Stemmed glasses, samples to sharpen your nostrils, and challenges for young and old… the winegrowers’ backpack contains all the keys to understand the making of wine and its terroir. Its small name: “le Comporte”. In reference to the container that was used in the past to transport the harvest. A nod on purpose for this object supposed to bring tourists to the Hérault vineyards.
Attract a family audience
In the Hérault, you can find this educational backpack in nearly 40 locations (find the list by clicking here). Cellars and farms for the most part, as well as tourist offices. Once endorsed, hiking loops of different difficulties allow you to stroll through the vineyards. The effort accomplished, remains the comfort with a tasting stopover at a winemaker.
This is called “wine tourism”.. A domain in which the Hérault winegrowers want to be pioneers. The project manager explains: “It fits into a whole host of actions to develop tourism around wine, in conjunction with hotels and restaurants near the farms.” An approach which, according to Magali Léon-Philip, corresponds to an emerging demand: “There are more and more people who aspire to travel on foot or by bike. Our project is precisely to offer a fun time with the family.”
Conclusive experience
The backpack is entrusted free of charge for one day. Eventually, a hundred will be deployed in the Hérault. Émilie Bourdon was one of the first to receive them, for the test phase: “It’s awesome !”reacts the operator of the Conquests area in Aniane (Hérault).
– Valentine BERTRAND
She observes an initial change among visitors to her farm: “Before, the people who came were insiders. Couples or single people, often keen on wine. Now it’s the whole family who makes the trip. People who come to us first for the hike. This new activity allows us to attract a new audience at the estate, to make them discover our productions.”
For Magali Léon-Philip, this new activity is a way “slower” to discover a region. For example, by taking the time to contemplate nature, insects, etc. Unlike traditional wine routes, where participants go from farm to farm by car.
This new type of tourism is launched jointly in Hérault, Gard and Bordeaux. It was made possible by a grant from the European Union of 72,000 euros. Depending on the result, other regions could be added. Fans will therefore be spoiled for choice of reliefs and flavors.