"Wine tourism is truly in tune with the times!says Jocelyne Perin, director of Vino Passion, France's leading wine tourism exhibition, which takes place every May in Épernay, in the Champagne-Ardennes region. Despite its real dynamism, the French market is still lagging behind countries such as South Africa and Argentina, which almost systematically offer tourists the chance to visit wineries.
In other words, the long-term prospects for the French market are very promising. With the worldwide reputation of its wines, its 850,000 hectares of vineyards and, above all, its 10,000 wine cellars, which welcomed more than 12 million visitors from France and abroad between 2008 and 2010, France has more than enough resources to satisfy lovers of fine wines, including business tourists! What's more, wine tourism today goes far beyond the classic cellar tours, touching on everything that revolves around the noble beverage: heritage, gastronomy, wellbeing, sporting activities, the wine trade and related techniques. "A walking tour of the vineyards, followed by a picnic in the vines, is frequently requested by companies".says Pascal Duconget, Managing Director of Vignerons de caractère.
A booming market
In the Beaujolais region, Domaine Duboeuf, the leading "oenoparc in the region, is perfectly suited to this style of demand. From the outset, designer Georges Duboeuf wanted to "We're trying to recapture the spirit of the terroir and understand the evolution of technologies to give curious visitors a behind-the-scenes look at a little-known scene: that of vines and wine".. Covering an area of 30,000 m2, the Hameau Duboeuf, with its 25 exhibition rooms, around 15 events and four meeting areas, is a unique venue in France. Originality is also part of its raison d'être, and the site offers companies the chance to work with renowned comedians such as Nicolas Canteloup and Belgian comedian Olivier Laurent, as well as fun activities such as an adventure course on a 10-hole golf course in the heart of this village dedicated to the Beaujolais region.
Also located in the middle of the vineyards, but this time in Burgundy, in Chablis, the Daniel-Étienne Defaix estate invites incentive groups to learn about the different crus by visiting the Bailly-Lapierre cellars, a Mecca for crémant located in former underground quarries. Of course, the estate organises tastings... but they have the special feature of being hosted by Daniel-Étienne Defaix himself, who not only plunges participants into the history of the vineyard, but also gives an attractive account of his family's history - 14 generations devoted to the wine! In order to share local traditions, the dinners can be enhanced by a folk troupe of dancers, singers and musicians, or even by a storyteller speaking Morvan dialect! When it comes to authenticity, the Château du Berne, set in the hinterland of Provence in the heart of a 600-hectare estate, is no exception. Depending on the season, groups of no more than forty people take part in a grape harvest challenge. On the programme: harvesting the grapes, taking a break "snack winegrower, discovering the different stages in the winemaking process and... an inevitable tasting session.
A wine region like no other, Bordeaux attracts wine lovers from all over the world, with the city topping the Top 10 list of wine destinations. Ahead of Napa Valley in California, Tuscany in Italy, Champagne in France, Barrossa Valley in Australia, Rioja in Spain, and the vineyards of Chile, South Africa and New Zealand! According to the city's Convention Bureau, the nobility of its wines means that many business clients want to stay in a prestigious location. And if possible "in the middle of the vineyards like the Château Hôtel Spa Grand Barrail, the Sources de Caudalie, the Relais de Margaux or the Golf du Médoc Hôtel & Spa. In Aquitaine, the wine tourism sector is very much at the top end of the market. Bernard Magrez, owner of 35 vineyards around the world, has created the Luxury Wine Tourism agency, based at the centre of one of the group's Bordeaux estates, Château Pape Clément, in Pessac. "We offer companies the chance to enjoy a prestigious, unique experience: savouring the daily life of an authentic squire, on his own estate!"explains Claire Ballarin, the agency's wine tourism manager. The tone is set from the outset, when the privileged guests are greeted by a butler who gives them the key to the premises.
1 ) All for the glory of MorgonThe Hameau Duboeuf, France's first 'oenopark', invites visitors to explore the world of wine on a fun and educational tour.
2 ) The freshness of a Riesling or the complexity of a Gewürztraminer: these gustatory pleasures are just some of the reasons to visit Alsace, in addition to the region's rich cultural heritage.
3 ) Hot-air balloon flight is just one of the many activities that have developed around cellar visits.
4 ) More than just lecturesVisitors like to appreciate for themselves the subtlety of the different vintages and discover the personality of the wines and their producers.
5 ) Luxury in BordeauxThis is the first time that a Rolls Royce has taken participants on a tour of Bernard Magrez's prestigious estates.
During their stay, they can discover the ordinary - so to speak - of the estate and even share their hosts' table. Visits and activities are of course organised. And to keep with the theme, all transfers from one site to another are made in a Rolls Royce! What's more, from the world's major cities, a Falcon 50 can be made available to groups - very exclusive, no doubt - to fly to one of the Bordeaux owner's estates. On board this business jet, a tasting of the best vintages... The agency offers other options, always very VIP: a helicopter flight over the vineyards and the region, a trip in a pinasse on the Arcachon Basin, a meeting with oyster farmers and oyster tasting, a cocktail reception in a carrelet - fishermen's huts on the banks of the Garonne - , a show at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, a private concert at the château with renowned opera singers, a cookery lesson with a Michelin-starred chef, a private sports coach, a tour of Bordeaux on the water aboard a legendary Hacker-Craft boat...
Sanitas Per Ninum
Still in the Bordeaux region, wellness breaks are also available at Les Sources de Caudalie, where incentive groups can enjoy an experience unique in France: vinotherapy. "Since our creation in 1999, requests from companies have continued to grow. Especially in recent years".says Alice Tourbier, co-director. Business customers account for almost 20 % of the business of this luxury hotel complex dedicated to the art of living and set in the heart of the vineyards of the renowned Château Smith Haut Lafitte, a Graves Grand Cru Classé. Alice Tourbier notes "They want interaction and fun explanations, but above all they don't want lectures on wine. They prefer to take the glass in hand, then oxygenate the wine, smell it, and finally put it in their mouths".. Guests stay in this five-star hotel in the form of a hamlet. They are introduced to wine tasting, guided by head sommelier Aurélien Farrouil; they enjoy the cuisine of Michelin-starred chef Nicolas Masse; and they are pampered at the vinotherapy spa, voted one of the best in the world by readers of Condé Nast Traveller. This 1,500 m2 spa offers exclusive treatments based on the benefits of vines and grapes, such as the Crushed Cabernet scrub, the Fleur de vigne body wrap, the "barrel or the winegrower's massage.
An equally unusual experience awaits incentive groups in Champagne. In this region, some cellars can be visited after abseiling. You can tour the vineyards on a segway or in a vintage car. The vineyards can be explored from the gondola of a hot-air balloon, and tastings can be enjoyed from the treetops, as at the Perching Bar in Verzy, at the heart of the Arboxygène leisure park, 5.5 metres above the ground. "top The venue celebrates Dom Pérignon in its own way, and welcomes groups of up to 70 people. The only one of its kind in Europe, this bar takes the form of a hut with an 80 m2 platform and terrace. Completely integrated into the landscape, it is accessed via a wooden footbridge. From here, customers not only enjoy an exceptional view over the Champagne plain, but can also discover the best vintages of the Marne, such as Mumm or Bollinger. At the same time, groups can try their hand at tree climbing in the park, or visit the Guillon distillery, the only single malt distillery in the region.
Alsatian wines are as much a part of France's wine heritage as any other. According to an Ipsos survey on the choice of destination, Alsace's vineyards account for 22 % of French tourists visiting the region, and 17 % of German visitors. Gastronomy and cellar visits are even the second most popular reason for visiting Alsace, motivating one in three visitors. In the Eguisheim and Turckheim areas, this figure rises to one in two. "We are a renowned wine-growing region with a wide range of activities offered by a variety of service providers and producers. A diversity that appeals to many companies".says Mireille Dartus, Director of the Strasbourg Convention Bureau. Gabriela Reichert-Frey, from the Destination agency, points out that she "We receive a lot of business groups from all over the world... The requests are exponential! " His customers no longer want to limit themselves to a tasting session. They are thirsty for knowledge. For example, they will be able to enjoy the exceptional presence of the Confrérie Saint-Étienne - a gathering of distinguished Alsatian oenophiles - at a gala dinner at the Château de Pourtalès, the agency's headquarters. Another popular product: "The French art of living. Ideally designed for groups of no more than fifty people, this workshop introduces participants to the art of entertaining. The courses take place at the château, where participants learn how to welcome their guests, lay a table, seat guests and fold napkins... But the host does more than just give a lecture. He also tells amusing anecdotes about the habits and customs of centuries gone by. Vinothérapie, another Alsatian agency, organises themed blind tastings during which guests have to guess an intruding wine. Themes can range from regional grape varieties to organic wines. Wine and food pairing evenings are also organised.
In the Loire Valley, the third-largest AOC wine-growing region, wine tourism combines nature and history. With more than 400 châteaux, exceptional vineyards and the majesty of Europe's last great wild river, companies have a wide choice. For example, they can canoe down the Loire with nature guides and bivouac on a small deserted island. There, they can sample a traditional Touraine meal and, in the company of a specialist, discover the region's finest appellations: Vouvray, Chinon, Bourgueil... They can listen to a comedian tell the story of the châteaux, the kings, the poets and the artists. As night falls, visitors can watch for beavers and migratory birds from Africa. "The region is also ideal for hot-air balloon flights over vineyards and châteaux."says Pierre-Olivier Coron, head of the Promenades en France agency. Other great classics include Renaissance costume evenings, wine tastings in troglodyte sites and delicious meals with a glass of wine in the guinguettes on the banks of the Loire.
Thirst for knowledge
These are the same guinguettes that can be found in the Paris region, along the banks of the Marne. Who would have thought that wine tourism is also well developed in the Ile-de-France region. In fact, the region has several acres of vines, and even a wine museum right in the heart of Paris. Cinéréa, in partnership with Le Chemin des Vignes, takes groups to the vineyards of Issyles-Moulineaux, just outside Paris. Gala evenings, under the sign of Bacchus, take place in former chalk quarries. Some of the events are modelled directly on TV game shows, such as Le juste cru, Qui veut gagner des St-Emilion? or La barrique de la fortune... Meanwhile, OEnodysée, a specialist in wine events, organises walking rallies around Paris. Groups are amazed to discover that the Ile-de-France was France's leading wine-producing region until 1860!
They explore the Montmartre, Marais and Bercy districts, as well as the Louvre and Palais Royal, from a wine perspective. They take part in wine-making workshops: barrel assembly, wine caricature session, use of old tools, blind tasting... and end the day with a game of pétanque. It's a fitting end to a day marked by the gentle pace of life in the South of France, but who cares? The games are always great fun. And with good reason.
1 ) Five-star hotel in the heart of the vineyards of Bordeaux château Smith Haut Lafitte, Sources de Caudalie is taking the "French paradox" to the extreme with an innovative wellness concept: vinotherapy.
2 ) The art of entertaining is a fundamental valueThe Château de Pourtalès invites its guests to practise the rigours of etiquette.
