Wine tourism all year long: the four-season strategy

©Calice Hospitality and Wines

Wine tourism has the power to bring a region to life all year round. When it is thought of as a four-season experience, it becomes a true development strategy for vineyards, capable of attracting a diverse clientele, supporting the activity of operators and strengthening the tourist appeal of a region. Focusing on the four seasons gives wine destinations the means to build a sustainable economic model, invest in suitable infrastructure and promote their identity well beyond a limited season.

Why consider four-season wine tourism?

Extending the season is not just a tourist ambition, it is first and foremost an economic necessity . For estates, accommodation providers, restaurants and cultural sites, regular activity helps stabilize teams, make investments profitable and smooth out revenues.

It is also a response to customer expectations. Not all travelers travel in the summer or for the same reasons. Some seek culture and events in the spring, others come with their families for the summer holidays, still others appreciate the wine-growing landscapes and traditional festivities in the fall, while a regional clientele or those staying in the mountains can be attracted in the winter. Thinking four seasons means adapting the offers to correspond to these different rhythms and broadening the visitor base.

Finally, it is a strategic and sustainable approach. A vineyard that manages to exist twelve months a year consolidates its place in the tourist offer and gives operators the ability to build a coherent program, to establish partnerships with other sectors and to position themselves against international competition. It is also a way of avoiding excessive concentration of flows in summer and of better distributing them throughout the year, which helps to preserve landscapes and heritage.

Four seasons, four levers to build a sustainable model

In spring, culture and sport boost momentum. After winter, the regions must signal recovery. Festivals and sporting events, in particular, create this momentum by attracting a large audience and offering a significant first attendance of the year. They also help to establish the vineyard in the cultural and sporting calendar, complementing other tourist sectors. The new Montrachet Jazz festival in Puligny created in 2025 illustrates this logic in Burgundy, by making the vineyard a recognized cultural scene. The Blaye Wine Marathon in Gironde brings together more than 4,000 participants and as many companions each year, generating strong visibility and economic benefits for the entire destination.

In summer, attract and diversify tourist flows The summer season attracts large numbers of visitors. For operators, the challenge is to tap into these seaside, cultural, or mountain clientele and offer a complementary offering that enriches their stay. The Thau Méditerranée destination illustrates this synergy by promoting the combination of wines and shellfish in a complete seaside experience. The Caves Richemer - La Perle de Thau in Marseillan goes further by offering an immersive, family-friendly experience designed for all audiences. This type of collective investment gives winemakers the ability to support regular activity and strengthen the local economy. In California, Napa Valley has integrated health and wellness offerings into its summer calendar, showing how wine tourism can open up to new segments.

In autumn, heritage and tradition become economic drivers. Autumn embodies the identity of wine, but it should not be limited to the grape harvest. Heritage and festive events give national and international resonance to this season and allow operators to extend their activity beyond the summer. The Hospices de Beaune Wine Sale is the most emblematic example: a global showcase that combines heritage, gastronomy, and media appeal, benefiting all of Burgundy. In Switzerland, the Marche des Cépages in Valais brings together several thousand participants in the colorful vineyards. In Argentina, the Mendoza region uses its mountain landscapes and grape harvest festivals as a tourist resource capable of attracting visitors well beyond the traditional circuits.

In winter, activate synergies with neighboring sectors The winter period is often perceived as a low season, but it can become an asset when it relies on skiing, Christmas traditions or indoor experiences. In Crans-Montana , wine tourism is invited into the ski season thanks to ephemeral wine bars and tastings at altitude, which reinforce the attractiveness of the resort and support local producers. In Vully in Switzerland, the cellars come alive around the Christmas markets and attract a family audience. These synergies show that a vineyard can remain active even outside its natural season.

Conditions for success

Setting up four-season wine tourism requires shared organization and investment.

• Structuring the offer is essential, through wine routes, labels or cross-border cooperations such as the Alpine Vineyard Route , which provide visibility and promote annual programming.

• Sustainable infrastructure is needed to accommodate visitors year-round, whether it be cellars suitable for tours, immersive rooms, open-plan accommodation or event spaces.

• Cross-sector synergies must be cultivated with culture, sport, gastronomy, thermal spas, and mountains to increase opportunities for visitors. Accessibility remains a determining factor, with rail, road, and seasonal shuttle links effectively connecting vineyards to visitor areas. Finally, clear governance and stable funding are essential.

• Public-private partnerships , the involvement of local authorities and the mobilization of tourist tax allow for appropriate promotion in tourist distribution networks, supporting the investment cycles of operators in order to project destinations over the long term.

  
  

One vineyard, four seasons

Making wine tourism a four-season activity offers operators the opportunity to build a solid economic model and give the region continued appeal. It's a collective choice that transforms the vineyard into an attractive destination, capable of attracting a wide range of customers and reaching far beyond its borders.

The question now remains: Which vineyards will dare to take the step of adopting a four-season strategy and become true destinations?

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