Category: Wine Tourism

Great Wine Capitals 2026 Best of Wine Tourism Regional Awards Announces Napa Valley Winners

The regional Napa Valley delegation for the Great Wine Capitals, which includes the County of Napa, Napa Valley Vintners, and Visit Napa Valley, has announced the winners of the 2026 Best of Wine Tourism Regional Awards.

The annual Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Awards celebrate innovation and excellence in wine tourism across the world’s leading wine regions. Napa Valley is among 11 global regions recognized internationally by the Great Wine Capitals Network for delivering exceptional wine tourism experiences.

Tourism and hospitality businesses in Napa Valley were invited to self-nominate in one of seven categories during August. Submissions were reviewed and winners selected by a judging panel that included representatives from the County of Napa, Napa Valley Vintners, and Visit Napa Valley.

The Great Wine Capitals 2026 Best of Wine Tourism Regional Award winners, by category, are:

  • Accommodation –  The George
  • Architecture & Landscapes – Cuvaison Winery
  • Art & Culture – Boisset Collection 
  • Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences – Sterling Vineyards 
  • Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices – CHANDON 
  • Culinary Experiences – Clif Family Winery 
  • Wine Tourism Services – Festival Napa Valley 

Last year’s (2025) Napa Valley Regional Award winners included: Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs (Accommodation), Signorello Estate (Architecture & Landscapes),  Rail Arts District (RAD) Napa (Art & Culture), Olabisi Winery (Vine Trail Adventures)  (Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences), Pine Ridge Vineyards (Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices), Oxbow Public Market (Culinary Experiences), Napa Valley Wine Train (Wine Tourism Services). Napa Valley Wine Train went on to receive global recognition as the 2025 Global Winner in the  Wine Tourism Services category.

In addition to being recognized in front of an audience of industry peers, the 2026 regional award winners are now in consideration for the Global Best of Wine Tourism Awards. Global winners will be announced at the Great Wine Capitals Annual General Meeting held in Bordeaux, France, in November 2025.

For further information, visit: https://www.visitnapavalley.com/blog/post/2026-best-of-wine-tourism-award-winners/

European Wine Tourism Index 2025: Ranking Europe’s Leading Wine Destinations

Wine tourism represents one of the fastest-growing segments of global cultural and experiential travel. According to a recent survey by TUI Musement, more than 91% of respondents expressed interest in wine-related travel, with the highest engagement among travellers aged 18 to 44. Responding to this demand, and coinciding with Europe’s harvest season, TUI Musement has introduced the inaugural “European Wine Tourism Index 2025,” the first data-driven ranking of Europe’s most attractive destinations for wine tourism.

Unlike perception-based surveys, the Index employs quantitative data and official registries to assess both viticultural heritage and tourism potential. By combining traditional measures of production with indicators of cultural recognition and international prestige, the Index provides a comparative framework for understanding the evolving dynamics of Europe’s wine tourism map.

Methodology

The Index evaluates European Union member states (with a minimum vineyard area of 500 hectares) across five weighted categories:

Vineyard surface area (20%)

Vineyard land dedicated to PDO and PGI wines (30%)

Number of registered PDO/PGI wines (20%)

Total wine production volume (10%)

International awards received (20%)

Data sources include Eurostat, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), official EU registries, and the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025. Scores were calculated using a weighted average, providing an objective reflection of both wine heritage and global recognition.

The Results – Europe’s Top 10 Wine-Producing Countries

  1. France (Score: 85.2/100)

France secures first place with unparalleled prestige, the highest number of international awards, and a vast network of PDO regions.

Key regions: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne

Highlights: Bordeaux’s château tours, Burgundy’s 1,000+ climats (vineyard plots) inscribed by UNESCO, Champagne’s historic underground cellars.

Experiences: Private vintage tastings, vineyard drives through Bordeaux in classic cars, cellar tours beneath Épernay’s Avenue de Champagne.

  1. Italy

Italy ranks second as Europe’s largest wine producer and the continent’s leader in PDO/PGI registrations.

Key regions: Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto

Highlights: Tuscany’s Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino; Piedmont’s UNESCO-listed Langhe-Roero vineyards; Veneto’s iconic Prosecco hills.

Experiences: Chianti tasting with artisanal oils and balsamic vinegar, Prosecco tours in Veneto, vineyard walks in Monferrato.

  1. Spain

Spain, home to the largest vineyard area in Europe (909,367 hectares), ranks third, with 97% dedicated to PDO/PGI wines.

Key regions: La Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rías Baixas, Jerez

Highlights: Ribera del Duero’s bold reds, volcanic viticulture in Lanzarote’s La Geria, and cava production in Penedès.

Experiences: La Rioja winery tours, sherry tasting in Jerez, vineyard hikes across volcanic landscapes.

  1. Portugal

Portugal earns fourth place through its internationally awarded wines and unique terroirs.

Key regions: Douro Valley, Alentejo, Vinho Verde

Highlights: UNESCO-listed Douro terraces, Alentejo’s bold red wines, crisp whites of Vinho Verde.

Experiences: River cruises with quinta tastings, traditional Algarve wine trails, and immersive tours of fortified Port cellars.

  1. Greece

Greece combines millennia-old heritage with an extraordinary diversity of indigenous grape varieties.

Key regions: Macedonia, Peloponnese, Santorini

Highlights: Assyrtiko from Santorini’s volcanic soils, Agiorgitiko from Nemea, and Xinómavro from northern Macedonia.

Experiences: Sunset tastings in Santorini, Peloponnesian winery tours, Crete’s wine-and-food pairings.

  1. Germany

Germany places sixth, globally celebrated for its Rieslings and scenic river-valley vineyards.

Key regions: Mosel, Rheingau, Pfalz

Highlights: Steep Mosel slopes, Rheingau’s historic Spätlese birthplace, Palatinate’s iconic Bad Dürkheim wine barrel.

Experiences: Vineyard cycling tours, river cruises with Riesling tastings, heritage wine festivals.

  1. Romania

Romania ranks seventh, drawing on deep winemaking traditions dating to antiquity.

Key regions: Transylvania, Muntenia (Dealu Mare), Dobrogea

Highlights: Fetească varietals of Transylvania, powerful reds from Dealu Mare (“Romania’s Tuscany”), and sweet wines from Dobrogea.

Experiences: Castle-linked vineyard visits, Black Sea coastal tastings, immersive food-and-wine tours from Bucharest.

  1. Hungary

Hungary, in eighth place, is synonymous with sweet wines of global renown and increasingly recognized reds.

Key regions: Tokaj, Eger, Villány

Highlights: Tokaji Aszú (UNESCO World Heritage), Eger’s “Bull’s Blood” (Bikavér), Villány’s full-bodied reds.

Experiences: Cellar visits in Tokaj, historic vineyard tours, and urban wine tastings in Budapest.

  1. Austria

Austria’s 46,000 hectares of PDO vineyards demonstrate exceptional quality control.

Key regions: Wachau Valley, Burgenland, Vienna

Highlights: Wachau’s UNESCO terraced landscapes, Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, and Vienna as Europe’s only capital city with significant vineyards.

Experiences: Danube wine cruises, half-day vineyard tours from Vienna, Burgenland’s botrytized dessert wines.

  1. Bulgaria

Bulgaria completes the top 10 with a wine history dating to ancient Thrace.

Key regions: Thracian Valley, Struma Valley, Danube Plain

Highlights: Mavrud-based reds, Mediterranean-influenced wines of Struma, and fresh Danubian whites.

Experiences: Vineyard tours of Nessebar, tastings in the Thracian Valley, and Black Sea wine routes.

The inaugural European Wine Tourism Index 2025 reaffirms Europe’s enduring role as the global centre of wine tourism. While traditional powers such as France, Italy, and Spain remain dominant, the emergence of destinations like Romania, Hungary, Austria, and Bulgaria signals an expanding and diversifying wine tourism map.

This Index provides both travellers and industry stakeholders with an authoritative framework for understanding Europe’s viticultural landscape, linking heritage with tourism potential, and mapping future opportunities for sustainable growth.

Rediscovering Sulcis, Sardinia – From Vineyard to Sea along the Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara and through the Lands of Carignano

In the far southwest of Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, travellers can now embark on the Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara (CMSB), a 500-kilometre trail divided into 30 stages. Just 70 kilometres from Cagliari, the regional capital with its international airport, the route links the main towns of the Sulcis region, including Iglesias, Carbonia, Sant’Antioco, and Sant’Anna Arresi.

Walkers, often referred to as “pilgrims,” retrace the paths once taken by miners, shepherds, fishermen, and farmers. Alongside ancient mines and vineyards, the trail also reveals some of Sardinia’s most striking beaches, where long sandy stretches meet crystal-clear waters. Blending history, spirituality, and nature, the Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara offers insight into Sulcis, one of the island’s most authentic and multifaceted territories.

An Early Test Walk

In September, with a small group of colleagues, we had the privilege of experiencing this trail almost as a preview. What struck us most was the remarkable balance of diversity and coherence. Tourism projects often promise variety but seldom deliver it with such authenticity. Along the Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara, everything felt naturally connected, from the changing landscapes and historic villages to the local food, ancient mines, and distinctive wines. Each element contributed to a unified, layered sense of place that was both genuine and moving.

What stood out most was the passion of the people behind the project. From museum guides to vineyard workers, from cooperative leaders to volunteers, everyone we met shared a profound connection to their land. Their knowledge, warmth, and pride gave depth to each encounter, transforming the journey into not just an exploration but a human and emotional experience.

From Vineyards to the Sea

The journey began among vineyards overlooking the coast, with an introduction to Carignano del Sulcis and its role in shaping the region’s identity. Tastings and open-air meals revealed the deep bond between wine and territory. Later, quiet paths across Sant’Antioco unfolded into gentle slopes and seascapes, before evenings spent by the harbour with traditional food and local wines.

The next day brought us inland, across rolling hills and historic villages, along trails framed by vineyards and Mediterranean scrub. Lunch featured the symbolic “Pilgrim’s Menu,” tying tradition to hospitality. By evening, the focus shifted to the sea once again at the historic tonnara (tuna fishery) of Portoscuso, founded in the late 1500s. Tuna has long shaped local culture, and here it was paired with Carignano wines—from fresh rosé to complex reds—showcasing the grape’s depth and versatility.

Into the Mines

The journey culminated at the Great Mine of Serbariu, once a hub of coal extraction. Even today, with clean air, normal light, and sound effects muted, stepping inside was a powerful experience. It was easy to imagine the miners’ reality: dust, darkness, deafening noise, and at times tunnels scarcely half a meter high. This moment underscored that Sulcis’s beauty is inseparable from its history of hardship.

The Wine Connection

Carignano, the flagship grape of Sulcis, is demanding in the vineyard. Naturally vigorous and highly productive, it requires careful management to reduce yields. Its slight bitterness, a potential flaw elsewhere, here becomes a signature—integrated, elegant, and defining.

Unique conditions make it possible: sandy soils that allow ungrafted vines, old bush-trained vineyards yielding naturally low harvests, a Mediterranean climate tempered by steady mistral winds, and a late ripening cycle that traditionally stretches into mid-October. These factors create dense, characterful wines that remain contemporary in style.

Carignano del Sulcis, recognized as a DOC since 1977, comes in a range of styles: dry reds, riservas, and passito versions. Rosé is also noteworthy—often deeply colored thanks to the grape’s natural intensity, with marked personality and a savoury edge that makes it highly gastronomic, pairing beautifully with both land and sea dishes.

The Food Connection

Food in Sulcis is equally central to its identity. Despite being an island, meat holds a place of honour: maialetto (suckling pig), in its many variations, is a festive staple. Cheese is just as significant, particularly Sardinia’s distinctive pecorino, known for its intensity, and fresh ricotta, used in both savoury and sweet dishes.

Handmade pasta, often filled, anchors family cooking, while along the coast, tuna and fish define local tradition. Mussels, too, are a point of pride, frequently featured as a specialty of Sulcis. The cuisine also preserves its humbler roots in dishes like fried bread, a clever way to avoid waste. This blend of land and sea, of richness and simplicity, gives Sulcis a gastronomic identity as layered as its landscape—always authentic, always true to tradition.

A Complete Journey

The Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara is far more than a hike. It’s wine tastings by the sea, Carignano vineyards shaped by the mistral, ungrafted bush vines, archaeological sites, tuna fisheries, nuraghi, medieval churches, and, above all, the proud voices of the people who live here. It’s a journey through hardship and beauty, history and revival—an experience that lingers long after the last step and the final sip.

Filippo Magnani

The International Wine Academy’s Historic Appeal to the United Nations

Wine has long transcended its role as a simple beverage, serving instead as a living testament to humanity’s cultural, social, and agricultural heritage. Across civilizations, from the vineyards of Mesopotamia to the cellars of Burgundy and the valleys of Mendoza, wine has symbolized conviviality, peace, and continuity. Today, this millennia-old legacy faces an unprecedented challenge. For the first time in its history, the Académie Internationale du Vin (AIV), a body uniting nearly 100 eminent wine voices from 20 nations, has spoken publicly and unanimously to defend wine against the threat of “denormalization” proposed in global health discourse. Their Appeal below, addressed to the heads of state gathering for the 80th United Nations General Assembly, underscores the profound stakes of reducing wine to a mere health risk: the erosion of culture, heritage, and a universal language of humanity:

APPEAL BY THE INTERNATIONAL WINE ACADEMY TO HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT ATTENDING THE UNITED NATIONS 80TH ANNIVERSARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK

Ladies & Gentlemen, Heads of State and Government, On September 25th, at the 4ᵗʰ United Nations High-Level Meeting on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being, you will be faced with a challenging brief: how can we prevent and control noncommunicable diseases without denying the foundations of our cultures, without erasing what makes our civilization thrive? Wine is at the heart of this question. Too often, it is reduced to a molecule of alcohol. Too simplistically, it is compared to a drug. But too rarely do we think about what it embodies. The International Wine Academy, whose members come from 20 different countries, wishes to alert you against the danger of reducing wine to a mere health risk, thereby forgetting its cultural, social and human dimension. Here is what is at stake. TO DENORMALISE WINE WOULD DESTROY A HERITAGE – A LEGACY OF HUMANITY  Wine embodies eight millennia of human history: it is a catalyst for conviviality, joy and sharing; a connection to the land and its landscapes; a universal language linking people – from Georgia to Ancient Greece, from Oregon to Tuscany, from France to New Zealand. Unique yet global, it expresses mankind’s patience before time, humility before the earth, and the desire to celebrate together. Offering a glass of wine is a gesture that expresses peace, friendship, brotherhood, and the joy of being together.  Enjoying wine moderately is to defend the culture of taste and restraint, and perpetuate a bond that unites continents, people and generations. It is about appreciating rather than abusing, tasting rather than drinking. It is about approaching health through social and family ties, mental well-being and the joy of life – for the link between happiness and health is undeniable.  TO DENORMALISE WINE WOULD DENY ITS BENEFITS AND CLOSE SCIENTIFIC DEBATE PREMATURELY  A recent NASEM report (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, USA) concluded that “compared to no alcohol consumption, moderate consumption is associated with lower all-cause mortality.” We do not claim to settle the scientific debate, but, like many experts, we regret the absence of a large-scale randomized trial, the only viable protocol to ground conclusions on certified evidence rather than insufficient observational data. TO DENORMALISE WINE IS TO CHOOSE PROHIBITION OVER EDUCATION AND FREEDOM  We are fully aware of the dangers of excess. We recognize the need to prevent addiction, protect the most vulnerable, and combat abuse. We embrace this responsibility, for it is through education that consumers learn to taste, compare and appreciate wine with moderation – becoming ambassadors of balance.  Through education, we believe we can both protect individual freedom to enjoy wine without abuse and promote responsibility and control. Wine thus expresses its truth through the transmission of knowledge, and know-how, and teaching moderation. For these reasons, Ladies & Gentlemen, Heads of States and Governments, we call upon you to act in a balanced and nuanced manner: combat excesses but recognize the value of moderation; prevent risks but preserve mankind’s bond with the earth; protect public health but respect the richness of cultures and the strength of traditions. Preserving wine means defending a civilization, a way of life, a living universal heritage, a part of humanity that has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. On behalf of the International Wine Academy    Guillaume d’Angerville, President & Véronique Sanders, Chancellor   Lausanne, September 2025  www.academievin.org

The AIV’s open letter is not a denial of the need for public health vigilance, but rather a plea for balance, perspective, and nuance. To strip wine of its rightful place in society is to dismiss its contributions to culture, social well-being, and even responsible lifestyle practices rooted in moderation. At stake is more than a product: it is the survival of a heritage that binds generations, nations, and traditions. By defending wine, world leaders defend the principle that humanity’s greatest legacies should be preserved, not erased. The decision now before the United Nations is not solely about health policy; it is about safeguarding civilization’s enduring bond with the earth, with each other, and with the joy of shared experience.

Liz Palmer

Wine Tourism Review: Dimora Cottanera on the slopes of Etna

This is a retreat where Sicilian authenticity meets understated luxury – vineyard views, an infinity pool that spills into the landscape, and gardens perfumed with exotic flowers, lavender and citrus.

Lunch by the pool was all about simplicity and elegance: seasonal dishes paired with Cottanera’s Etna Bianco.

As the sun set, the Winter Restaurant revealed its magic. We savoured the essence of Sicilian cuisine – simple, elegant flavours paired with Cottanera wines, against a stunning backdrop of mountains with their vineyards glowing in the evening light and soft mountain breezes.

This one-night stay felt like entering a different rhythm of life – where time lingers, and every detail invited me to savour the moment… final article to follow on ……www.liz-palmer.com

For further details on Dimora Cottanera https://dimoracottanera.com/