Tourist offices , cooperatives , independent winegrowers , all the players in the wine regions of France put all their energy into sharing their love of wine with you.
Wine tourism, a new growing trend
Birth of wine tourism
France is THE country of wine, our know-how and our unique winemaking techniques are known all over the world. Tourism also knows us, we particularly like to welcome our neighbors from all over the world to make them discover our culture and our national specialties . However, wine tourism does not come from here. It was the Americans, party and attraction experts who invented this concept to open the doors of wine to as many of us as possible.
Let's go back to California (the largest wine- growing region in the United States) in the 1970s. Wine-growing farms developed and we saw the birth of bed and breakfasts and restaurants on the estate. We don't know about you, but us, if we are offered a nice room in the middle of a wine estate with tastings and typical dishes from the region , we go for it! We think we are not the only ones because the concept worked very well. The queue is growing to visit the wine estates and everyone wants to understand the mystery of this sweet beverage.
You surely know Francis Ford Coppola, this famous American director who notably directed “ The Godfather ” and “ Apocalypse now ”. On the other hand, you may not know that Coppola is also a great vinophile. Francis Ford Coppola Winery which is nicknamed the “ Wine Disney ”.
At Oé, the huge amusement parks , mass tourism , overconsumption and American marketing are not our hobby, but we must admit that it is good news for the world of wine which is opening up . to all. We are delighted to see the general enthusiasm for wine estates .
Wine tourism, a source of knowledge and pleasure
Thanks to wine tourism , young and old, experts and amateurs, come together around a common pleasure, grapes and wine . We reassure you, at 10 years old we do not yet taste wine, but there is a whole range of activities to get to grips with the world of grapes and have fun. From the visit of the domain with the explanations of the winemaker to the development of your own cuvée , there is something for everyone. From the vine stock to the glass of wine , the steps are numerous and the winegrowers give themselves to their heart's content to explain to visitors the work necessary to produce a good wine.
The cellar visit is also a magical moment. It feels like entering Alibaba's cave or Aladdin's cave. We remember very well with the team of Emmanuel's cellar with its huge well-aligned barrels, its stone walls full of history and the smell of wine that tickled our nostrils.
Discovering the wines is a particularly pleasant moment, as soon as you are of legal age, do not hesitate! When you participate in the wine route , you sail from estate to estate, amazed by landscapes more majestic than each other and you meet winegrowers and winegrowers passionate about their profession, delighted to pass on their know-how to you.
Tasting white wines , red wines and white wines from independent winegrowers directly from the barrel gives them a special flavor. The experience mingles with the aromas and the floral, vegetal and fruity notes of the wine explode while your smile is drawn on your face.
Organic vineyards to visit in France
In recent years, we find the pleasure of organic, working the land and the care of a reasoned agriculture . We want to know more about organic methods, so organic wine tourism is developing.
The most visited French wine regions
The wine routes are historic in France, including that of Alsace which is one of the oldest. The Santiago de Compostela of vinophiles , where each stopover is a sign of good news. “ After the effort the comfort ”, one could believe that this expression was specially found for the wine route . What could be better than an aperitif and a wine tasting in an organic wine estate after a day in the vineyards to understand the history of the estates , the terroirs and the grape varieties .
On foot, by bike, by car or even on the back of a camel, all means are good to discover, through our beautiful French wine regions , the good organic wines produced with love by our French winegrowers .
This unique sparkling wine region attracts curiosity from all over the world. The Champagne method and its secrets are revealed through meetings with winegrowers , delighted to share their knowledge. Reims , sub-prefecture of Marne and capital of champagne , welcomes wine enthusiasts every year to discover the bottling of this prestigious drink.
The Alsace wine route is a bit like the mother of the group. She paved the way in 1953 for, get this, the organization of a rally. During the breaks, a small tasting here and there, and it started again as if nothing had happened. Ah…the era of seatless cars, drink-driving, and no-point driving, that was something. Today, we strongly advise against drinking and driving, but we strongly recommend the mythical Alsace wine route , between the half-timbered houses and the geraniums in the windows.
Burgundy 's unmissable Pinot Noir alone deserves a visit to this wine-growing region with 1001 surprises. Even with its title of most expensive wine in the world, a Romanée Conti bottle from the 1945 vintage , Burgundy remains humble and the estate maintains its emblematic stone cross in all simplicity. The Burgundy wine route takes you on a journey between the luxury of its prestigious wines and the modesty of its estates .
The Loire Valley is probably one of the most enjoyable and sought after routes in France. Between the freshness of the river that crosses the length of the region, the delicacy of the vines that line the wine-growing areas and the elegance of the Loire castles that mark the history of the landscape, the Loire Valley route is a pleasure . incomparable.
Iconic for its famous yellow wines and straw wines , this region has more than one trick up its sleeve. Being the smallest wine-growing region in France, the Jura attracts covetousness everywhere in France thanks to its wines with unique aromas , its famous festival of “ La Percée du vin jaune ” and its unique grape varieties in the world, Savagnin , Poulsard and the Trousseau . Of course, you can also treat yourself on the road with wines made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that the Jura people magnify to perfection.
The Rhône Valley has the particularity of being divided in two, or rather grouped in two. Grouped together because the northern Rhône valley (in the North) and the southern Rhône valley (in the South) , work together like the Ying and the Yang. By taking this wine route, you will make all your senses travel. The great diversity of terroirs and grape varieties make this wine route one of the richest and most complete. From Châteauneuf-du-Pape to Hermitage via Condrieu , the great wines of the Rhône Valley leave no one indifferent.
Crickets, lavender, sun, rosé, mistral, so many words that come to our mouths when our eyes read “ Provence ” . The road is beautiful along the Côte d'Azur and the wine is good . Thanks to an ideal climate, the Provence Alpes Côtes d'Azur region has in its ranks no less than 973 farms engaged in the organic wine sector . The south of France is the ideal place to taste good organic wines, natural wines, biodynamic wines and to know the secrets of responsible viticulture and responsible winemaking .
In Bordeaux, land of wines par excellence, it is raining cuvées of good organic wine and wine estates with castles, each one more beautiful than the other. The Saint-Emilion vineyard is even listed as a World Heritage Site for the integration of wine-growing landscapes , just that. The appellations , the grands crus classés and the iconic grape varieties of this wine region are its pride, as is its good gastronomy which lends itself perfectly to a tasting day.
So, have you made your choice? At Oé, we also offer you a wine route by tasting our good organic wines from France such as our AOC Côtes-du-Rhône , our Languedoc , our AOC Bordeaux , our IGP Vaucluse Principality of Orange and our IGP Méditerranée de Provence .
