Bordeaux has been known worldwide for its wine, for centuries. But there wasn’t a dedicated place in the city of Bordeaux itself to where tourists could go to learn more. This was something the former mayor of Bordeaux, Alain Juppé, wanted to change. In 2009, after years of debates and several aborted projects, the decision was made by Bordeaux to create a cultural and touristic center dedicated to wine. Thus, the Cité du Vin was born!
Cité du Vin talks about wine in a universal way, presenting worldwide wine cultures and civilisations; not focused only on Bordeaux or French wines. We spoke with General Director Philippe Massol about the turbulence and triumphs of Bordeaux’s iconic Cité du Vin.
The making of an immersive experience
The heart of the experience at Cité du Vin is the Permanent exhibition, housed in an iconic architectural spectacle. It covers more than 3000 m² and includes 19 different thematic areas to explore freely, without the need to visit them in order. All these areas include digital and interactive technologies such as 3D images, decor and even smell diffusers to innovatively trace, in an innovative way, the epic story of wine culture, which has inspired people and shaped their lives as well as their territory for millennia.
Without any hesitation, my favourite installation is our Permanent exhibition! It’s the heart of Cité du Vin and it’s so unique: a journey through space and time…about wine!
At the entrance of the Permanent exhibition, the visitor is given a ‘digital exhibition guide’, a device that allows animations to be triggered and comments to be heard in one of eight languages. Thereafter, the visitor plays actor or a spectator, sits or stands and alternates between individual and collective experiences. These range from educational to dreamlike, some are even multisensory in nature. There is content worth about 10 hours, so the visitors can really create their own experience!
Triumphs and turbulence
Since the very beginning, Cité du Vin has been an ambitious project. Finding all the money and the investors to make it happen was quite a challenge. But the team did it! Since its opening in 2016, visitors have been coming from 180 different countries. This makes the Cité du Vin truly international and universal in its contents, as intended. The team thinks it is wonderful to interact with so many people of varied nationalities.
My fondest memory is the 3 years ‘construction. From the first stone till the last day before the opening, it was amazing to witness our idea becoming a reality. Of course, I remember also the pressure of the opening. There were so many expectations, the President of France was coming: it was incredible. – Philippe Massol, General Director , Cité du Vin
When asked what he would do differently, Philippe said he would have “more place for the permanent exhibition and more elevators! To make sure that the comfort of our visitors is excellent, under any circumstances.” The next time you’re in Bordeaux, head over to the Cité du Vin for a unique and unforgettable visit. It’s time!
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Immersive Food Experiences – An exploration of the food-inspired experiential pop-up phenomenon across the globe. If you’ve experienced an immersive space of food – let us know! Tell us about your experience at info@sugarandspace.in
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