Setting the price for a wine-tasting tour: free, €3 or €40?
There is no one-size-fits-all price
This is the first thing to note: the price of a wine tourism tour cannot be simply decreed. It is determined by the estate’s specific context, its positioning, its clientele and what it aims to achieve through wine tourism.
An estate seeking to maximise visitor numbers to promote its wines does not follow the same logic as one aiming to offer a premium experience to a select audience. Both approaches are valid. They call for different prices.
The different models that work
The free tour This lowers the barrier to entry as much as possible. Ideal for estates that focus on volume — attracting as many visitors as possible, immersing them in the estate’s world, and converting them into customers. This is the classic model for many free tastings.
The low-cost tour (€3 to €5) This is the approach taken by the Cave de Vouvray for its audio tour of the tuffeau cellars: €3 for a self-guided tour of an exceptional venue. The price is affordable; it doesn’t exclude anyone, but it adds value to the experience. Visitors know they’re in for an experience — not just looking at bottles.
The tour as part of a package (€10 to €20) The audio tour becomes part of a wider package: tasting + tour, picnic + tour, bike hire for a ride through the vineyards + audio tour. The price reflects the whole experience, not just the audio guide.
The premium tour (€20 and above) When the estate is positioned at the premium end of the market, when the tour lasts several hours, and when it includes exclusive experiences — such as meeting the winemaker, access to areas usually off-limits, and tastings of rare vintages. The price becomes a marker of quality.
How the context changes things
The right price depends on who you’re hosting and in what context.
An estate situated near a campsite frequented by Dutch families does not follow the same pricing logic as a Bordeaux château hosting professional buyers. An estate on a cycle route attracts tourists on the move, who are often price-sensitive. An estate listed on a high-end platform attracts wine enthusiasts willing to invest in a wonderful experience.
The question to ask is not ‘what is the right price?’ but ‘who am I selling this experience to, and what does it mean to them?’
The audio tour: a flexible tool
What’s interesting about a digital audio tour is that it can be adapted to any of these models. Free or paid, stand-alone or integrated into a wider package, in French or in five languages — it’s up to the estate to decide.
The tool doesn’t set the price. It helps showcase the experience to justify the price you’ve chosen.
Xavier Adraste is the founder of Merci Gabin, a platform offering digital audio tours for wine estates. Find out more →