The Les Étapes du Cognac association receives the 2018 Wine Tourism Grand Prix from the RVF
Reference in local wine tourism in France
Twelve winners receive a 2018 grand prize from La Revue des Vins de France (RVF) including the Cognac vineyard with the wine tourism prize
given to the Les Étapes du Cognac association, which is a benchmark in local wine tourism.
Joint initiative
Created in 2000 on the initiative of winegrowers, tourist offices and local elected officials, the Les Etapes du Cognac association is a reference in local wine tourism and a model to follow which has succeeded in bringing together all these interlocutors who are well often, in other vineyards, have great difficulty in tuning their violins to liven up their territory.
“The association brings together 120 members, independent winegrowers, great Cognac houses, restaurateurs, accommodation providers and tourism agencies within the AOC which extends over the two departments”, specifies Mathieu Durand, young winegrower and new president of the Les Etapes du Cognac association.
Tourist offers
On the very vast territory of the appellation (75,000 hectares of vines), the association offers thematic rides in vintage cars, introductions to tasting, cocktail design workshops, food and cognac or pineau-des- charentes with local restaurateurs. And during the winter period, the association animates “Distilleries en fête”. From November 17, 2017 to April 29, 2018, the cognac distilleries open their doors to visitors curious to discover the production of the precious eau-de-vie. By Jérôme Baudouin.
Even the cognac giants, Hennessy and Rémy Martin are playing the game. A precious asset as the sector is now preparing for the inclusion of cognac know-how in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Unesco, like gastronomy French a few years ago.
RVF Wine Tourism Grand Prix 2018: The visit to Cognac, what an emotion