wine tourism program

ERASMUS WINTOUR – INTERNATIONAL MASTER ON WINE TOURISM INNOVATION

General description.

The International Master on Wine Tourism Innovation (WINTOUR) offers a truly integrated study program that takes advantage of the know-how in Tourism and Oenology of three universities and regions of Europe. Rovira i Virgili University (Tarragona, Spain), University of Bordeaux (France) and University of Porto (Portugal). These universities are located in highly attractive touristic areas, recognized with the label of UNESCO Human Heritage, and have a long tradition on wine, producing specialty wines such as sparkling, fortified, aged red and sweet.

The objectives of the WINTOUR Programme are:

• To prepare broadly trained and highly adaptable and qualified professionals in the tourism and wine industries to promote innovative wine tourism developments that will generate added value through the increased income and recognition of this sector.
• To provide future professionals with multi-disciplinary and multi-sectorial knowledge and training so as to increase their understanding of wine making and tourism management.
• To promote high-quality practical training in entrepreneurship and company management by involving the students in internships in the non-academic sector.
• To ensure the effective integration and networking of students within the socio-cultural and professional environment of the places where they will receive their training.

The International Master on Wine Tourism Innovation (WINTOUR) offers a truly integrated study program, recognized in all three participating countries. The academic programme is structured in 120 ECTS divided in two years and 4 semesters.

As an Erasmus Mundus programme, one of the central elements of the WINTOUR master is precisely its international mobility. The training programme requires students to study a semester at each of the three universities: the first at Rovira i Virgili University -Tarragona, the second at University of Bordeaux, and the third at University of Porto. During these three semesters, it is expected that students also participate in fieldtrips which may involve a short-term mobility to other regions or neighbouring countries. Furthermore, the last semester of the master students undertake an internship in one of the private or public organizations associated to the Consortium, being them located in European countries (e.g. Italy, Greece, France, Portugal or Spain) or even outside the European Union.

CURRICULAR PLAN

Click here to view the complete version of the latest curricular plan.

ADMISSION CRITERIA

Minimum admission requirements for eligibility

• Candidates must have a completed university bachelor and/or master’s degree/s (minimum 180 ECTS) in the fields of Social Sciences (e.g. Tourism, Economics, Business Management/Administration, Marketing); Natural and Experimental Sciences (e.g. Oenology/Viticulture, Agronomic/Agricultural Engineering, Biotechnology, Food Technology); or Humanities (e.g. Languages, International Relations), or closely related subjects.
• Candidates must present a recent English language certificate, at least a B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (official certifications from Cambridge, IELTS or TOEFL are accepted).
• Moreover, personal motivation, prior work experience in the field, as well as obvious linguistic skills (preferably, in the languages of the organizing universities), will be crucial elements in the selection process.

A  group of up to 28 students  will be admitted per intake (including scholarship holders and self-funded students). Candidates will be evaluated by the WINTOUR Academic Committee based on the following criteria:

PARTNER INSTITUTIONS

Rovira i Virgili University (Administrative Institution)

University of Bordeaux

ACADEMIC YEAR

September – July

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

http://www.wintour-master.eu/en/

APPLICATIONS

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Master in Wine, Tourism and Innovation

• To prepare broadly trained and highly adaptable and qualified professionals in the tourism and wine industries to promote innovative wine tourism developments that will generate added value through the increased income and recognition of this sector.
• To provide future professionals with multi-disciplinary and multi-sectorial knowledge and training so as to increase their understanding of wine making and tourism management.
• To promote high-quality practical training in entrepreneurship and company management by involving the students in internships in the non-academic sector.
• To ensure the effective integration and networking of students within the socio-cultural and professional environment of the places where they will receive their training.

Employment Prospects

• Access to FCUP’s Academic Exams

Information

• Pre-enrolment periods:
• 1st period (for students applying for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship): from 14th of Nov 2019 to 6th of Feb 2020.
• 2nd period (for self‐funded applicants): from 12th �of March 2017 to 29th of April 2020.
• Course Website

General information

• Information for applicants
• Plano Oficial do ano letivo 2020.
• All Study Plans

Involved Organic Units

• Faculty of Sciences
• Faculty of Economics
• Faculty of Arts
• Universit� de Bordeaux I

Certificates

• Master's degree in Wine, Tourism and Innovation (120 ECTS credits)
• Specialization in Wine, Tourism and Innovation (90 ECTS credits)

Main Scientific Areas

• Oenotourism
• All classifications

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

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Growing Wine Tourism for Inclusion And Sustainability

• All Regions
• 24 Nov 2023

The UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism has been held for the first time in La Rioja, one of the world’s leading wine tourism destinations, with the focus placed firmly on inclusion and sustainability for local communities and territories.

Paving the way towards inclusive growth, especially in rural areas, requires clear policies and a commitment to embracing digital transformation and innovation. Recognizing this, the Conference brought together key stakeholders and leaders from across the growing wine tourism sector to address priorities including education, skills development and the effective use of data.  

Unlocking Excellence in Wine Tourism

The 7th edition of the UNWTO conference welcomed thought-leaders from both emerging and established wine destinations, including Argentina, Armenia, Chile, France, Germany, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and the United States of America. As well as celebrating the growing interest in wine tourism, the event made clear the challenges for building more competitive destinations and transforming demand into economic growth and social inclusion. Over two days, workshops and masterclasses focused on:  

Skills development and a better understanding of the impacts and trends of wine tourism were identified as crucial elements to create value and promote wine regions, ultimately enhancing their competitiveness. 

With the impact of climate change affecting the sector, experts debated how to progress sustainability in wine tourism as well and progress digitalization for better processes. Participants discussed the need to harmonise data collection, the use of new data sources and innovative strategies for expanding new products, outreach on social media, utilizing cutting-edge digital tools, and leveraging new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, to create knowledge and a seamless experience.  

Inclusion and sustainability: Creating partnerships for growth 

Navigating the complex network of stakeholders in wine tourism, the event also put the spotlight on the importance of having national and local wine tourism strategies while fostering the debate on new, innovative forms of collaboration. A series of masterclasses allowed participants from over 40 countries to exchange and expand their knowledge on the links of wine tourism with gastronomy, arts and culture, communication and branding, new technologies, product development and sustainability. 

During the closing ceremony, La Rioja handed over the symbolic amphora to Armenia, marking the country’s status as the next host for the 8th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism in 2024. 

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UNIT 1 – Wine tourism: definition, opportunities, implications and strategies

• 4. AT THE MARKETPLACE
• The opportunities of experience-based tourism in wine and food sectors
• UNIT 1 – Wine tourism:…

A NEW TYPOLOGY OF TOURISM 

In recent years, wine tourism has been on the rise and represents a robust segment of tourism, because tourists search for more authentic experiences [See UNIT 2 – Wine tourism demand trends ] , travelling to wine-producing countries and visiting wine regions. The second main reason of this success is related to the fact that wine tourism can include other tourism segments, such as cultural, heritage and gastronomy tourism, appealing to more than just wine enthusiasts or wine experts and thus, attracts a large number of visitors (Woldarsky & Geny-Denis, 2019).

Starting from these premises, food and wine tourism represent a new typology of tourism, within the “tourism taste”, that could be indicated as “territorial food and drink tourism” (Hall et al., 2003; Lemmi & Siena Tangheroni, 2015). 

Holiday motivation and food attraction (Hall et al ., 2003; Lemmi & Siena Tangheroni, 2015).

WINE TOURISM POTENTIALS 

Offering wine tourism goes beyond simply meeting a demand. Wine tourism offers huge potential, creating value both for the territory and wine producers.  

• For the territory, wine tourism gives the opportunity to generate wealth in a specific place, promoting its heritage too
• Considering the winery perspective the direct and indireret gains associated to a successful wine tourism business are mainly 8 (Woldarsky & Geny-Denis, 2019)

DEFINITION AND IMPLICATIONS

Wine tourism can be defined as a visitation to vineyards, wineries, wine festivals and wine shows for which grape wine tasting and/or experiencing the attributes of a grape wine region are the prime motivating factor for visitors ( Hall and Macionis, 1996)

It includes a visit to the company, the desire to know the productive process, traditions, history and culture of the wine but also of the territory, the region through images, economic, social and aesthetic values, cultural and natural elements, historical signs rather than consumerism.  

Wine tourism is:

• A service experience
• A complex experience, involving the whole terroir ’s attractions
• Related to the wine tourist’s different motivations and profiles
• Nowadays managed through electronic marketing tools
• A tool for regional development (e.g. wine routes)

According to this definition, there are many implications related to wine tourism. 

WINE TOURISM TYPOLOGIES 

From the offer perspective, wine tourism can be divided in 4 main categories (Karlsson, 2017): 

• “Open Door” wine tourism, consisting in opening the cellar’s doors and receiving people for wine tastings and cellar visits

Let’s see the case of Cantine Aperte , the most important wine tourism event in Italy, created in 1993 by the association Movimento Turismo del Vino : every year, in the last week-end of May, the members wineries open their doors to personally meet people. During the years, Cantine Aperte has become a way to travel and discover Italian wine territories, which has seen an increasing number of tourists, wine wonderers and wine lovers visiting wineries from year to year hoping for a unique experience ( www.movimentoturismovino.it )

• “Edutainment” wine tourism, consisting in something more complex and organized than the simple visit to the cellar. The word “edutainment” means in fact a mix between education and entertainment. Some example of “edutainment” wine tourism are: blending session, harvesting workshop, vineyard nature walks, cooking class….
• “Disneyland” wine tourism, consisting in big budget projects, often with mixed contents also including contens not directly related to wine. This is the case of special restaurants or hotels, wine museums, etc
• “Eventification” wine tourism, consisting in one-time events focused on wine. This is the case of wine festivals, gastro-walks, village harvest festival, etc

WHO IS THE WINE TOURIST? (1/3)

Considering the demand perspective, according to Per Karlsson (2017), there are different kinds of wine tourists: 

• Wine geek: he wants to know everything about the company, its wines, product processes, etc; for this kind of tourist, wine is the unique purpose of his travel
• Gastro-tourist: this kind of tourist is interested in gastronomy in general; for him wine is one of the reason of his trip
• Passing-by casual tourist: he is not manly interested in wine, but if he visits a wine region he usually decides to visits almost a winery

WHO IS THE WINE TOURIST? (2/3)

According to an Australian research who tried to give an overall general profile of the wine tourist (Chartersa & Ali-Knightb,2002),  wine tourists are usually ‘‘couples with no children and those with higher education and incomes in professional occupations,’’ (South Australian Tourism Commission, 1997) and can be divided into 4 main categories: 

• Wine lover: he has a comprehensive grounding in wine education, through attending wine and/or tasting courses, reading wine books, watching tv programs about wine, etc. Their motivation as wine tourists is also clearly defined. They are more likely to want to buy wine, to want to learn about wine, and to want to taste wine at the winery
• Connoisseur: he shares all the lifestyle characteristics of the ‘Wine Lovers’ but he has an even more keen thirst for knowledge
• Wine interested: he attends tastings and visits wineries, but he has not any particular experience in wine education. He is interest in learning about storing and ageing wine, but much less concerned with food and wine links
• Wine novice: he attends tastings and visits wineries, but his motivation in wine sector is less focused

WHO IS THE WINE TOURIST? (3/3)

According to Alebaki & Iakovidou (2011), about the wine tourist profile there is a general perspective that “ the ideal wine tourist is male, professional and middle –aged, because they will spend most” (Charters & Carlsen, 2006). However, although younger wine tourists have limited knowledge about wine compared to older ones, they may be more important in the long term. Thus, greater attention needs to be paid, because high satisfaction from the whole wine tourism experience can help in terms to bring them back for return visits (Roberts & Sparks, 2006), create a demand in the long term for specific brands, and built customer loyalty towards individual wineries and their wines (Getz, 2000).

WHICH ARE THE MAIN ACTIVITIES TO DEAL TO PROMOTE WINE TOURISM? 

As in many other contexts there is not a single recipe valid for every winery. Strategies and activities depend on the specific projects and location. 

In the definition of a wine tourism project, wineries should keep in mind 4 keywords:

Collaboration

If you are all alone no one will be interested in your activity, but if you start collaborating with other wineries, but also with restaurants, museums, hotels, tourist offices, wine shops, etc., the better it will work (Hall et al.,1997; Østrup Backe, 2013); let’s try to create a flexible  network with all the stakeholders operating in tourism sector in the area you are located.

Storytelling 

Stories are able to appeal both to the logical and emotional cores, meaning they tend to be more memorable than other marketing tools (Pera, 2017). It is not important having a beautiful cellar or a perfectly organised tasting room; visitors will expect that wineries share their stories with them; let’s tell to visitor authentic, clear and memorable stories about your work, your winery and your products. This will be your uniqueness element! 

Wine tourism is all about giving people a memorable experience. Experience based tourism, in fact, allows tourists to be fully involved in the visit and to be a leading actor in the choice. It is also able to start up a process, gradually increasing the tourist’s awareness to become an active tourist (Hall et al., 2007; Lemmi & Siena Tangheroni, 2015). Lett’s focus your activity in giving to visitors something that will make them remember the winery and the wines and that will make them talk about it.

Authenticity 

The trend to the local and the search for authenticity in food tourism are becoming increasingly important. Tourists want to be different and want to experience places and their food and drinks the same way locals do; (Sims, 2009; Østrup Backe, 2013;). Let’s offer to visitors an authentic experience of your winery and products.

Growing Wine Tourism

Wine australia’s ‘growing wine exports’ and ‘growing wine tourism’ programs are joining forces in 2020, offering two-day ‘hybrid’ workshops that cover both wine export and wine tourism training..

Wine Australia has partnered with Hydra Consulting and the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) to develop the new-look workshop format, following the delivery of over 70 Growing Wine Exports and Growing Wine Tourism workshops across Australian wine regions and cities since October 2018.

The hybrid workshops will be delivered in central locations (largely CBD areas) in 2020–21, subject to Australian Government advice regarding COVID-19, and will include:

• an introductory two-day workshop covering wine export and wine tourism training (for businesses that missed – or are seeking a refresher on – the 2018/2019 workshops), and
• an advanced two-day workshop covering wine export and wine tourism training (for those seeking more in-depth training to assist their business strategies).

All workshops are heavily subsidised by the Australian Government’s $50 million  Export and Regional Wine Support Package  (the $50m Package) and will be structured so that businesses can send different representatives to each day.

Introductory wine export and wine tourism workshop – $330 incl. GST

This two-day workshop is for wine businesses and individuals seeking an introduction to the Growing Wine Exports and Growing Wine Tourism programs – or a refresher on what they learned in the 2018 / 2019 workshops. Day one of the workshop will cover wine export training and day two will cover wine tourism training. Workshops will be packed full of insights, tools and strategies to help wine businesses grow their exports and attract more international tourists to their wine regions.  

Please note:  the workshop schedule for 2020–21, subject to Australian Government advice regarding COVID-19. Further updates will be published here once the information is available.

Advanced wine export and wine tourism workshop – $330 incl. GST

This two-day advanced workshop takes a deeper look at the insights, tools and strategies covered in previous Growing Wine Exports and Growing Wine Tourism workshops. It is designed for those who seeking more in-depth information on how to grow their business. 

Please note:  the workshop schedule for 2020–21, subject to Australian Government advice regarding COVID-19. Further updates will be published here once the information is available.  

Webinar series

Our two Growing Wine Tourism six-part webinar series (that commenced 27 February 2020) were booked out in record time, with many businesses taking advantage of the free access  to wine tourism strategies. If you missed out, contact [email protected] to register your interest. Find out more

Have a question?

Email Wine Australia at  [email protected]  or phone (08) 8228 2000.

Watch our Growing Wine Tourism video for an overview of the program.

Growing Wine

Tourism program.

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GWT at a glance (PDF)

About the facilitators

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About $50m Package

Growing Wine Exports

Growing Wine Tourism webinar series

Email us or phone (08) 8228 2000

This content is restricted to wine exporters and levy-payers. Some reports are available for purchase to non-levy payers/exporters.

Take your first steps in Wine Tourism Industry with us

Internship opportunities in wine tourism.

WineTourism.com is the largest global marketplace where our visitors can book wine tourism experiences all around the world. Already more than 3500 wineries from 45 countries have joined our website. We are continually accepting applications for internships to share our knowledge on how to stay creative and efficient in the digital environment of the wine industry.

We are looking for you!

Our internships are remote meaning that you can work merely from any part of the world just with your laptop. Feel ready to try yourself in one of the abovementioned domains? Click the button below to submit your CV and we will come back to you to schedule the interview.

Digital Marketing Intern (Spring 2023)

SEO, SMM, Paid Ads

Digital Marketing (SEO, SMM, Paid Ads) - Spring 2023

Content Creator Intern

Content Writing, Visual Design, Industry Research

Content Creation (Content Writing, Visual Design, Industry Research)

Communications Intern

Partner Affiliation, Customer Success Management, Customer Behavior

Communications (Partner Affiliation, Customer Success Management, Customer Behavior)

What do we expect from you.

• The ability to communicate and write well in English
• An additional European language (French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German etc.) is desirable
• A proactive attitude and an eagerness to learn more is a must! You will get out of the internship what you put into it.
• Preferably you will be completing a Bachelor’s or Master's program in wine tourism or a related field (wine business / enology / digital marketing / tourism / international management)
• You are available for full-time internship for at least 3 months (full-time or part-time)

We are ready to teach you skills that will be invaluable for your future career in both the wine and digital marketing industry.

Words from our CEO

The goal of the internship is for you to leave with a sense of accomplishment in what you have contributed to the business and how you have grown professionally. This is not a passive internship. You will be put into the business tasks from day one with real responsibility. You will be given more complex tasks across the business as you progress. It is your responsibility to show drive and initiative and growth. Conversely, it is our duty to provide you the opportunities and support to achieve this growth. We have a welcoming and inclusive team, and I am confident you will have a great time with us.

What do our previous interns say?

Andrii Savchenko

Intern intake: Summer 2021

Learning marketing and wine communication in the university is fun and exciting but you are limited in applying these instruments. Thus during the master's I decided to accomplish an internship in WineTourism.com. It was a momentum of growth in my professional path: the team guided me through different aspects of online marketing and now I feel confident to lead marketing campaigns in the digital environment.

Intern intake: Summer 2022

Interning with a professional and motivated team often brings more than just experience. Here I had the opportunity to learn and use many practical digital marketing tools, and participate in hands-on projects. Whether you need help with analytical methods or promotion ideas, colleagues are always there for you. It has opened up my horizons. Towards the wine tourism industry, I now have more profound thoughts, and the ability to dig deeper into those thoughts.

Eter Gorgiladze

Winetourism.com is a perfect place for learning more about various wine regions around the world. The team is an international and multicultural working environment making the internship even more attractive. You can try out different fields related to wine tourism during the practice, which is important for young professionals to find their niche for future career development.

General terms of the internships

Besides the aspects mentioned above, we provide our internships under the following general conditions:

• Internships are not financially reimbursed by WineTourism.com. If you have funding available through other programs these can of course be applied.
• The internship must have a duration of at least 3 months. In our experience, this is the minimum time necessary for you to develop and progress far enough in the internship for it to generate long-term value, both for you the intern, and for us as a business.
• The internship is fully digital. This means we do not accept physical interns to our office. The simple reason for this is that our whole structure is digital and there is no main office to begin with. All work is done remotely from whatever location you are residing in. Don’t worry, we have a great digital culture and you will quickly feel part of the team!

Academic Research

We are open to collaborating with universities to do research in wine tourism together.

Check out our previous industry reports:

• The Impact of Covid-19 on Wine Tourism
• Online Wine Tastings around the World
• Sustainable Wine Tourism

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Please note you do not have access to teaching notes, enhancing stakeholder networks in wine tourism – evidence from italian small municipalities.

EuroMed Journal of Business

ISSN : 1450-2194

Article publication date: 28 November 2019

Issue publication date: 8 September 2020

The purpose of this paper is to explore validity and reliability of a possible collaboration model for wine tourism with a “public” basis, i.e. from the point of view of the municipality engaged in promoting the wine tourism industry insisting on the territory.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey, proposing a theoretical/empirical framework, has investigated, through an electronic platform, the municipalities belonging to the National Association of “Wine Cities.”

The research has demonstrated a substantial trustworthiness of the model, with further evidence about the underestimation of stakeholder networks on behalf of Italian small municipalities. A clear difference of perception between non-small municipalities and small municipalities has emerged with regard to the perceived relevance of the collaboration with the territorial wine tourism players/stakeholders.

Practical implications

A recent legislation in Italy, just focused on small municipalities, might help overcome these gaps, between non-small municipalities and small municipalities, releasing in the territories new energies for the development of wine tourism, from both planning and financing points of view.

Originality/value

Italy as country is the largest producer of wine in the world. Similarly, wine tourism, as additional wine business opportunity, is a successful phenomenon in Italy, even though with great margins of development (especially with comparison to the New World of Wine). One of the main limits of this delay is the lack of public-private collaboration, at widespread level, among the players/stakeholders of the sector. The model that has been proposed in this research contributes scientifically and practically to fill this gaps.

• Wine tourism
• Public-private partnerships
• Stakeholder networks
• Small municipalities
• Territorial collaboration

Festa, G. , Shams, S.M.R. , Metallo, G. and Cuomo, M.T. (2020), "Enhancing stakeholder networks in wine tourism – evidence from Italian small municipalities", EuroMed Journal of Business , Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 349-360. https://doi.org/10.1108/EMJB-02-2019-0027

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USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards

Whether you’re tasting your way through the famed California wine country, sipping wine in the mountains of North Carolina, or exploring wineries of the Pacific Northwest, enhance your wine tasting experience by leaving the driving to someone else. These 20 tour operators offer wine-centric tours, complete with transportation, knowledgeable guides, and other extras. Which one offers your favorite experience? Cast your vote daily until Monday, July 22 at noon ET. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 31. Read the official Readers' Choice rules . 

Whether you’re tasting your way through the famed California wine country, sipping wine in the mountains of North Carolina, or exploring wineries of the Pacific Northwest, enhance your wine tasting experience by leaving...   Read More

Best Wine Tour Company Nominees

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Asheville Wine Tours

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville has long been famed for its scenic beauty, but it's also become a favorite amongst oenophiles for its surrounding wineries, vineyards, and urban tasting rooms. Operated by premier local transport service, Van in Black, Asheville Wine Tours lets you climb into a luxury SUV or Euro-style van and head out to some of the top local vineyards and wineries. They provide door-to-door service, the staff is comprised of certified wine experts, and all tours are customized.

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Backcountry Wine Tours

Portland, Oregon

With stops at boutique wineries and the promise of a well-rounded full day of three visits plus lunch, guests are encouraged to sit back and relax on a Backcountry Wine Tour. The company offers door-to-door service, with an expert guide picking you up at your location and moving at a pace that suits you.

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Black Tie Tours

Newberg, Oregon

Black Tie Tours provides exclusive wine tours through Willamette Valley wine country in Oregon. Their concierge experience offers a guided tour led by a well-educated guide and chauffeur to several area wineries, handpicked by Black Tie as their favorites or tailored to your wine preferences.

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Blue Ridge Wine Tours

Set in the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains, guests on these all-inclusive tours have the opportunity to explore the vineyards of the Crest of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina. With several options including walking, driving, and customized tours, the proprietors share their love of the region with visitors through the experience of wine. 

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Cork and Keg Tours

Loudoun County, Virginia

Cork and Keg Tours personalizes every aspect of each tour to match guests' preferences. Their tour concierge team takes guests (including extra-large parties) on a 6-hour journey to two to three different venues in a luxurious Mercedes Sprinter outfitted with two HDTVs and karaoke. They also plan full multi-day itineraries for their guests, including lodging, dining, and other activities in Virginia wine country. 

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Cottonwood Wine Tours

San Antonio, Texas

Cottonwood Wine Tours, headquartered in San Antonio, provides group excursions to Texas Hill Country wineries and vineyards. A wide variety of tour options are available, lasting 4 to 8 hours in length, with visits to several wineries. All tours include snacks, tasting fees, and a knowledgeable tour guide.

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Experience! The Finger Lakes

Ithaca, New York

Experience! The Finger Lakes has been leading wine tours through the Finger Lakes region of New York for more than a decade. Guests enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at a winery, as well as curated tasting experiences not typically available to the general public. Choose between a number of tours themed around interests, such as natural wine, or focused on regions, like Seneca Lake.

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Napa Valley Wine Country Tours

Napa, California

Napa Valley is world-famous for its wine, and this exclusive limousine company offers some of the region's top tours. You can opt for a private tour of Napa or Sonoma counties' top wineries, with curated tours in a limo that can even include extras like hot air ballooning or massages after your tasting sessions. For the more budget-conscious, there are also join-in group tours of three premium Napa wineries that occur daily.

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Napa Valley Wine Train

All aboard for a unique tour of wine country on the Napa Valley Wine Train. Restored Pullman train cars ferry guests to tastings along the rails — paired with a gourmet meal. The train's route covers 36 miles from downtown Napa to St. Helena and back, with a number of different experiences available for booking.

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North Bay Wine Tours

Napa and Sonoma, California

North Bay Wine Tours provides private tours for up to four guests, allowing them to explore Sonoma and Napa counties in comfort and style. Excursions include three wineries chosen by North Bay or from the guests’ itineraries, and the experience lasts up to 8 hours. Alternatively, guests can opt for walking tours of Petaluma and Sonoma.

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Perata Luxury Tours

Perata Luxury Tours specializes in personalized wine tours in Napa and Sonoma. Guests enjoy access to small production and boutique wineries that might otherwise be difficult to find, as well as the comfort of being chauffeured in a 2024 Mercedes Sprinter van.

Photo courtesy of Angela Reilly of The Cottage Vineyards & Winery

Pop The Cork Wine Tours

Atlanta, Georgia

Each tour with this Atlanta wine tour company includes tasting fees, a gourmet lunch, chauffeured transportation in a transit van or Mercedes Sprinter van, and a full day of wine tasting fun. Chuck and La Tanya, the husband-and-wife team behind Pop The Cork Wine Tours, had more than a decade of experience leading tasting tours in California before they relocated to Georgia to seek out local wineries.

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Pure Luxury Transportation

Pure Luxury Transportation offers a variety of tours around Napa and Sonoma. Guests can create their own itineraries or choose a pre-designed excursion. Some of the options include taking a day in the country, enjoying a seven-course wine and food pairing, or visiting family-owned wineries.

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Snake River Wine Tours

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Located less than an hour from Boise, explore the Sunnyslope Wine Trail, known as “The Heart of Idaho Wine Country,” with Snake River Wine Tours. Excursions include visits to up to four area wineries with award-winning wines and unique tasting experiences. Snake River’s special relationships with the local wineries ensure that guests enjoy a "one-of-a-kind” wine tour experience.

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SoCal Wine Tours

Temecula, California

SoCal Wine Tours offers a bevy of experiences in and around Temecula. There's a daily tour that includes three wineries with tastings plus lunch, night and late afternoon tours on the weekends, and tours of the esteemed wineries set along Rancho California Road. Temecula Valley is an in-demand wine tasting destination these days, with over 40 wineries to choose from, so those wanting to experience Southern California's best will want to put this on their bucket list. 

Photo courtesy of SeventyFour / iStock Via Getty Images Plus

Temecula Wine Trolley Wine Tours

Offering a unique twist on the Temecula Valley wine scene, this tour company features daily tours to three top wineries all visited via the city's only luxury trolley dedicated to wine tours. You'll start out exploring Temecula's historic Old Town, and then enjoy five to six tastings at some of the regions' top spots. Temecula Wine Trolley Wine Tours can take up to 20 passengers, so you can join a group or even opt for a private tour.

Photo courtesy of Toast Tours

Toast Tours

Paso Robles, California

Toast Tours will get you off the beaten path and behind the scenes in California's Paso Robles wine country. The owners of the company have sommelier training and worked as wine guides in Napa, Sonoma, and even Barcelona, Spain, and they offer custom-tailored private tours of the area's top wineries. Toast also gets creative and has tours that take in far more than just the vineyards. For example, they offer a Tin City walking tour, exploring an area that has become home to innovative winemakers.

Photo courtesy of Uncorked Wine Tours

Uncorked Wine Tours

Uncorked Wine Tours takes visitors on tasting experiences in Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo. These custom tours offer a more personalized experience, which might include a vineyard tour, wine and cheese pairing, cave tour, or a picnic lunch — it's up to you! Guests can also opt for their Zip'n & Sippin tour, which pairs zip lining over vineyards with wine tasting.

Photo courtesy of Windsor Wine Tours LLC

Windsor Wine Tours

Healdsburg, Napa, and Sonoma, California

Windsor Wine Tours curates private luxury wine tours in the Napa and Sonoma areas, ensuring guests enjoy the best boutique family-owned winery experiences. Travel in sleek and comfortable SUVs or luxury vans,  visiting locations noted for particular types of wine, such as the pinot noirs of the Russian River or zinfandels in Dry Creek Valley. 

Photo courtesy of Lisa Gilbertson

Wine de Roads

Wine de Roads takes advantage of access to some of the state's most impressive American Viticultural Areas to also show off the beautiful views and rich natural environment of Oregon. Guests are immersed in the experience on bicycle, making this a unique way to tour wine country.

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Dena Roché is a wine and travel journalist and...   Read More

Dena Roché is a wine and travel journalist and sommelier. She is a member of the prestigious Circle of Wine Writers and was a 2024 fellow to the Wine Writers' Symposium. She is the owner of  Vin Roché , a company focused on wine education and wine tours in Phoenix. 

Jenny Peters

Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los...   Read More

Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).

Joanne and Tony DiBona

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Travel memories may fade over time, but photographs recall those magical moments.

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Lynn and Cele Seldon make up the team that is Seldon Ink and have spent more than 25 years covering all aspects of culinary and travel writing. With a keen focus on the Southeast and a particular love of the Carolinas, they have written dozens of magazine and newspaper articles about the area and have become self-professed experts along the way. Their work has appeared in Southern Living, Taste of the South, The Local Palate, Cruise Travel, South Carolina Living, South Carolina Magazine, TrailBlazer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Charlotte Observer , various in-flight publications and many AAA magazines. They are also the authors of 100 Things To Do In Charleston Before You Die from Reedy Press. Follow along on their adventures at www.seldonink.com or @seldonink.

Sarah May Grunwald

Sarah May Grunwald is a wine, food, and travel...   Read More

Sarah May Grunwald is a wine, food, and travel writer originally from California She is a certified sommelier and former professor of wine. She gardens and keeps bees in the Roman countryside and has seven rescue dogs and three cats. She leads wine and food tours in Rome and the country of Georgia. She co-owns a Tbilisi food and wine tour company called Taste Georgia. Sign up for her Substack newsletter Contadina , and find her on Instagram at @sarahmaygrunwald and @tastegeorgia .

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Tamara Gane is an expert panel member for 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. She's based in Reno/Lake Tahoe and in addition to USA Today 10Best, her work has been published in Travel & Leisure, Fodor's Travel, The Washington Post, SF Gate, Houston Chronicle, Lonely Planet, and more.

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Wine for Tasting and Exploration

The students, mostly hospitality majors, toured the winery's facilities, including a newly remodeled barn venue, enjoyed a hayride, and participated in wine tastings. They also toured the winery's newly renovated distillery, Ridge Runner, before returning to Indiana.  

According to the  winery's website , Christian Klay Winery features "award-winning, estate-produced wines in a family-owned, boutique winery." Christian Klay has been a staple of the Ohiopyle area since the mid-1980s, named after owners Sharon and John Klay's son Christian. The location boasts a selection of around 100 varieties of grapes, a beautiful location, and a much sought-after destination for a variety of events, from weddings to special occasions. Christian Klay Winery is Fayette County's first commercial winery, which opened in 1994. 

The field trip to Christian Klay Winery is not just a fun outing, but a crucial part of Santicola's course. It provides IUP students with invaluable hands-on experience in wine-tasting, production, and event planning. This practical exposure is a key component of their learning journey and helps them understand the complexities and nuances of the wine industry. 

As Santicola aptly puts it, “This field trip is not just a break from the classroom, but a continuation of our students' wine journey.” He believes this experience is a stepping stone for them to explore a life-long activity, wine tasting, and encourages them to delve deeper into the vast world of wine. This field trip is not just a one-day event, but a transformative experience that broadens their horizons and enriches their understanding of the subject.

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