastings, visits and events, but also outdoor activities among the vineyards, grape-harvest experiences for travellers and themed hotels, to name just a few. These experiences can satisfy a broad audience with different expectations.
While discovering and tasting local wine production remains central, it is no longer the only element travellers look for. The cultural value of wine, expressed through a unique mix of product, terroir and people, is increasingly fascinating and attractive.
Wine tourism is now seen as an opportunity for cultural enrichment and for connecting with the identity, traditions and wine culture of the place being visited. The choice no longer focuses only on the most renowned wineries: it often includes small family businesses and production sites that connect wine with art, music, design or history.
Added to this cultural dimension is the search for wellbeing. Travellers want to find opportunities in wineries and across the territory – such as courses, workshops and treatments – that help them recharge, rethink their habits and adopt a healthier lifestyle, as well as wellness activities in the vineyards. The desire to enjoy open spaces translates into interest in wine trekking, bicycle and e-bike tours to discover wineries and the surrounding attractions.
Finally, and no less importantly, sustainability has become an increasingly strong driver of choice. Travellers want experiences that are both environmentally responsible and socially aware, which also translates into a desire for close contact with producers through experiences such as tourist grape harvests.
Italy boasts wine productions of outstanding quality, renowned nationally and internationally. Its territory is exceptionally suited to wine production, and this cultural value has been recognised by UNESCO, which awarded World Heritage status to the Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato and to the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
From a tourism perspective, this heritage is highly attractive to Italian and international visitors, creates added value for businesses and stimulates the economic and social growth of the territories involved. According to the 2023 Report on Food & Wine Tourism, more than 3 Italians out of 10 visited at least one winery during their most recent trips, and a similar share took part in a wine event or festival. Tastings and tours were the most booked food and wine experiences on Tripadvisor in 2022, both by Italian travellers and by visitors from abroad, especially from North America. Tuscany was the most booked destination, followed at a distance by Veneto.
In Italy, wine tourism is regulated by the “Guidelines on minimum requirements and quality standards for wine tourism activities” together with the related regional implementing measures.
The Guidelines first define which activities fall within this field and can therefore be offered by wine businesses. These include guided visits to vineyards and wineries; visits to places where tools related to vine growing, the history of winemaking and oenological practices are displayed; and educational, cultural and recreational initiatives carried out in wineries and vineyards, including grape-harvest experiences, tastings and the sale of the company’s wine production, also paired with food.
General hygiene, safety and quality requirements are also established, together with operational standards for providers of wine tourism activities. In summary, these include: