Showcase your winery through wine tourism

How can you turn visits to your winery into genuine sales and customer loyalty opportunities?

 

Wine tourism is no longer limited to a simple tasting at the cellar door. Today’s visitors are looking for a complete experience combining the discovery of the estate, a meeting with the winemaker, enjoyable moments together and an immersion in the world of wine.

For wineries, this development represents a genuine opportunity for growth. A successful visit encourages direct sales, builds visitor loyalty and generates recommendations.

But how can you turn a simple visit into a memorable experience? What encourages visitors to extend their stay and leave with a few bottles?

In this article, discover the main trends shaping wine tourism today and the strategies you can use to make every visit a valuable sales opportunity.

 

Wine tourism in figures¹

Wine tourism has become a genuine driver of growth for wineries.

• 12 million wine tourists visited French vineyards in 2023.
• 10,000 wineries across France are now open to visitors.
• 45% of visitors come from abroad, representing 5.4 million people.
• Visitor numbers in French wine regions increased by 20% between 2016 and 2023.

 

1. Create an authentic connection with the winemaker

Today’s visitors are no longer simply looking to taste wine. They want to understand its story, discover the work carried out in the vineyard, talk to the winemaker and give greater meaning to their tasting experience.

A visit becomes memorable when it tells a story. Explaining the characteristics of the terroir, sharing anecdotes about the winery or presenting the different stages involved in producing each cuvée helps build trust with visitors.

The more authentic the experience, the more likely visitors are to continue their discovery, purchase the wines they have tasted and return to the winery.

 

2. Turn the tasting room into a place of discovery

The tasting room is often at the heart of the wine tourism experience. It is where visitors taste the wines, talk to the winemaker and discover the different cuvées produced by the winery.

The challenge is to showcase the bottles without making visitors feel as though they are in an ordinary shop. A carefully arranged display, a few attractive decorative features and a setting consistent with the winery’s identity are often enough to arouse curiosity and naturally encourage direct wine sales.

The Oplezio idea: Customisable Valentina bottle holders provide an original way to showcase a particular cuvée while strengthening the visual identity of the tasting room. It is a simple way to attract visitors’ attention and create a coherent setting around the winery’s wines.

3. Offer tasting experiences beyond the tasting room

Wine tastings are no longer confined to the tasting room. A growing number of wineries now offer outdoor experiences in the heart of the vineyard, during a picnic, at sunset or as part of a seasonal event.

Tasting a wine in the environment where it was produced helps visitors connect each cuvée with the surrounding landscape, its terroir and the story of the winery. This creates a more lasting memory of their visit. An immersive tasting experience also makes it easier to introduce new cuvées and encourages purchases at the end of the visit.

However, these experiences require equipment that is practical, durable and elegant, withstanding the demands of outdoor use without compromising the quality of the tasting.

The Oplezio idea: Made from Tritan, Maestro shatterproof glasses have the shape of genuine wine-tasting glasses, preserving the quality of the tasting experience while providing the durability required for outdoor use. Available in transparent or white versions, they combine safety, practicality and elegance.

4. Encourage visitors to spend more time at the winery

Visitors no longer simply want to discover a winery: they also want to take the time to enjoy it. A terrace, garden or seating area overlooking the vineyard invites them to pause, discuss the wines they have tasted or simply appreciate the surroundings.

These moments of conviviality enrich the visitor experience and naturally extend the amount of time spent at the winery. By taking the time to enjoy their surroundings, visitors can engage more easily with the winemaker, discover additional cuvées and become more inclined to purchase directly from the winery.

The Oplezio idea: To furnish these areas, Oplezio offers customisable Valentina XXL deckchairs, which can be coordinated with the Valentina bottle holders. They extend the winery’s visual identity into its relaxation areas while providing visitors with a comfortable setting for conversation and shared moments.

 

5. Turn visitors into ambassadors for your winery

A successful visit does not end when visitors leave the winery. Once home, they continue to bring their experience to life by talking about the winery, sharing their memories or reusing items connected with their visit.

An experience worth sharing

A carefully designed tasting room, a tasting among the vines, a welcoming relaxation area or an original activity all create moments that visitors will want to talk about and share. Every recommendation, social media post and photograph helps introduce the winery to new potential visitors.

Customised products extend the experience

Some wineries choose to incorporate customised products into the visitor experience. A straw hat in the winery’s colours worn during a summer tasting, a hand fan used during a sunny tour or a tote bag for carrying purchased bottles can accompany visitors throughout their discovery.

Once they return home, these items continue to remind them of the enjoyable moments spent at the winery. When reused in everyday life, they also help increase its visibility among new audiences.

The Oplezio idea: Oplezio supports wineries with a wide range of accessories and customised promotional products, including hats, hand fans, tote bags and pens. Used during the visit and retained afterwards, they extend the experience and keep the winery’s identity alive long after visitors have left.

Conclusion

Turning wine tourism into a genuine sales opportunity primarily depends on the quality of the experience offered to visitors.

From meeting the winemaker and designing the tasting room to outdoor tastings and customised products that extend the visit, every detail helps encourage direct wine sales, build visitor loyalty and increase awareness of the winery.

When a winery succeeds in making a lasting impression, purchases follow naturally — along with the desire to return and recommend the experience to others.

 

FAQ – Frequently asked questions about wine tourism

What is wine tourism?

Wine tourism covers all tourism activities related to discovering wine and wineries, including tours, tastings, workshops, walks through the vineyards and events.

Why should a winery develop its wine tourism offering?

Wine tourism encourages direct sales, increases awareness of the winery and builds visitor loyalty by providing a unique experience.

How should you design a wine-tasting room?

A welcoming tasting room should offer an easy flow of movement, attractive displays showcasing the different cuvées, décor consistent with the winery’s identity and comfortable areas that encourage conversation.

How can you build loyalty among winery visitors?

Offer an authentic experience, a warm welcome and thoughtful touches that extend the visit, such as customised products. Satisfied visitors are more likely to return and naturally recommend the winery to friends and family.

¹ Source: Atout France, 2025 | Key figures for wine tourism in France — Study of wine tourism visitor numbers in France conducted by Deloitte for Atout France in 2024, based on 2023 data.