Tourism and Tuscany walk hand in hand now; furthermore, wine and food tourism has become the signature theme of tourism in Tuscany. Who doesn’t dream about a holiday in Tuscany with family and/or friends where you can experience culture, history, the Italian “dolce vita” and visit a local winery?  Wine and food tourism can be combined with various niche interests of tourists, such as literary retreats, biking, horseback riding, hiking, and much more. Wine and food are so much more than just tasting and eating today; they are about having a unique experience. I will get back to this below. In this article, a joint venture with Tomasz Steinmetz of Velo Wino in Poland, I will discuss wine tourism in Tuscany from different points of view.

Tuscany is undeniably renowned for its stunning landscapes, captivating medieval castles, charming villages, and impressive legacy of art, culture, and history. Located in central Italy, this region stands out as one of the country’s foremost wine-producing areas. Tuscany boasts several prestigious wine regions and appellations, including Chianti Classico DOCG, Chianti DOCG, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Bolgheri DOC, and Suvereto, which features two DOCG designations. Additionally, notable areas such as Montecucco and Val d’Orcia are significant in solidifying Tuscany’s highly regarded status within the global wine industry.

Towards a Diversified Kind of Tourism

Tourism in Europe finally recovered and reached pre-pandemic numbers in 2024, or it even surpassed the foreign arrivals of 2019 by 6%, according to the European Tourism Trends & Prospects quarterly report released by the European Travel Commission in November 2024. In Tuscany, the recovery is reported to have been already in 2023, as per IRPET (Regional Institute for Economic Planning of Tuscany), with 52 million presences in total. The intra-European travel is further strengthening tourism growth. The report mentions “an increasing diversification of European tourism, with emerging destinations and source markets growing their market share.” There is a larger interest in traveling off the beaten path, favoring ethics and sustainability, where traveling by train is a key factor in exploring different experiences.

Food and wine is an ever-growing leading sector in Italy and tourism globally. The wine sector is expected to grow at a rate of 12.9% per year over the next five years, according to data from Grand View Research, as reported by Wine News at the end of 2024. The digitalization and integration of AI are seen as essential for the diverse and sustainable development of wine tourism in Italy, helping to create more personalized offerings. To accommodate the increasing influx of tourists in the agritourism sector, Italy welcomed over 15.5 million tourists in 2023.

Experience-based “Live” Tourism is Here to Stay

The current discussions in the wine industry are heavily focused on making wine appealing and intriguing again, particularly for younger consumers. In this context, the emphasis has shifted toward experiences as the new trend. Traditionally, the focus has been on the wine itself, its technical parameters for production, and standardized methods for describing and tasting it. However, there is now less interest in adhering strictly to the traditional methods taught by old-school wine professionals. Instead, there is a growing desire for a more inclusive and diverse wine industry that prioritizes listening to customers.

Wine tourism has mainly developed over the years in the New World, particularly in the USA. In her book Wine Hospitality: Quando il fattore umano e la genialità italiana cambiano il marketing, Cristina Mascanzoni Kaiser of WineHO Hospitality talks about how the New World, where there was less history to build on behind the wine product, was more at liberty to “approach wine in a technologically innovative way.” She argues that wine has historically been a part of daily life in Europe (the Old World), especially in southern European countries, and is therefore less open to innovation. The focus has been more on the product in Europe – in this context, Italy – and only in recent years has it started to arrive at a level of wine tourism in the New World, moving beyond the product.

From this point of view, let us look closer at how unique wine experiences where you “live the moment” is the new deal in wine tourism. Winery visits and wine tastings remain essential, but it is no longer sufficient to focus solely on technical details in the cellar or to read off technical descriptions during the tasting. Tourists seek a more engaging and immersive experience where they feel heard and included. Travel no longer centers around a place but a “moment,” writes Sarah Kopit in the article Live Tourism Was 2024’s Most Important Story in Travel in Skift. She continues to stress that in 2024 

“… the world’s travelers seemed to shift en masse toward an entirely different motivation. They were chasing events – live concerts, celestial phenomena, sporting matches – and transforming these once-ephemeral experiences into the very core of their itineraries.”

This trend will become even stronger in 2025, says Giorgia Deuri of AG Innovazione. She further underlines that “…Live Tourism represents a new paradigm that combines authentic, collective, and immersive experiences, capable of giving rise to deep emotions and creating memorable connections.” Giorgia emphasizes that concerts, sports events, and cultural activities have become major drivers of tourism globally. Tourists are increasingly planning their vacations and experiences around these events to create unforgettable memories beyond just attending the concert or sporting event itself. Notable examples include performances by Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, the Super Bowl in the US, the FIFA World Cup, and the Olympic Games. Giorgia Deuri predicts that this type of tourism will grow exponentially by 2025.

The environmental aspect is the only questionable aspect of these significant events and the people it attracts. I am uncertain about the solution, but a common ground must coexist between event-based tourism and sustainability.

[below: yellow volcanic tuff – soooo characteristic for Tuscany!]

How Can You Live Your Special Wine Moment in Tuscany?

If we consider that wine tourism can center around more than only wine, it can be an opportunity to create “One Moment in Time,” as Whitney Huston sang, experiences. We need to stretch the limits for what is possible and think more about what the guests/clients are into, what they like to do, and what trends dominate. Basically, we need to listen to our target groups and figure out what appeals to them and how they “engage” with wine.

Generally accepted models combine winery visits with hiking, biking, arts and crafts courses, cooking classes, and different kinds of retreats (creative writing, team building, yoga). These activities are fairly easy for wineries to integrate into their winery visits and tastings.

But how can small to mid-sized wineries go more niche beyond that?

If we think further than these more classical models, it could be interesting to dive deeper into niche communities, the so-called “campfire communities” that journalist and community marketing expert Sarah Wilson coined back in 2020. 

Research, listening, and authentic engagement are crucial to connecting with suitable niche communities that can be a good choice for your winery. Niche communities are where the younger generations hang out and socialize, whether on- or offline.

If a winery has a forest or not too-hilly terrain suitable for running, then why not connect it with running clubs and organize special winery experiences for them? Even if there are runners attentive to their health there are ways of integrating wine and its history into the discourse. Corporate events could be leveraged further by connecting to niche interests within a company. There are many other ideas I can help you with.

Other options can be to connect a winery to the story of a current iconic figure or celebrity, which brings us to the concept above about “Live Tourism” centered around concerts, sports events, etc. If we look at Tuscany, the event Firenze Rocks that occurs every June could be better utilized for immersive food and wine experiences.

My Custom-Selected Winery Itineraries…

When I organize a wine tour itinerary for a client, I try to find out a bit about his/her/their backstory so that I can better choose wineries that fit their interests. With a background as an academic historian, I try to fit the storytelling to specific clients to show the importance of local culture, history, and tradition for wine production without lecturing or being boring. Connecting it to the client’s experiences and societal context makes understanding easier. Niche communities and contexts can fit even better.

Often, people want a more intimate, custom-selected winery tour with me; however, this does not limit the possibilities for more innovative itineraries.