The vineyard is no longer just where wine is made, it's become the destination itself. Explore some of the most exciting vine-adjacent activities on offer at the world's leading vineyards.
The winery visit used to follow a familiar script. It would likely involve a walk through the cellar, a handful of pours, all in the hope that visitors would grab a bottle or case on the way out. No more.
Tourism now generates around a quarter of overall winery revenue, with the global wine tourism market valued at $46.47 billion in 2023, projected to nearly double to $106.74 billion by 2030. Vineyards have become outward-facing spaces, determined to immerse you in their world through a panoply of unforgettable experiences.
The sheer breadth of what's now on offer goes well beyond the cellar door. Alongside tastings, innovative activities such as culinary pairings, wellness programmes and cultural events are rapidly gaining ground. Vinotherapy spas have become fixtures at upscale estates from Napa to the Douro, whilst harvest participation, blending workshops, private barrel-room dinners and glamping among the vines are increasingly on offer by producers seeking to diversify their income.
Half of all wineries now plan to expand their tourism investments, and nearly two-thirds believe it strengthens their resilience against economic uncertainty. Here are seven vineyards leading the way in experiential activities.
Take a horse-drawn carriage ride at Viña Santa Rita
Maipo, Chile
Clip-clop through the scenic Cajón del Maipo canyon in a horse-drawn carriage, reminiscent of the era when horses powered vineyard life. Ride past centuries-old gardens, Roman baths and a neo-Gothic chapel, pausing at each for photos. Afterwards, you can enjoy a few glasses of wine in the Doña Paula Garden. For deeper ancestral exploration, the on-site Andean Museum of the Claro Vial Foundation awaits.
Reach gastronomic heights at Maison Ruinart
Reims, France 
(Image: Joann Pai)
Following a tour of the chalk cellars, you can enjoy these celebrated champagnes over a spot of lunch, from a more entry level four-course lunch and a tasting of two vintages to a five-course menu orchestrated by chef Arnaud Donckele of Plentitude, Paris, which ranked at No.14 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025. Designed to complement the Maison's iconic vintages, the menu showcases exceptional Champenois ingredients refracted through the lens of Donckele's strikingly original saucier-driven cuisine.
Yoga at Jordan Vineyard & Winery
Alexander Valley, California
You can immerse yourself in the tranquility of Jordan's sprawling 1,200-acre estate with the winery's spring yoga experience, hosted atop Vista Point and its sweeping panoramic views across multiple wine regions. A wellness shot from Jordan's culinary team precedes a 40-minute flow with a local instructor, followed by a pairing of the current-release chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon cuvees, accompanied by Californian breakfast bites.
Live music at Schloss Johannisberg
Rheingau, Germany
(Image: Ansgar Klostermann)
As summer warms the estate's storied hillside, the vineyards open to the public for concerts, festivals and parties. An annual host of the prestigious Rheingau Musik Festival, Schloss Johannisberg welcomes international names spanning classical, jazz, cabaret and world music. The estate also stages Schloss Beats, pairing wine and snacks with DJ sets at the Goetheblick's scenic viewpoint. With studies suggesting music may influence vine growth and wine ageing, perhaps the grapes are the most discerning audience of all.
Hike the botanical trail at Montes
Colchagua, Chile
Above cellars where premium wines are serenaded by Gregorian chants, a 6km botanical trail winds through the vineyards and up the slopes of Cerro Divisadero. By foot, you can take in sweeping views of the Apalta Valley and more than one hundred native Chilean species of shrubs, trees and flowering plants, many of them endemic and found nowhere else on earth. By this point you've earned a substantial feast, and Francis Mallmann's legendary Fuegos de Apalta, with its open fire pits, is waiting on-site.
Admire cutting-edge art at Ceretto
Piedmont, Italy
(Image: Marina Spironetti)
As well as three-Michelin-star dining at Piazza Duomo and strolls through truffle country, the Ceretto family have spent decades embedding contemporary art and striking architecture into their Piedmontese estates. Highlights include Il Cubo (the Cube), a transparent glass viewpoint in the heart of Barolo, and L'Acino (the Grape), a futuristic bubble suspended above the Monsordo Bernardina vineyards in Alba. The riotously colourful Barolo Chapel, a collaboration between Sol LeWitt and David Tremlett, reopens autumn 2026, while Francesco Clemente's towering bronze LOVE statues now stand sentinel over the estate.
Vinotherapy at Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Bordeaux, France 
The estate itself is a spectacle. You may catch shire horses ploughing the land, llamas weeding the vine rows, with orchards, beehives and woodland pressing in on all sides. A five-star hotel with Michelin-starred cuisine lets you linger, with the biggest draw being a spa offering vinothérapie: facial and body treatments drawn from natural grapevine extracts, delivered in a setting of red cedar, Douglas pine and Burgundy stone, flooded with natural light.
The list of The World's 50 Best Vineyards 2025 was revealed at a live awards ceremony in Western Australia.
