Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #37

In The Field
with Guido Graf
THE “INSIDE LINE” ON WHAT’S HOT IN THE FIELD OF TRAVEL ADVICE
PART 2
WINE TOURISM
IN
VINO
VERITAS
One of Europe’s first Virtuoso
travel advisors, Guido Graf – Travel
Designer – DeluxeTargets –
Switzerland – reports for us in this
issue on the current state of play
when it comes to wine tourism,
as well as a couple of interesting
trends and ideas set to spur the
imagination of his peers.
In vino veritas, or “in wine, truth”: as
people increasingly seek genuine and
instructive experiences when they travel
(in some ways, seeking the truth), wine
tourism is more than ever becoming a
way to combine discovery of a new place
with interesting encounters, learning,
and gustative delights. Originally, when
talking about wine tourism, thoughts
would dart instantly to France and
Italy, but today, destinations such
as Australasia, Argentina, Chile
or South Africa incorporate
wine tourism. And while in
many cases it might not
be the key reason
for the travel, it
is something
that should be
considered as part
of an enthralling and
memorable itinerary for the
visitor.
In France, one way to get “up close
and personal”, is with the Luxury Wine
Experience by Bernard Magrez. This
upmarket wine tourism experience
allows guests to discover all that
Magrez, the only owner of four Grands
Crus Classés, in each of the major
appellations of Bordeaux - has built
over his lifetime. Travellers can even
stay with Magrez himself in one of
the five guest rooms at Château Pape
Clément. For those simply travelling
through Bordeaux, the “La Cité du Vin”
is an interactive museum that is unique
in the world. This museum doesn’t only
offer a wine blending workshops, but
also has a great rooftop restaurant with
a nice view over the city of Bordeaux.
WINE
TOURISM IS
MORE THAN EVER
BECOMING A WAY TO
COMBINE DISCOVERY OF
A NEW PLACE WITH
INTERESTING ENCOUNTERS,
LEARNING, AND
GUSTATIVE
DELIGHTS.
And the city of Saint Emilion, located
close by, is a superb spot to visit,
surrounded by a large number of
“Grand Cru” wineries.
Much further afield, my favourite
excursion is the boat tour though the
Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand.
In my point of view, the best Sauvignon
Blanc wine comes from here. This can
easily be combined with a stay at
the Bay of Many Coves. There
are only a few places in the
world that can offer such
luxurious, mouthwatering,
sensory
combinations
of fine foods
and wines, and
the kind of pristine,
natural surroundings
that luxury travellers desire,
and this is one of them. Here,
travellers will forget their busy
daily routine in a secluded part of
the world.
Lastly, combining golf and wine in the
European winter time, South Africa is
the place to go. Its most famous wine
region is located east of Cape Town,
however along the Garden Route, some
very nice boutique wineries can also be
found. Combine this with Fancourt or
Pezula in the Garden Route or De Zalze
Golf Club in the Winelands close to
Cape Town.
Don’t forget, it is essential to learn
about your clients’ tastes, since this will
help you guide them to the right wine
destination
SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE NEXT EDITION