WINE LEAVES THE CELLARS AND ENTERS MUSEUMS, THEATERS, BOOKSTORES, CINEMAS AND STADIUMS. IT TRAVELS ON TRAINS, WINEBUSES, CRUISES AND THERE ARE WINE TASTINGS IN AIRPORTS. MULTI-TASTING ENTERS CONSUMERS’ HOMES “VIA” RADIO AND TV, SAYS WINENEWS

Fine wine tasting in wineries only? Not any more: since wine is by nature cultural, sociable and to be shared, it is leaving its traditional place of consumption and going out to meet the global and ever more multi-tasting consumer. Wine is in museums, theaters, bookstores, cinemas and sport stadiums and it is traveling on high speed trains, wine buses and cruise ships. You can taste wine in flight and in airports. Wine is entering wine lovers’ homes “via” radio and TV. These are just some of the unusual places where Italian wines can be found.

Since wine is culture, because it narrates the history and tradition of a territory, it is logical to find it in a museum, next to exhibitions of paintings and sculptures by famous artists. And if toasting at the vernissage of a show is the norm, there are also many occasions where wine meets art and wine lovers can sample wines while admiring the exhibits in a museum, walking around with a glass of wine among the great masterpieces. But, one can also find wine being tasted in the foyer of a theater, while waiting for the start of the next show, which usually coincides with dinner time, or lingering at the end of a show, taking the opportunity to exchange opinions while enjoying a glass of wine, which usually accompanies the buffets offered to viewers.

The experiment of bringing wine into the cinema is a trend that happens mainly overseas, for the moment - in Italy, only at special events, like the prestigious Venice Film Festival in Venice, where wine is the star of gala dinners or cocktails for premieres. It is widespread practice in Italy for wineries to present their wines in bookstores, "combining" the presentation of books dedicated to wine & food, or to make the traditional meetings between authors and their readers more pleasant. There are also many wineries that sponsor or are testimonials for sports events or famous teams - for instance, world of soccer, where wine celebrates victories, or entertains the fans before the kick-off, but also in restaurants located directly on the grounds of new generation stadiums.

And since there are more and more world travelers, the wine world has adapted by creating new opportunities for consumption. An example? Wine tasting on high-speed trains, which now regularly host wineries and their wines to entice wine lovers with the experience of tasting on a train, but also to make their trip more enjoyable. There are also wine buses and motor homes, that have special lounge areas and move from one location to another, carrying a wide selection of wines for wine fans.

A toast at 30.000 feet is not that thrilling? No problem: if the wine fan does not want to go without the pleasure of a good glass of wine even in the air, the most famous wineries have their wine tasting bars in the major airports, where designer labels are waiting to take flight.
Wine tourism also goes on cruises: many companies offer not only wine tasting on their ships, but also sea routes dedicated to wine lovers, with stops in the most famous wine areas near the coasts. And for those who instead stay at home, all they have to do is turn on the radio or TV to hear about wine or see bottles uncorked, or even take courses to become a sommelier. From the image to going down to the cellar to open a great bottle of wine, the step is short.