Wine museums: there are 46 in Italy, in almost every region. And 63% of tourists want to visit them

Italy has, as of 2021, 46 wine museums and 83 taste museums, while Spain and France host 107 and 88 respectively, followed by Germany with 13 and the United Kingdom with 3. Extremely wide is the range of products to which they are dedicated, from wine to oil, from chocolate to beer. Wine is the predominant theme among Italian museums, in Spain and France there are more museums dedicated to products such as cheese, sweets, bread or honey, and Germany sees, of course, a large number on beers but also on spirits. Piedmont (with 20), Emilia Romagna (18) and Veneto (13) are the top ranking regions in Italy, and the offer is concentrated where there is the highest number of certified productions, but almost all Italian regions (18 out of 20) have one, and this demonstrates growing attention to the valorization of the local productions in which the Belpaese is rich, through itineraries that tell the history and culture of the territories and increasingly immersive and multimedia experiences. Because the function of wine museums as food and wine hubs, i.e., places to connect with territories, is increasingly desired by tourists: 63% of Italians would like to visit one and find there a plurality of services, primarily catering (69%), tastings (64%), the possibility of booking experiences in production companies (65%) and buying typical products (65%). This is the picture taken by the “International Wine Museums Dossier” (from the Muvit-Museo del Vino of the Lungarotti Foundation in Torgiano in Umbria to the Enoteca Piemontese Castello Grinzane Cavour in the Langhe, from the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum in Rome to the Wine Museum of Berchidda in Sardinia, from the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux to the Cité des Climats et des Vins de Bourgogne in Beaune, from the Wow Porto Museum in Vila Nova de Gaia to the Vivanco Wine Culture Museum in Briones ne La Rioja, but also with the Spanish Giant Interactive Maps project), created by Roberta Garibaldi, chair of the Scientific Committee of the Muvin Foundation, the future International Wine Museum of Verona, which promoted the first International Conference on Wine Museums, from museum spaces to hubs of experience, following the example of European excellences, with experts comparing notes today at the Chamber of Commerce of the city of Verona.
One year after its establishment, the Muvin Foundation organized an event of international scope to discuss and network knowledge, experiences, best practices and planning on the current role, innovations and future challenges of European Wine Museums, with some of the most important national and international entities. Wine, traditions, territories and tourism the four main themes, which the speakers - moderated by journalist Angela Frenda, editor in chief “Cook-Corriere della Sera” - addressed from different perspective angles: organization and management (format, management mode, ownership of the facility, inducement and visitor profile), services and experiences for education (entertainment, deepening and sharing of knowledge), display of heritage (with a focus on new technologies in the visitor experience to engage, educate, surprise), marketing strategies and actions to effectively position oneself in the market and engage different target visitors, sustainability of the museum and towards the territory. “With this first scientific event”, emphasized Diego Begalli, president of the Muvin Foundation, “the Foundation places itself at the center of the international debate on the promotion of wine culture through museum activities. The simultaneous presence in Verona of such important national and European testimonials confirms Verona as a national reference hub in this sector, synergistically feeding the positioning acquired through participation in the Network of Great Wine Capitals”.
“Looking at Italy’s 129 museums of taste”, explained Roberta Garibaldi, author of the “Report on Food and Wine Tourism in Italy”, vice chair of the OECD Tourism Committee and president of the Italian Food and Wine Tourism Association, “they are often small and medium-sized realities, mainly owned by municipalities (41% of wine museums and 52% of taste museums) or by companies (33% and 24%). This plurality well represents and testifies to the richness of Italian food and wine, which boasts the largest number of certified productions in Europe, but aspects emerge that can be enhanced through networking. The project started in France, where the Ministry of Culture recently favored the creation of a European Network of Wine Museums, sets a good example”.
From heritage showcases to multifunctional spaces, the conservation and protection of wine heritage remain central to the mission of wine museums. However, these functions today are not exclusive: these entities are called upon to make this important heritage accessible, engage and educate the visitor, and connect the museum with rural areas. The conference saw how traditional visitor routes are evolving toward immersive and experiential tours through the use of new technologies and sensory activities, but also gaming and escape rooms as in Spain thanks to the proposals of Giant Interactive Maps. The experience around wine is being enriched with facets: Vivanco has focused on the combination of art and wine and hosts masterpieces of modern contemporary art, from Chagall to Warhol; the World of Wine-Wow on variety with the Chocolate Story Museum and the Pink Palace, which winks at the youngest thanks to its Instagrammability; in Italy, the Castello di Grinzane has created a museum tour in the vineyards, while the Colosseum Archaeological Park offers a unique setting where viticulture merges with archaeology. And, as with the French Cities of Gastronomy, these realities present and stimulate visits to rural spaces, but they are also becoming increasingly inclusive places, with services and proposals also dedicated to people with visual, hearing, motor or intellectual disabilities.
In the near future, the role of wine museums will be to foster the socio-economic development of territories through the touristic enhancement of wine culture, strengthening connections with rural territories. This is a complex challenge, which sees these realities having to work to increasingly increase their attractiveness to a heterogeneous public with different needs and collaborate with territories, companies and other museums to compare and find common solutions.