There was a recent article in the New York Times about the crowds that are overwhelming certain popular tourist locations, such as Dubrovnik and Venice. So this month’s Places to Visit article isn’t about a single destination, but rather about the crush of visitors in many of the sites that are fun for a day away from wine tasting. The subject brings up the famous aphorism attributed to Yogi Berra: “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
Dubrovnik in the summer high season. Photo courtesy of the New York Times.
It is clear that wine tasting, as an avocation, is increasing in popularity, which in turn means more people in the wineries. At the same time, many wineries (especially in California, but also elsewhere) have moved to tastings by appointment, so they are able to control the amount of visitors and limit the staff required to serve them. All the same, traffic on the main arteries (Route 29 in Napa Valley, Main Street on Long Island’s North Fork, Via Traversa del Monti leading into Montalcino) can get rather busy. And then if you want to stop for lunch, say, around the square in Healdsburg or in the village of Chateauneuf du Pape, parking is nearly impossible.
Who are all these people?!?!
Well, they’re us…all of us. The same people who enjoy sampling fine wines where they are made also enjoy fine dining, fine art and many of the finer things in life that make popular vacation spots so popular. Maybe there has just been an increase in the number of cultured people in society. Or maybe there are enough people who have the money, time and interest to go wine tasting in the more popular corners of Wine Country.
We think that the travel lust that was suppressed during the pandemic has sprung back. People are taking the trips they didn’t take in 2020, 2021 and 2022. We also believe that while the global economy hasn’t been kind to everyone, those who are might be interested in sipping Merlot in California or Bordeaux or Long Island are doing well and travelling more often.
A Napa Valley vineyard in March…out of season.
There are a few things that can be done to avoid the overcrowding. One is to travel out of season. If, for example, you would like to combine a trip to the Loire Valley with a few nights in Paris, there are going to be fewer fellow visitors between November and March than when the weather is warmer. However, it’s not as pleasant to see naked vines nor to exclude sitting in an outdoor café in winter. There are trade-offs for many things in life.
There is another way of looking at the problem. There is an austere beauty to seeing vineyards under a coating of snow. It’s pleasant share Christmas or the first inklings of springtime with the local folks. You get to feel more alike a local and less like a tourist. And out-of-season in the vineyards is often the height of the cultural season in cities. Trade-offs aren’t always bad.