France's Newest Museum Is Devoted to Wine

Jake Rossen
La Cité du Vin
La Cité du Vin / La Cité du Vin
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We assumed this would have been taken care of a long time ago, but apparently France is just now getting around to opening a museum dedicated to Bordeaux wine: La Cité du Vin will open next week in conjunction with the city’s 10th annual Bordeaux Wine Festival.

What does $92.4 million buy wine aficionados? An elegant exterior resembling a decanter, for starters. Inside, visitors can walk their own tour throughout 20 themed areas exploring the history and impact of wine. It culminates in a 360-degree view of the city with a chandelier made of thousands of bottles.

The project was conceived in 2009 to capitalize on the increasing tourist traffic to the wine-centric location. Roughly 5 million visitors arrived in Bordeaux in 2014. Next year, a new high-speed train service will make the trip to the city from Paris a mere two hours.

The site also plans to host workshops and events, including one that pairs different wines with multimedia projected on massive walls to “awaken all your senses.” If you have kids, they can swish grape juice.

 [h/t Eater]

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