Attracting local audiences to Wine estates, a strategic opportunity still largely untapped

Wine tourism is still largely conceived through the lens of tourist audiences, whether domestic or international. Development strategies, investment decisions and prevailing narratives tend to prioritise attractiveness, visibility and the ability of wine regions to capture visitor flows from outside the territory. This perspective has durably shaped wine tourism offerings and the sector’s performance criteria, while often relegating local communities to a secondary position, rarely considered as a strategic audience in their own right.

Yet these local communities are often the primary consumers of wines, the first ambassadors and influencers, and in many cases the most resilient economic base for wine estates. Although this reality is widely acknowledged in professional discourse, it remains only marginally reflected in operational and strategic decision making.

The national study conducted by Atout France, Deloitte, and Vin & Société indicates that approximately 12 million wine tourists visit French vineyards each year, more than half of whom are French . While these figures do not allow for a precise distinction between local residents and non-resident visitors, they clearly demonstrate that vineyard attendance relies heavily on local audiences.

The strategic challenge, therefore, lies in enabling a genuine local appropriation of wine estates, through concrete, regular and legitimate uses, by rethinking the place of the estate within its territory, beyond traditional logics of visitation or event based programming.

I. Rethinking the place of the wine estate in its territory

For local residents, a vineyard isn't immediately perceived as a tourist attraction. It's first and foremost a place, a familiar landscape, a neighbor, a local landmark, sometimes a space that has long remained closed off or reserved for other uses. Rethinking the vineyard's place within its territory means accepting that it can become a fully-fledged local resource, useful in everyday life, and not just a tourist attraction for business travelers or those just passing through.

This interpretation is now supported by recent work on the French relationship with wine. According to a survey conducted in 2025 by Wine & Society with the According to the Ifop Group, 94% of French people believe that wine is part of the country's cultural identity, even as consumption habits evolve towards greater moderation and occasional enjoyment. Wine retains a strong symbolic value, independent of the volume consumed. This dissociation between cultural attachment and evolving practices opens up an interesting perspective for considering the vineyard as a place of reference for local residents, provided it is not limited to a purely productive or touristic function.

A particularly illuminating example is that of La Cuverie by Comte Liger-Belair in Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy. Located in the heart of the village, this hybrid establishment, opened in 2023, combines a wine bar, local grocery store, village café, integrated post office, meeting spaces, and accommodation. It meets everyday needs , fosters local community , and functions as a vital local amenity, frequented by residents, wine professionals, and visitors. It concretely illustrates what a wine-producing venue fully integrated into local life can be.

This makes perfect sense in light of an undeniable reality: approximately 60% of the wines produced in France are consumed on the domestic market. Local and national roots therefore constitute a strategic lever for the economic model of wine estates , extending beyond mere tourism considerations.

II. Multiplying uses to enable local appropriation

The question posed to vineyard owners may be simple in its formulation, but more complex in its implementation. Under what conditions does a vineyard become a place that locals actually frequent? And with what results?

In many regions, the connection between vineyards and local residents has long been built through occasional forms of engagement: donating bottles for community events, supporting local associations, and participating in existing sporting or cultural events. These practices play a useful role in the symbolic anchoring of the vineyards and foster a positive image . However, they rarely generate regular visits or translate into wine sales. The vineyard is recognized, but not truly experienced.

The shift occurs when the estate opens its spaces to uses practiced on-site , based on recurrence, familiarity, and conviviality. Not all residents enter through the same door. Some come for the culture , others for the gastronomy, the sport, the wellness, or the leisure activities. These uses, sometimes far removed from wine tasting, allow the estate to become integrated into everyday life.

On the cultural and social front, some areas have managed to create genuine gathering places. In the Landes region, the Domaine de la Pointe. The estate offers sunset aperitifs, dinners in the vineyards, and summer concerts that are very popular with residents of Capbreton and neighboring towns. It functions as a local entertainment venue , integrated into the local community. In Alsace, Domaine Achillée regularly hosts cultural events, gatherings focused on organic products, and open discussions , primarily aimed at a loyal regional clientele.

In terms of sports and well-being, the approaches are different but equally structuring. Some estates directly host regular yoga, dance, walking, or hiking classes, often in partnership with local associations or independent instructors. These recurring activities transform the estate into a place for practice , frequented independently of any wine tourism visits. At the same time, other uses are developing on a regional scale, within the framework of major local sporting events , which the estates support without necessarily being the organizers. The Médoc Marathon, the Beaune Half Marathon, and the Gulf of Saint-Tropez Marathon illustrate this dynamic. The vineyards then become places to pass through, welcoming points of interest, and hubs of conviviality, all part of an event that locals are already embracing.

In all cases, the challenge remains the same. Whether the initiative is led by the estate itself or built in partnership, local ownership arises when the vineyard ceases to be a backdrop to become a lived-in place , frequented for what it allows people to do, and not solely for what it represents through its wines.

III. Integrating the estate into local economic and social life

When local use becomes established, the site can change its status and become a resource for the region. The strategy then targets not only residents, but also local groups : businesses, local authorities, business or association networks.

This change of scale is transformative. It allows the estate to move beyond a model of occasional use and become part of sustainable economic and social dynamics . Seminars, association meetings, professional events: the estate becomes a readily available resource , recognized as a valuable player in the region. In the Loire Valley, the Château de Minière regularly hosts local businesses and associations. In Alsace, the Domaine Rieflé-Landmann makes its spaces available for collective use, integrating the estate into the daily life of the region.

Local integration also relies on major festive events with strong local participation , which play a key role in the collective appropriation of wine. In Burgundy, the Saint-Vincent Tournante is a prime example: a major popular event, deeply rooted in regional culture, where wine is celebrated as a common good. Thus, the integration of the estate into local economic and social life depends not only on opening its spaces to the public, but also on its ability to participate in unifying collective events , which are often more impactful than traditional communication campaigns.

IV. Building a long-term relationship. Education, transmission, and new audiences

Local ownership isn't solely about immediate visitor numbers. It's also built over the long term through educational initiatives, knowledge sharing, and outreach to audiences not typically targeted by traditional wine tourism . This approach has less of an impact on short-term sales volumes than on the vineyard's cultural legitimacy and its lasting integration into local life.

Welcoming school groups is therefore a key element. Educational visits, workshops in the vineyards, exploration of wine-growing landscapes, and raising awareness of biodiversity and climate issues help to recreate a meaningful and cultural connection between residents and their wine-growing region. The vineyard becomes a learning space, accessible independently of any consumption. In Beaune , the documentary "Heritage and Biodiversity at the Heart of Burgundy," produced in 2025 by students of the Saint Cœur school, illustrates this capacity of the vineyard to become an educational tool and a collective project.

More and more vineyards are also developing workshops for children and families, focusing on landscape interpretation, flora and fauna, vine cycles, and agroecological practices. Topics such as agroforestry , living soils, and water management offer particularly relevant entry points, as they broaden perspectives on viticulture and strengthen its social acceptance. In the Saumur region, the Rocheville Estate regularly welcomes school groups and offers workshops in the vineyards, combining landscape, biodiversity and understanding of winemaking practices.

Other initiatives also target new residents or senior citizens, through soft or adapted mobility solutions, further broadening the range of people involved. By developing these outreach activities, these areas are leveraging a subtle but crucial element: a relationship with the territory , which deeply fosters local ownership.

V. International Perspective. When local roots take complementary forms

Internationally, some vineyards show that local roots can take paths complementary to those observed in France, relying either on structured communities or on shared cultural practices integrated into the daily lives of the inhabitants.

• In the United States, Serene Vineyards & Winery exemplifies a highly structured community approach through its wine club , designed as a genuine tool for building local and regional loyalty. Beyond commercial benefits, the club is based on regular member-only programming , social gatherings, and a sense of belonging. This model creates a lasting relationship , founded on recurring visits and commitment, extending far beyond a single visit.

• In Tuscany, Tenuta di Capezzana has developed a different approach, based on cultural openness. The estate hosts open-air film screenings , concerts and recitals , temporary exhibitions , as well as culinary workshops and cooking classes featuring local produce. Conceived as accessible seasonal events, these offerings are also aimed at local residents. The vineyard becomes a local cultural hub , frequented for its own purposes, independent of any wine tasting.

• On an urban scale, the Yerevan Wine Days transform the city center of the Armenian capital into a vast festive space dedicated to wine each year. The event attracts a very large local population , while simultaneously promoting Armenian wine producers and wine culture. It exemplifies a model conceived primarily for a local community , where wine becomes a marker of urban and cultural identity.

• In Switzerland, the Fête des Vignerons in Vevey, held at long intervals, is another emblematic example. Far more than a tourist event, it embodies a structuring popular festival , deeply rooted in collective memory, which permanently anchors viticulture in the social and cultural life of the region.

These examples show that local anchoring can take multiple forms (community, cultural, event-based or symbolic), and remind us that local appropriation relies less on the sophistication of the mechanisms than on the ability to create lasting links between wine, places and inhabitants.

VI. What operational keys for wine-growing areas?

For a sector wishing to strengthen its local roots, several concrete levers emerge:

• Clarify its local role and accept being visited without obligation to buy or formally visit

• Identify recurring uses rather than multiplying exceptional events.

• Relying on local stakeholders (associations, artists, sports clubs, businesses)

• Opening its spaces to practices sometimes far removed from tasting

• Working over the long term , through education, knowledge transfer and local partnerships

• Embracing proximity as a strategic lever in its own right

From local presence to territorial anchoring

Areas that are limited to a symbolic presence in local life remain identified. Those that open their spaces to concrete uses , become part of the collective dynamics of the territory and invest in the long term of transmission become truly frequented, appropriated and sustainably integrated into their environment.

The challenge lies neither in one-off events nor solely in tourist appeal. It concerns the ability of the estates to position themselves as useful places, at the intersection of the cultural, social and economic dimensions of wine-growing regions.

It is at this level that an essential part of the future of wine tourism is being played out today: no longer as a peripheral activity, but as a structuring lever of territorial resilience, based on proximity, use and sustainable relationship with the inhabitants.

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