Category: Travel

Luxembourg Develops National Strategy to Boost Wine Tourism

With 11% of Luxembourg’s overnight visitors already engaging in wine-related activities, the government is now crafting a targeted strategy to further develop the Moselle Valley’s tourism potential through coordinated sector-wide collaboration.

Luxembourg has launched efforts to develop a comprehensive wine tourism strategy, with initial consultations set to begin this week in Grevenmacher.

The initiative aims to attract more visitors to the country’s Moselle wine region through coordinated action between winemakers, cultural institutions, and hospitality stakeholders.

Over the coming months, the government will collaborate with vineyards, museums, the Federation of Hotels, Restaurants, and Bars (HORESCA), municipalities, and tourism organizations to develop a concrete action plan, slated for release by year’s end.

Gilles Estgen, the official overseeing the project, outlined key focus areas: defining clear objectives, understanding tourist expectations, and consolidating industry feedback while building on existing successes.

“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel”, Estgen emphasized, noting the Moselle Valley’s established strengths like its popular wine-tasting events. While foreign projects offer inspiration, he emphasized that solutions must be tailored to Luxembourg’s unique context.

Among new proposals, overnight stays at wineries emerged as a promising avenue – a concept that could qualify for agricultural subsidies, provided accommodations adhere to zoning laws.

Minister of Agriculture and Viticulture Martine Hansen clarified that while greenbelt construction remains prohibited, many rural wineries could adapt existing structures.

Minister of Tourism Lex Delles underscored the strategy’s broader relevance: wine-related activities engaged 11% of overnight visitors and 13% of day-trippers in 2023, signalling untapped potential for cross-sector promotion.

Sources:  RTL Today and Luxembourg Times

Uncovering Florence’s Wine Windows: A Journey into Florence’s Hidden Renaissance Rituals

After weeks of anticipation, I finally arrived in Florence, eager to delve into its storied wine culture, and particularly its legendary buchette del vino, or “wine windows.” These small arched openings, discreetly embedded in the façades of Renaissance-era palazzos, have long fascinated me. To experience them firsthand felt like stepping into a living fragment of wine history.

Dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, these wine windows allowed Florentine noble families to sell wine directly from their residences. The system was ingenious: it permitted private, tax-avoiding transactions and helped minimize public gatherings, an early model of socially distant commerce. These architectural curiosities reveal a narrative of ingenuity, adaptation, and an enduring passion for wine that remains central to the city’s identity.

As I wandered through Florence’s historic center, I came across several operational wine windows. At one, I was served a crisp glass of Vernaccia; at another, a bold Chianti Classico—each poured through the same arched portals that once served Florentines centuries ago. Strolling through the city and receiving wine through these charming windows was a delightful and unique experience. There’s magic in being served through a stone-framed portal once used by Medici-era merchants.

These buchette are far more than quaint historical relics. They stand as enduring emblems of Florence’s rich cultural and vinous heritage.

“Long live the Wine Windows!”

The Wine Windows Association

Founded in 2015, the Associazione Buchette del Vino (Wine Windows Association) is committed to preserving and promoting these historic features. Based in Florence, the association catalogues and maps remaining wine windows throughout the city and across Tuscany. It also supports restoration initiatives and offers educational programs through guided tours, exhibitions, and scholarly publications. Explore the map of wine windows here: https://buchettedelvino.org/home%2520eng/maps.html

The 2025 Edition of Regina Ribelle – Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Fest Successfully Concluded!

The 2025 edition of Regina Ribelle—Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Fest concluded triumphantly, reaffirming its status as a pivotal wine event in Italy’s calendar. Dedicated to Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the historic white wine [the ‘White Queen’] in a land of reds, the festival drew over 1,500 visitors to the medieval streets of San Gimignano for a multi-sensory journey through tastings, seminars, and cultural encounters.

Strongly promoted by the Consorzio del Vino Vernaccia di San Gimignano, in collaboration with the Municipality of San Gimignano, the festival featured 34 wineries, facilitating over 10,000 tastings across the two-day celebration. The program extended beyond wine to include masterclasses, gastronomic pairings with Tuscan delicacies, and family-friendly entertainment.

An important highlight was the Best Sommelier of Tuscany competition—organized by the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS)—with Luca Marchiani receiving top honours.

From an industry standpoint, the event served as a crucial platform for media engagement. Over 80 international and Italian journalists, including myself, were hosted for exclusive press days (May 15–16), which featured technical tastings and curated winery visits. The gala dinner, held in the breathtaking historic Piazza del Duomo, was curated by Chef Gaetano Trovato of the two-Michelin-starred Arnolfo Ristorante.

Adding a cultural dimension, the unveiling of a sculpture by renowned Tuscan artist Andrea Roggi underscored the connection between Vernaccia and the arts, both classical and contemporary.

The 2024 Vintage

The 2024 vintage marks a return to productivity after the decline of 2023. Despite a rainy September that delayed the harvest, the results were notably elegant. Vernaccia di San Gimignano demonstrated once again its remarkable adaptability to its native territory. In terms of numbers, the 2024 harvest produced 5,904,698 kg of grapes for Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG wine, equating to 4,069,843 litres of wine, with a 44.18% increase compared to the previous year. The number of bottles released to the market is 3,670,357.

“We are extremely pleased with the great public response at this 2025 edition of Regina Ribelle – Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Fest. It was truly exciting to see so many people—journalists, tasters, professionals, and wine lovers—come together to celebrate this unique wine, a symbol of an extraordinary region. Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who believed in this challenge alongside the Consorzio, from the authorities and producers to local businesses and communities, contributing to an event that celebrates a truly unique Denomination: eight centuries of history looking decisively toward the future. Regina Ribelle is now an unmissable event in the wine world, a moment to narrate Vernaccia di San Gimignano as the oldest white wine in our region.

This festival represents not only a great celebration and an ode to the ‘Beauty’ of Vernaccia di San Gimignano but also an opportunity to reinforce the bond between tradition and the future, celebrating its identity and its central role in the Tuscan and national wine scene. Let’s not forget that in 2026, we will celebrate 750 years of this denomination in the territory and 60 years as Italy’s first DOC—a truly unique milestone,” commented Irina Strozzi, President of the Consorzio del Vino Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

The next edition of Regina Ribelle – Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Fest will occur from May 14 to 17, 2026, in San Gimignano.

Margaret River to Host World’s 50 Best Vineyards Awards November 2025

The World’s 50 Best Vineyards Awards returns in 2025, with this year’s event hosted in Margaret River, Western Australia. On Wednesday, November 19, the list of 2025’s finest vineyard experiences will be revealed at a special live event in Margaret River, encouraging travellers to discover the very best wine and gastronomy tourism in the world.

The Margaret River Region, in Western Australia’s Southwest, is the only premium wine region in Australia that combines world-class food and wine with pristine beaches, tall-timber forests, renowned surf breaks and ancient caves. In addition to its 200 vineyards and welcoming cellars, the region is home to a diverse selection of restaurants, from award-winning establishments to local favourites, presenting wine and food pairings that showcase the best of the region’s produce.

“We are absolutely delighted to bring The World’s 50 Best Vineyards awards to Western Australia later this year for the first time,” says William Drew, Director of Content for The World’s 50 Best Vineyards. “This region offers the perfect combination of world-class wine, vibrant gastronomy and breathtaking natural surroundings. From its pristine coastline and ancient forests to its dynamic food and wine scene, Margaret River delivers an unforgettable visitor experience. It’s an ideal setting to celebrate the innovation, excellence and diversity that characterize global wine tourism.”

Tourism WA Managing Director Anneke Brown said, “Welcoming The World’s 50 Best Vineyards to our iconic Margaret River Region is a proud moment for Western Australia. This globally recognized event will shine a spotlight on the world-class wine experiences found in WA and reinforces our reputation as a premium destination for travellers seeking extraordinary food, wine and nature-based tourism. We look forward to hosting industry leaders, media and wine enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing the very best our region – and our state – has to offer.”

The World’s 50 Best Vineyards list is compiled annually to spotlight and celebrate the leading wine tourism destinations around the globe. Each year, it highlights exceptional vineyards that offer unique visitor experiences, ranging from modern architectural masterpieces and UNESCO-protected ancient cellars to award-winning dining spots and intimate family-run wineries.

The Voting Academy, made up of more than 700 influential wine and travel experts and sommeliers, submit their nominations based on their best vineyard experience during the voting period. There is no set criteria for what constitutes best elements such as overall visitor experience, ambiance, cuisine, activities, views, service, staff, and value for money may have varying degrees of importance to different voters. The votes are then collated to determine the annual list of The World’s 50 Best Vineyards. Vineyards cannot apply to be on the list. Equally, no sponsor has any influence on the voting process.

The World’s 50 Best Vineyards is now fully integrated into the 50 Best brand portfolios, published by William Reed, which includes The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, The World’s 50 Best Bars, The World’s 50 Best Hotels, and regional iterations of the brand. This new alignment brings the wine portfolio – including World’s Best Vineyards and World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection – under the globally recognized 50 Best umbrella, the leading authority in gastronomy, hospitality and travel.

Sicilia En Primeur Returns for Its 21st Year: Showcasing the Best of Sicilian Wine

Once again, Sicilia en Primeur returns this year, an esteemed event organized by Assovini Sicilia that annually draws journalists from around the globe to the island. From May 6 to 10, a delegation of 100 journalists representing Italy, various European countries (including France, Poland, Sweden, Germany, and Norway), as well as non-EU nations (such as Canada, the United States, Japan, China, South Korea, Israel, Brazil, and the United Kingdom), will journey through Sicily to explore and document the island’s rich food, wine, and cultural heritage.

It is no coincidence that the claim of the event, now in its 21st edition, is “The Culture of Wine in Sicily: A Thousand-year Story that Looks to the Future”, a slogan that sums up the message that Assovini wants to launch this year.

“Wine, explains Mariangela Cambria, President of Assovini Sicilia, besides being an agricultural or commercial product, is an essential element of universal culture that spans centuries and civilizations. The culture of wine today also translates into a culture of travel. It is a journey that begins in and sets off from the vineyard, from working the land; it goes through an annual cycle and arrives in the glass, in the bottle, and on tables all over the world. Sicilia En Primeur will tell journalists about part of this journey”.

“I’d like to thank the municipal administration of Modica for their hospitality and for having seized this opportunity,” Cambria emphasizes. “Sicilia en Primeur will, in fact, be a showcase for this splendid baroque town that journalists will have the opportunity to get to know, visit and talk about in their articles.”

The event kicks off on May 9th at 9 am with a technical tasting at the Castello dei Conti di Modica along with four talks on current topics, including the tools by which wine can be communicated to new generations, an in-depth look at the new State labels to protect Made in Italy, neuromarketing and consumer psychology, as well as a talk on the numbers of Assovini Sicilia.

At 5:30 p.m., there will also be a conference at the Teatro Garibaldi in Modica about the culture of wine understood as informed and conscious drinking, as promotion of the territory through wine tourism, as protection of the environment through increasingly sustainable good practices. Among the speakers, the Master of Wine, Andrea Lonardi, will talk about the “S Factor: The Uniqueness of the Sicilian Wine Continent”, followed by speeches by Dario Stefàno, president of the Wine and Oil Tourism Centre (Lumsa University), and by Antonello Maruotti, professor of Statistics (Lumsa University) on “The South innovating through events, e-commerce and new hospitality models for wine tourism”. Dr Sara Farnetti, Ph.D in Pathophysiology of Metabolism and Nutrition, will shift the spotlight to “Wine Culture: For Informed and Conscious Consumption.” Finally, Alessio Planeta, President of the SOStain Sicilia Foundation, will speak about “The Sustainable Future of Sicilian Wine.” Luciano Ferraro, vice-director of Corriere della Sera, will chair the conference.

This day will end with the gala dinner organized in collaboration with La Sicilia di Ulisse. This association brings together Sicilian excellence in the hospitality, gastronomy and viticulture sectors. The menu will be in charge of chefs Accursio Craparo of Radici, Vincenzo Candiano of Locanda Don Serafino (1 Michelin star), Giuseppe Causarano and Antonio Colombo of Votavota (1 Michelin star) and Giuseppe Torrisi of Cortile Santo Spirito (1 Michelin star).

“This year, Sicily has been named the 2025 European Gastronomic Region,” says Cambria. “To underline the successful partnership between food and wine at Sicilia en Primeur, the chefs of Sicilia di Ulisse will share their culinary art at the final gala dinner devoted to the producers.”

The event will conclude on Saturday, 10 May, again at the Castello dei Conti, with wine tasting from the 57 producers who are members of Assovini Sicilia and who will present their labels to journalists.

“I would like to thank the Istituto Commercio Estero and our sponsors, without whom this great event would not be possible; an event which has been shining a spotlight on Sicily for 26 years, attracting the attention of the national and international food-and-wine press,” concludes Mariangela Cambria. “Sicilia en Primeur is an eagerly awaited event that in recent years has contributed significantly to consolidating the image of a Sicilian wine-growing continent dedicated to excellence.”