What labels for wine tourism visitors ?
Labels, particularly wine tourism labels, are important distinctions that aim to promote and enhance wine destinations and their tourist offer. They will be useful to you in organizing your stay in the heart of French wine regions
Usefulness and advantages of labeling for the visitor
The labeling of the wine tourism offer allows visitors to have access to a map of the wine tourism offer in France. Indeed, thanks to the labels, the vineyards are listed and thus gain visibility. For visitors, this labeling is part of a qualitative approach and collective revitalization of the offer.
Guaranteed quality
Wine tourism labels attest to a certain level of quality and service when welcoming visitors. They guarantee that the labelled estate or region meets specific criteria in terms of infrastructure, wine tourism offers and welcome. Each label has a set of specifications that include the main criteria and concepts that position the label winners as service providers of excellence. The labels are therefore a good way for visitors to target a winery with a certain degree of peace of mind and quickly select a wine tourism experience from a range that, depending on the region, may seem highly diversified or even unstructured.
Structuring a diverse offering
Obtaining a label encourages wine professionals to structure and improve their wine tourism offer. They are encouraged to develop quality activities and services based around the discovery of their wines and their terroir. The aim is not to standardise the wine tourism offer, but rather to structure it in such a way as to provide a degree of transparency for visitors.
Enhancing the value of wine-growing regions
Wine tourism labels help to enhance and promote wine-growing regions as a whole. They highlight the winegrowing heritage and tourist attractions of a given region, and of France as a whole. By putting the spotlight on these winegrowing treasures, labels attract more visitors, thereby contributing to the economic development of the wineries and winegrowing regions. They also encourage producers to diversify their income.
National labels
Vignobles et découvertes
This is a label that, since its creation in 2009, has distinguished French destinations with a tourist and wine-growing vocation at the national level. Created at the instigation of the Higher Council of Wine Tourism, it is awarded by Atout France, the French Tourism Development Agency whose objective is to promote tourism in France. It is undoubtedly the best known in the field of wine tourism in France. Awarded for a period of 3 years, it aims to promote destinations with a tourist and wine-growing vocation.
Labelled wine regions are distinguished by their comprehensive range of tourist experiences (accommodation, cellar visits, activities, restaurants, etc.). The label guarantees the quality of the wine tourism services on offer. The label is awarded to entire wine-growing areas and their tourism components (accommodation, restaurants, visits to wine châteaux, site visits, etc.). This is the case, for example, in the Bordeaux vineyards, where no fewer than six areas have been awarded the label:
- Bordeaux, porte du vignoble
- The Bordeaux Wine Route in Graves and Sauternes
- L’ Entre-deux-Mers
- Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Fronsac
- Le Médoc
- Blaye et Bourg.
Likewise, the entire Alsace Wine Route has been certified since 2019.
To learn more : www.gironde-tourisme.com
France passion
Created in 1993, this concept enables motorhomes travelling through France's vineyards to take advantage of a free parking scheme offered by winegrowers on their estates in a private setting all year round. Motorhomers have access to more than 2,000 châteaux and wine estates as part of an ‘invitation package’.
To learn more : www.france-passion.com
Bienvenue à la Ferme (Welcome to the farm)
Although not specific to wine tourism, this label can help you discover winegrowing businesses offering direct sales and farm reception. The farmers and winegrowers in the network are committed to offering quality products, providing their guests with a personalised, professional welcome in a well-kept environment, and acting as ambassadors for sustainable, responsible agriculture rooted in the land.
To discover this label : www.bienvenue-a-la-ferme.com
Regional labels
Regional labels complement the national labels and reflect the desire of regional tourism and wine institutions to provide a structural framework for their range of tourism and wine tourism services. The aim remains to develop a high-quality offering for visitors and to raise the profile of the region's terroirs and vineyards.
Destinations vignobles
This label is awarded by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and is open to all vineyards in the region. Wineries must comply with a number of criteria, including respect for the environment, provision of tourist information and languages spoken on the estate, and opening hours and days. The label is awarded to estates that offer exemplary reception facilities in terms of visits, tastings, accommodation and catering.
Vignobles et Chais en Bordelais
Created by Gironde Tourisme, the Vignobles et Chais en Bordelais label aims to showcase the diversity and richness of Gironde's wine heritage. It is awarded to wine estates or wine tourism sites that offer a high-quality welcome and that commit to being available and competent, to offering a tour of the winemaking site and to proposing the tasting of at least one finished wine. This label can be a landmark for visitors to the region, guiding you in your choice of visits.
Best of wine tourism
Here's a label for all businesses in the wine sector in Gironde, Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne. The Best of Wine Tourism is a competition that highlights a winery's ability to provide a warm welcome to visitors: the criteria taken into account include friendliness, the ability of the guide to adapt to the clientele and the warmth with which visitors are welcomed to the winery. The winners will be judged in a number of categories, including ‘wine tourism services’, ‘accommodation on the estate’, ‘promoting environmental practices in wine tourism’ and ‘research and innovation’. In all, winegrowing estates can win awards in 9 different categories each year.
To learn more : www.bestofwinetourism.fr
Caves touristiques (tourist cellars)
This label originated in the Loire Valley, where the Val de Loire wine trade association and the institutions involved in tourism in the Loire Valley have drawn up a joint charter to promote a tradition of hospitality, complemented by innovative approaches to tourism. The missions of these certified wine houses and estates are to welcome visitors, pass on their knowledge and expertise, help them discover the vineyards, their trade and, of course, offer them the chance to taste their wines, while ensuring that they have a pleasant and friendly time with their guests. You may also come across the ‘Cave d'excellence’ label (Cellar of excellence), which rewards 60 wineries whose welcome, services and wine-tourism facilities meet the most demanding criteria and are of the highest quality, with a tourist approach that is accessible to all adults and families with children.
In brief
Thanks to regular consultations between professionals on the objectives of responsible viticulture and the realities on the ground, and thanks to the requirements of the various specifications they have established, labels are now established as references in the French wine tourism landscape. They are made by and for winegrowers and winemakers who ensure transparency on their commitments and the terms of services. Ultimately, these labels are intended to become a guarantee of credibility and trust for visitors. They reassure about the quality of the wine tourism experience offered and facilitate the choice of destination.
Discover and let yourself be guided by the offer of these labels to organize your next stay in the French vineyards, you will benefit from an unparalleled welcome and will certainly be seduced by the quality and authenticity of the experiences you will have around wine.
