All year round wine tourism: getting closer to the goal. The proposal for the Regional law has been launched

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In the wine tourism sector, Tuscany is working towards making it easier to welcome tourists all year round.

After the Circular issued by the Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari, at the request of Coldiretti, the Regional Council of Tuscany has just issued a bill to make wine tourism activities operational.

This means that for Tuscan farms, wine-growers, wine routes management committees, wine cooperatives, wine consortia, it will be easier to receive wine tourists in their vineyard and cellars. To do so, it will be enough to present the ‘Scia’ (‘Segnalazione certificata di inizio attività’, or Certified notification of commencement of business activity) to the Municipality.

“Companies will be able to offer their wine for tasting and to sell it together with typical local ‘cold’ foods – says Simone Ciampoli, director of Coldiretti Firenze – and explain to tourists the unique characteristics of top-quality wine production”.

Wine tourism refers to all tourist activities related to wine, which are carried out close to the source: visits to the vineyards, educational talks about wine production or display of the tools useful for vine cultivation, tasting and marketing of the companies’ wines, also in combination with food, educational and recreational event that take place in the cellars.

Once approved by the Regione Toscana’s Council, the new regional law will become part of the legislation that regulates the agri-tourism business of the Regione Toscana (L.R.30 / 2003).

“In our area wine tourism has considerable room for growth – Ciampoli explains – and this is why we’ve been working together with the Regione Toscana, to make the provisions of national legislation operational as soon as possible”.

“This new law represents a remarkable simplification – Ciampoli concludes – that will allow local wine companies to better enhance and monetise their heritage, which is made up of excellent Tuscan wines, but also ancient culture, landscape and good food. Among the initiatives included in the legislation, there are educational and recreational activities carried out in the cellars. In short, it will be easier to welcome wine tourists all year round, not only during events and wine festivals like Cantine Aperte”.

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