The Montpellier area and its unique cultural heritage linked to wine expertise. Atout France confirmed Montpellier’s position , with the three-year renewal of the Vignobles & Découvertes label its Destination Vignobles de Montpellier (Montpellier Wine Destination), jointly developed with all the wine and wine tourism stakeholders in the area.
Created in 2009, the label is granted following the recommendation of the Higher Council of Oenotourism to destinations specializing in tourism and viticulture with multiple and complementary tourism-related offerings (including lodging, restaurants, winery tours and tasting, museums, and events) enabling clients to organize their stays easily and benefit from high-quality services.
This good news brings a breath of fresh air. And for good reason! With climate change, rising production costs, and declining consumption, wine and wine tourism professionals are facing a major crisis. The stakes are high in the Montpellier area, where the wine industry represents 200 businesses, 3,000 hectares of vineyards, and 60% of overall agricultural activity.
To support its wine industry, Montpellier Métropole adopted two new roadmaps on October 14, one for wine and the other for wine tourism. Both are aligned with the Sustainable Tourism 2030 roadmap launched last June and the CAP 2030 Economic Development roadmap.
Just like the Montpellier Wine Destination strategy, these two roadmaps are the result of a joint effort with sector stakeholders, including the Languedoc AOP, Grés de Montpellier AOC, Pays d'Oc IGP wines, the Hérault IGP Wine Federation, the Hérault Chamber of Agriculture, and La Coop Occitanie.
The roadmap for the wine sector includes 35 actions based on four key areas. The first key focus is to intensify the work already underway with professionals in the out-of-home consumption sector, such as restaurant and hotel owners and event professionals, to encourage them to offer at least five wines from the metropolitan area on their menus and/or in their services.
The second area focuses on increasing exposure through events, including trade shows, festivals, and partnership initiatives. The ultimate goal is to promote the expertise of the area's winegrowers and winemakers. The third focus is on communication and promotion. In addition to targeted campaigns, a guide to wines and wine tourism will be published, and a series of discovery tours entitled “From Flavors to Knowledge” will be developed, along with food and wine pairings for Montpellier's vineyards, in collaboration with local restaurants and wine merchants.
Finally, the fourth area of focus will see industry players and winegrowers supported through training programs and partnerships with research laboratories, alongside other initiatives.
The wine tourism roadmap complements the roadmap dedicated to wine itself. In addition to creating a structure for an offering that brings together players in the wine and tourism sectors, the roadmap aims to promote the area's wine-growing heritage and diversify the range of available experiences. The goal is to showcase the Montpellier Wine Destination label, first awarded in 2022.
Building on the Sustainable Tourism 2030 roadmap launched last June and the CAP 2030 Economic Development roadmap, these two new action programs, together with the renewal of the Vignobles & Découvertes label, will help position the greater Montpellier area as a premier wine tourism destination.
