Afterwards visitors enjoy a mindful wine-tasting, and can also enjoy a tour of the winery and a relaxing lunch.
“We hold the yoga classes on a beautiful grassy hillside overlooking our vineyards with a wonderful view of the Italian countryside,” says Lungarotti. This could be part of the reason why Chiara Lungarotti, CEO of Lungarotti Winery, reports that the new yoga and wine experience they started offering at their winery in Umbria, Italy has become so popular. “Yoga and wine classes, or yoga and wine retreats are part of this trend.” “We have something called ‘proximity tourism,’ where you try to stay local to use less gas to help reduce global warming and your carbon footprint,” she explains. Yoga and mindfulness helps with healing, and adding wine to the experience makes it even more relaxing.”Īs a wine tourism expert, Cogan-Marie states that there is another tourism trend in Europe that is making yoga and wine experiences more popular. “People are feeling drained and stressed. “Well-being and looking after your health are more important now since Covid,” she continues. “That is why most of our health resorts and spas include wine with dinner.” “It is part of our French culture,” she explains. You slow down and enjoy life.”Ĭogan-Marie explains that in France, there is a belief that moderate consumption of wine each day is good for your health. The results are that you appreciate the wine more - how it smells, tastes, and the feel of it on your palate. “Usually you do yoga in the vineyard or winery first, then meditate and relax to awaken the senses, before closing your eyes and tasting the wine mindfully. She provides a list of several wineries and health retreats in Champagne, Bordeaux, the Dordogne, Paris, and the South of France that are offering yoga and wine experiences, and explains the process. “People used to think you can’t do yoga and drink wine, but that is changing here in France now.” “I believe the concept of yoga and wine started in California and then made its way to France,” reports Laurence Cogan-Marie, an Associate Professor of Wine Tourism with the Burgundy School of Wine & Spirits Business in Dijon, France.Īn avid fan of yoga herself, Cogan-Marie frequently seeks out yoga retreats throughout France, and has discovered that combining yoga and mindfulness with wine is becoming a popular trend. Yoga and Wine Experiences Move to EuropeĪ search of the internet will quickly yield a list of wine and yoga retreats that have popped up in France, Italy and other parts of Europe recently. Benefits to the winery include the opportunity to provide unique experiences for visitors and increase wine sales. The wine-tasting experience usually includes tastes of several different wines, and then participants are encouraged to spend more time enjoying the winery, and perhaps, meeting the winemaker. Wine is a great vessel for this experience, and the mindfulness concepts can be transferred to other parts of their lives to stop and pay attention, with food, with people,… to be in the moment.” “The goal,” explains Shannon, “is to encourage people to pause, relax, and see what else they can notice when doing this. Shannon, who has trademarked her ‘ Mindful Wine Tasting’ technique, explains that it is a sequence of 4 steps: visual appreciation of the wine, smelling, tasting, and discernment. After the class, this focus on mindfulness is translated to a wine-tasting. During the class participants learn how yoga is not only a form of exercise, but an ancient technique for calming the nervous system, activating the senses, and cultivating present-moment awareness. In general, most experiences begin with a welcoming introduction to the process, followed by a yoga class in the vineyard or winery.
0 kommentar(er)
