The context
The Cave de Vouvray is a wine cooperative in the Loire Valley, set in the tufa limestone galleries typical of the region. It welcomes a large number of visitors on self-guided tours, many of them just passing through.
In this kind of setting, the experience relies largely on physical displays and on visitors finding their own way.
The situation
Before Merci Gabin was introduced, the self-guided tour worked, but it had its limits.
- Visitors moved through the cellars fairly quickly
- The information panels were read unevenly
- Information about the wines sometimes stayed superficial
- The experience varied depending on each visitor’s attention and interest
None of this was a real problem, but it sometimes made the visit feel a little rushed, or less engaging than the team would have liked.
The challenges
The Cave de Vouvray wanted to enrich the experience without making it more complicated.
- Give visitors exploring on their own more content
- Tell the story of the cellar and its wines more effectively
- Add a light structure to the tour
- Work without depending on a mobile network
The solution
Merci Gabin was used as an audio tour companion that works offline, suited to the constraints of underground cellars.
The approach was deliberately kept simple:
- Audio content available all along the route
- Voices from different members of the cooperative
- A common thread that guides visitors without imposing a set path
- No internet connection required
The tool complements the existing displays rather than replacing them.
The results
Without completely transforming the visit, several changes have been observed:
- Visitors spend a little more time in the cellars
- Some content is better understood, particularly about the wines
- The tour is perceived as more structured
- The team can focus more on the tasting
It is still a self-guided tour, but a slightly more guided and richer one.