INQUISITR.COM / Health & Lifestyle

‘City Of Wine’ Wine Theme Park To Open In Bordeaux France This Week

By Amy Feinstein
Published on: 10:37 PST, May 31, 2016

If you think that combining your love of wine with a theme park would be the ultimate vacation, the place for you is opening this week in Bordeaux, France. Trading “Mickey for Merlot,” adults will find La Cite du Vin or City of Wine to English speakers, as a place to be submerged and surrounded in all things wine just a mere one hour flight from Paris in Bordeaux. City of Wine promises to be as educational as it is intoxicating.

The Inquisitr has reported that there are many oenophiles around the world who would find City of Wine to be a dream holiday, including John Legend, who last year arranged a world tour call “The Legend Experience,” which was all about food, wine, and education. For $120k, travelers could join John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, and friends to places like Milan and Paris for an experience for the senses.

Town and Country says that the City of Wine doesn’t want to just get you drunk, but wants to educate the public about the history and the future of wine. The City of Wine has 20 themed areas and exhibits that explain wine culture and history to visitors. For screenings, the City of Wine has a 250-seat auditorium, and there is a simulator boat ride that will show you what it was like to be at sea, sailing the globe on merchant routes (it’s a good bet that you should drink your wine after the sea sick simulator.

Of course, there are plenty of opportunities at the City of Wine to taste wine on your own, or with experts, not to mention the chance to hear famous tales of drunkenness. The City of Wine is expecting 450k visitors in its first year, and admission is $22.

USA Today is describing City of Wine as more of a multi-acre museum than a theme park, as the emphasis is on education and promotion of the wine of France. Bordeaux’s mayor Alain Juppe is calling City of Wine “Guggenheim to wine,” and hopes it will bring new respect to the region known for its grape.

As you approach the City of Wine, you will see the main building, designed by Paris-based XTU Architects, which is supposed to resemble wine swirling in a glass. It is aluminum-clad, and is also said to be inspired by the current of the river, which is the “lifeblood of Bordeaux.” Construction was started in 2009, and at a price of $90 million, the project has had tongues wagging now for years.

The grand opening celebration of the City of Wine will be June 1, which will coincide with Bordeaux’s premiere summer festival, Bordeaux Fete du Vin, or the Bordeaux Wine Festival, which combines the food and wine of the region in a popular gathering for the month of June.

The staff of City of Wine suggests you plan to spend approximately two and a half hours to tour the City of Wine, but in truth, one could spend the day. According to the City of Wine, an average tour starts with entry into a bookshop, with a wine bar and casual restaurant. Then there is a wine boutique stocked with 14,000 bottles representing 80 countries, according to the promotional materials.

“It’s a veritable tour du monde with wines even sourced from unlikely destinations like Tahiti and Syria. These vintages are available for tastings (with a corkage fee) at the adjacent wine bar.”

Americans will appreciate that the high-tech auditorium is named for that American wine lover Thomas Jefferson. The Thomas Jefferson Auditorium will host a variety of programs including concerts, lectures, and screenings. Some of the screenings will be live soccer matches, with wines being served to represent the teams playing.

The entry fee of $22 dollars (20 Euros) will, of course, include a glass of wine on the Belvedere.

Would you be interested in visiting the City of Wine?

[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]

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