The universal and living cultural heritage of wine now has the perfect setting: La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. Follow the guide, Philippe Massol, director of the foundation that is leading this unique and pioneering project.
Philippe Massol, Managing Director
What is the Cité du Vin?
The Cité du Vin is a cultural and tourist site dedicated to wine, unique in the world. It opened on 1 June 2016 in Bordeaux.
Through an approach based on culture, civilisation, heritage..., the Cité du Vin is a showcase for all the vineyards of the world. On site, visitors can take advantage of a wide range of activities. Starting with the Permanent exhibition of 3000m2, which shows how wine has influenced human life and territory through 19 thematic modules. The entrance ticket also includes access to the Belvedere, where visitors can taste a glass of wine from around the world and enjoy a panoramic view over Bordeaux. Visitors can also take advantage of a temporary exhibition each spring; tasting workshops (discovery, food and wine pairings...); cultural events (conferences, meetings, debates) in the Thomas Jefferson auditorium. The Cité du Vin is also a place for outings, with several food outlets, a cellar with wines from around the world, and a boutique, a true concept-store for wine.
Who is the Cité du Vin aimed at?
The Cité du Vin is accessible to all! It doesn’t matter if you are a newcomer, a connoisseur, a wine lover or a professional, with family and children, or with a disability (the Cité du Vin has the “Tourisme et Handicap” label for the 4 categories of disability). It is a site suited to all audiences, both French and international, with trilingual signage and a tour companion available in 8 languages to activate the multimedia content in the Permanent exhibition.
The Cité du Vin is managed by the Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations. What is its role?
The Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations is a recognised public-interest foundation. Its role is to safeguard, enhance and pass on the multiple cultural, historic and symbolic facets of wine, by making them accessible to the widest possible audience. It is committed to an approach that combines individual, collective, educational, immersive, dreamlike and multisensory experiences. It’s for this reason that the City of Bordeaux entrusted it with the operation and development of the Cité du Vin, the world’s leading cultural site dedicated to wine cultures and civilisations. The Foundation has also been selected to take part in the creation of the Universal Wine Museum in Beijing, which will open in spring 2022.
