“European Wine Tourism Index” arises: France leader, Italy No. 2 in front of Spain

France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Austria, and Bulgaria: these are the top 10 countries in the first “European Wine Tourism Index”, launched by Tui Musement, a company specializing in tours and activities related to tourism and part of the Tui Group, one of the world’s leading travel groups with its headquarters in Germany, serving over 20 million customers, operating in 400 hotels and resorts, and owning 18 cruise ships. The fact is that the popularity of food and wine travel experiences continues to grow, as WineNews has often reported, so that, in Italy alone, one of the benchmark countries, more than 13 million wine tourists are expected in 2025. According to the Tui Musement study, over 91% of respondents are interested or very interested in this type of activity, with the strongest appeal among travelers aged between 18 and 44.
In line with this trend, and coinciding with the grape harvest season, Tui Musement ranked the most desirable destinations for wine lovers. The study included all EU member states with at least 500 hectares of vineyards, evaluated across five categories. Overall scores were calculated using a weighted average: vineyard area (20%), vineyard area for PDO/PGI wines (30%), number of PDO/PGI wines (20%), wine production volume (10%), and nternational awards (20%). Data sources include Eurostat, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (Oiv), official EU registries, and 2025 “Decanter World Wine Awards”.
France leads the ranking with a score of 85.2 out of 100, thanks in part to the highest number of international awards received by the country. Italy ranks second (77.1 points), thans also the largest number of PDO and PGI denominations in addition to be Europe’s largest wine producer. Spain is at position No. 3 (73.8 points) with its over 900,000 hectares of vineyards, 97% of which are dedicated to PDO and PGI wines. The rest of the top 10, far behind the podium, includes Portugal (17 points), known for the famous Douro Valley, Greece (No. 5 - 11.2 points), with a winemaking tradition dating back to the Mycenaean civilization and a wide range of native grape varieties. Among the countries, mentioned as emerging food and wine destinations, there is Germany (No. 6 - 9.9 points), renowned for its Rieslings; Romania (No. 7 - 9.3 points), famous for its red wines from the Dealu Mare region; Hungary (No. 8 - 7.3 points), home to Tokaj, a Unesco World Heritage site with a centuries-old tradition of sweet wines. And, then, Austria (No. 9 - 6.3 points), with over 46,000 hectares of vineyards producing certified wines and offering experiences in the Wachau Valley along the Danube. Bulgaria (No. 10 - 5.2 points), with a terroir and wine history dating back to ancient Thrace
Which experiences are recommended? From Avenue de Champagne in Épernay to a food and wine tour in Chianti, from a trip to Jerez to wine tasting cruises in the Douro Valley, from visiting wineries in Crete to a Danube cruise in Hungary, or a journey to Nessebar to discover Bulgarian wines.