Can wine tourism redefine a region?

Visiting vineyards, tasting wines and talking to the people who make them is far more than just a leisure activity. Across many parts of Spain, wine tourism is emerging as a driver of rural revitalisation, strengthening local economies and forging emotional ties with the land. In contrast to standardised forms of tourism, a growing number of voices are calling for experiences rooted in place, people and personal stories.

According to ACEVIN, an association that brings together over 100 villages, towns and wine-related organisations, Spain’s Wine Routes welcomed nearly three million visitors in 2023, generating more than €100 million in economic impact. But beyond the figures, what really matters is how wine tourism is helping to reshape the relationship between those who tend the vines and make the wines, and those who enjoy them.

This reshaping was clear at the 4th Young Wine Talents Meeting, organised by EDA and the Basque Culinary Center in Labastida (Rioja Alavesa), where a group of professionals under 40 years old shared their insights on how to welcome visitors without losing authenticity.

Keeping the village alive

From her tiny winery in La Recueja —a village of just 230 people in the province of Albacete— María García has turned wine tourism into a way to share her personal project, bring attention to her surroundings, and build lasting connections. “What matters most to me is that people who visit feel like part of our family, that they truly experience the place,” says the owner of María de La Recueja.

At her micro-winery, visitors taste five artisan wines paired with cheese and bread made by local residents. “It’s important that people who come to the winery also stop by the bakery or other shops in the village —we all help to keep the area alive. As one elderly neighbour told me, tourists help life carry on in the village.” In 2023, her first vintage, María sold 6,000 of her 7,000 bottles directly to visitors, thanks to word of mouth and her Instagram presence. Her next dream: more local accommodation and places to eat, to offer visitors a fuller experience of La Recueja.

Tourism pressure in Tenerife

The challenges in inland Spain are different from those on the Canary Islands, but the underlying questions are often the same. Jorge Méndez, second generation at Viñátigo in northern Tenerife, is well aware of the pressures of living in an archipelago with 2.5 million residents and 18 million tourists a year. “Tourism is part of the landscape, but it has to be managed with respect for the land,” he says.

Until two years ago, Jorge led all the tours himself —on top of running the vineyards and winemaking alongside his father. Now, they have a dedicated person handling wine tourism. With vineyards planted on steep terraces, Viñátigo is developing a controlled visit model that seeks to combine hiking and landscape interpretation, while generating direct income to fund quality viticulture and fair wages. “We’re not aiming for big groups,” he says, “but for visitors who understand the value of this kind of winemaking and who want to help preserve the environment.”

Sense and sensibility

On a much larger scale is Oller del Mas in the Pla de Bages, where wine tourism isn’t just an add-on —it’s the beating heart of the project. “Our aim is to offer something attractive and authentic, both for visitors and for the local community. This is a rural area with 600 hectares where there used to be nothing. Now we welcome around 120,000 visitors a year and provide high-quality employment for 120 people,” explains Víctor Janer, head of wine tourism at the estate, which sits at the foot of the Montserrat mountains.

With eco-cabins in the forest, a restaurant and outdoor activities, Oller del Mas has succeeded in attracting an international audience seeking a fully rounded experience. “The challenge is keeping it authentic and sustainable and that means tailoring the visits, staying flexible and avoiding technical jargon,” says Janer. They run 22 small-group tours a day, ensuring each visitor feels part of the experience. “Only about 5% want to go deep into wine specifics. The rest just want to have a good time —and that can be just as enriching, if handled with care.”

A dignified life in the vineyard

In Ribeira Sacra, where the rugged terrain makes mechanisation nearly impossible, Paloma Rodríguez Moure —third generation at the family-owned Abadía da Cova, overlooking the river Miño— sees wine tourism as a way to keep heroic viticulture alive. “It helps sustain the project, which has very high production costs, and it gives visibility to a landscape that deserves to be shown with respect.”

For Paloma, talking about wine goes far beyond scores and technical details. “Visitors need to see that farming and working outdoors is actually cool. Wine is a cultural artefact that brings together so many sensitivities. It’s also a tool for rural renewal —and wine tourism helps us share that message.”

She’s an advocate of small-group, immersive experiences, and cites the furancho at Bodegas Albamar in Rías Baixas as a model. “Homemade tortilla by Xurxo Alba’s mum, locals playing cards, dogs running through the estate... To me, it’s the most authentic wine experience in Galicia. That kind of intimacy, rooted in the people who live there, is also what we aim to offer at Abadía da Cova.”

Tastings to vineyard yoga

Mireia Pujol-Busquets of Alta Alella took part in another of the panels at the Labastida event, but her views on wine tourism echo those of her peers. At her winery, perched between the Mediterranean and the Serralada de Marina Natural Park just outside Barcelona, wine tourism is a way to connect with the landscape and Alella’s winemaking heritage. “It’s a big effort in terms of staffing and management, but also a gift,” she admits.

With around 12,000 visits a year —though 10,000 is the comfortable limit— they work with a specialist e-commerce platform and avoid relying on agencies to retain control over the experience. “People who come to Alta Alella tend to be genuinely interested in wine. That’s why we offer a range of activities, from tastings to concerts and vineyard yoga. We’re not chasing volume —we’re building relationships.”

Roughly half of their visitors are local, mostly from the Barcelona area; the rest are international. “In a place like Alella, with so much winemaking history but so little emotional legacy, wine tourism is a way to rebuild those roots and give the land new meaning,” she says.

A new opening in Valdeorras

That search for emotional reconnection with the land is also central to the work of Rafael Palacios in Valdeorras. Known for producing some of Spain’s most celebrated white wines, Palacios only began welcoming visitors this year. Until now, the focus had been firmly on the vineyard and the cellar, but rising demand —especially from international clients— led him to open the doors to the public.

“Wine tourism helps people understand the work behind each bottle,” says Sole Figueroa, who is in charge of the visits. The setting is not the easiest to access: the vineyards are spread across the steep terraces of the remote Val do Bibei, a rugged valley where only high-quality viticulture can make the effort worthwhile.

Tours last around two and a half hours and are offered in Spanish and English. They include a walk through the vineyards and a tasting of two or four wines at the O Bolo winery (€50–75). The visits are deliberately small, unhurried, and designed to run year-round. “Breaking seasonality is key,” Sole explains. “It helps build a more stable model for the area.”

Wine tourism may not be the answer to rural decline but, as many speakers at the Labastida gathering noted, it is changing the way people see the countryside: not as somewhere to leave, but as a way of life worth choosing —rooted, dignified and deeply connected to the land.