Tourists pay thousands for vineyard ‘workcations’
Sonoma’s Grape Camp invites guests to pay thousands to stomp grapes, pick fruit and live like winemakers for a weekend. But when does hands-on hospitality slip into unpaid labour?
It sounds charming enough. A sunny Californian vineyard, the scent of fermenting fruit in the air and a vat full of grapes awaiting eager feet. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, real estate investor Lisa Roth “took off her shoes, sanitised her feet and waded into a giant vat filled to the brim with juicy grapes. Then she got to stomping.”
The Sonoma County Winegrowers’ Grape Camp is marketed as an elite excursion for those who want to taste the grit of real viticulture. For US$5,000 per person, or US$7,500 for two, campers pick grapes, crush fruit and sample dozens of wines between gourmet meals and vineyard tours.
When leisure meets labour
For organisers, this is an educational initiative that builds empathy for farmers and a deeper appreciation of wine. For guests, it is a badge of authenticity to say they have picked grapes at dawn or stomped them into juice by hand.
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But there is something faintly uneasy about well-heeled tourists paying thousands for the privilege of doing work that others perform daily for wages.
Sonoma’s Grape Camp gives its participants a fleeting connection to the toil that underpins every bottle. They labour for a few hours, then retreat to fine food, soft beds and the warm glow of having earned their next glass. For the campers, it is an Instagram-worthy adventure.
The price of authenticity
According to the drinks business, global wine tourism is on a strong upward curve. A report from Future Market Insights predicted growth of 13.2% over the next decade, reaching US$332.52 million by 2034.
From Tuscany to Georgia, wineries are cashing in on this hunger for connection. Travellers are pruning vines, blending wines and sleeping in converted barrel rooms, all in the name of feeling closer to the source.
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