La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin
La Cité du Vin is a Bordeaux-based wine-culture museum and foundation (recognized public utility) operating an interactive permanent exhibition, panoramic tastings, and Via Sensoria sensory experiences for ~390,000 annual visitors from 180+ countries, funded by ticket sales, F&B, retail, events, and wine-sector mécénat.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBordeaux, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin does
La Cité du Vin is a wine-culture museum and visitor attraction operated by the Fondation pour la Culture et les Civilisations du Vin, a private foundation recognized as a public utility (reconnue d'utilité publique) since December 2014, which opened the museum in Bordeaux on 1 June 2016. The core product is the Permanent Exhibition — an interactive 19-module journey through vineyards, winemaking, and the history of wine civilizations — anchored by the Belvédère panoramic tasting deck with 360° views over Bordeaux. Layered on top are Via Sensoria (a sensory tasting journey launched in 2023), wine tasting workshops, photo exhibitions, and the La Cité en Ligne digital media library; supporting revenue lines include Restaurant Le 7, Latitude20 brasserie and wine cellar, La Boutique retail, corporate privatization, and oenocultural engineering consulting.
The foundation runs a hybrid direct-to-consumer / event-led / sales-led go-to-market model, distributing tickets through its own e-ticketing platform (PAYZEN-powered), on-site box office, and partnerships with tour operators, tourism boards, SNCF Connect, and TBM. Pricing is structured around a €23 adult permanent-exhibition ticket, with reduced rates, child pricing, and a €56 family pack; over 50% of visitors come from outside France across 180+ nationalities, and cumulative attendance exceeds 3.5 million since opening.
The economic model is a deliberate public-private partnership: 19% of construction financing came from ~80 wine-sector corporate patrons (including Château Cheval Blanc, Lafite Rothschild, Yquem, Crédit Agricole, Millesima), with the remaining 81% from Bordeaux Métropole, Ville de Bordeaux, Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and the French state. Operating economics rely on own resources (ticketing, F&B, retail, events, services) plus ongoing mécénat, with no operating public subsidies; the COVID-era NEO-EXPERIENCE 2023 program was funded by EU FEDER and regional partners for digital transformation and new visitor experiences.
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin
- Legal name
- Fondation pour la Culture et les Civilisations du Vin
- Website
- https://laciteduvin.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- La Cité du Vin is a Bordeaux-based wine-culture museum and foundation (recognized public utility) operating an interactive permanent exhibition, panoramic tastings, and Via Sensoria sensory experiences for ~390,000 annual visitors from 180+ countries, funded by ticket sales, F&B, retail, events, and wine-sector mécénat.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wine Heritage Cultural Museum
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)
Keywords
Where La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bordeaux
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Admission tickets for museum visits including permanent exhibition and Belvédère tasting. Revenue from individual and group bookings through online and on-site sales.
- Retail - La Boutique: Gift shop selling wine-related merchandise, books, and souvenirs. Located on-site at the museum.
- Food & Beverage - Restaurants: Latitude20 Brasserie-wine bar and snack, Latitude20 wine cellar, and panoramic Restaurant Le 7. Includes tastings and dining experiences.
- Event Privatization: Private event hosting including corporate events, seminars, and special occasions in dedicated spaces within the museum.
- Oenocultural Engineering: Consulting and expertise services in wine culture and museum operations, sharing know-how with other institutions.
- Private Donations & Sponsorship (Mécénat): Private philanthropy and corporate sponsorship from approximately 80 companies in the wine sector, representing 19% of construction financing and ongoing operational support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Adult Full Rate - Permanent course ticket + tasting at the Belvédère |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Adult Reduced Rate |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Children (6-17 years) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Children's Reduced Rate |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Children Under 6 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Family Pack |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
La Cité du Vin is a wine culture museum and discovery center operating an interactive Permanent Exhibition across 19 thematic modules covering world vineyards, winemaking know-how, and the history of wine civilizations, complemented by a panoramic Belvédère tasting experience overlooking Bordeaux. The museum also offers sensory tasting journeys (Via Sensoria), expert-led wine workshops, on-site restaurants and wine bar, a gift boutique, corporate event privatization, and oenocultural engineering consulting services.
Product overview
La Cité du Vin is a cultural museum and wine discovery center offering a unified experience centered on wine culture and civilizations. The core product is the Permanent Exhibition (Parcours Permanent), an interactive 19-module journey through vineyards, winemaking, and wine history, complemented by the Belvédère panoramic tasting experience. Additional offerings include Via Sensoria sensory tasting journeys, wine tasting workshops, and the online media library (La Cité en Ligne). Supporting services include dining (Restaurant Le 7, Latitude20 brasserie and wine cellar), retail (La Boutique), wine tours, and oenocultural engineering consulting. The museum also offers corporate privatization services and temporary photo exhibitions. The 10th anniversary in 2026 marks a major milestone since the June 2016 opening.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Via Sensoria: Sensory tasting journey - an immersive wine tasting experience featuring seasonal sensory experiences
- Belvédère
- La Boutique
- Latitude20
- Restaurant Le 7
Products and services
- Permanent Exhibition (Parcours Permanent)
- Belvédère Panoramic Tasting
- Via Sensoria - Sensory Tasting Journey Immersive sensory tasting journey combining multisensory experiences with wine and beverage tastings in dreamlike spaces, featuring seasonal themes and elements of sophrology and olfactory objects for each season. Targeted at adult visitors seeking unique tasting experiences.
- Wine Tasting Workshops Educational tasting sessions including Introduction to wine tasting, Bordeaux 360° tasting, and multilingual workshops led by wine experts. Targeted at visitors seeking structured wine education.
- La Boutique (Museum Gift Shop) On-site gift shop offering wine-themed products, books, accessories, and souvenirs. Targeted at museum visitors and walk-in retail customers.
- Latitude20 Wine Cellar Wine cellar offering a curated selection of wines from various regions. Targeted at visitors and wine buyers.
- Latitude20 Brasserie-Wine Bar and Snack Brasserie-style wine bar and snack service accompanying the Latitude20 wine cellar. Targeted at museum visitors seeking casual food and wine pairings.
- Restaurant Le 7 (Panoramic Restaurant) Panoramic restaurant on the 7th floor offering views of Bordeaux with wine-focused dining. Targeted at museum visitors and external diners.
- Corporate and Private Event Privatization Venue rental services for corporate events, seminars, private celebrations, afterworks, and team-building activities in the museum's spaces. Targeted at companies, organizations, and private event planners.
- Wine Tours Organized tours of vineyards and wine regions including Bordeaux, with routes covering Médoc, Saint-Émilion, and other wine-producing areas. Targeted at cultural tourists and wine enthusiasts.
- Oenocultural Engineering Advisory and consulting services for developing wine culture projects and visitor experiences, sharing the Foundation's museum operations know-how with other institutions. Targeted at cultural institutions, museums, and wine tourism developers.
- La Cité en Ligne (Online Wine Culture Library) Digital media library offering videos, podcasts, symposia, and streaming content about wine culture and civilizations for online access. Targeted at remote audiences and wine culture enthusiasts worldwide.
- Reading Room Library resource providing books and publications on wine culture for research and learning. Targeted at researchers, students, and visitors interested in wine literature.
- Photo Exhibitions Temporary photography exhibitions related to wine culture and wine-producing regions. Targeted at museum visitors seeking rotating cultural content.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3.5+ million visitors since opening in 2016, demonstrating sustained appeal
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sotheby's FrancecoreThird charity auction partnership organized with Sotheby's in October 2025, featuring 64 exceptional lots including wines and exclusive wine experiences to support the Foundation's mission.
- State of Victoria (Australia - Victorian Government Trade and Investment)minorNew winemaking partner joining in 2025, representing one of six new wine regions to join the Cité du Vin network, bringing Australian wines to the tasting experiences.
- Slovak Grape and Wine Producers AssociationminorNew partner from Slovakia joining the network of 55 wine-producing organizations providing wines for tastings and supporting cultural programming.
- Winegrowers and Winemakers of Istria Association (Vinstra)minorCroatian wine association partner providing wines for the Belvédère tasting experiences and workshops.
- Sommeliers Association of MoroccominorMoroccan sommelier association partnership bringing North African wine culture to the museum's global perspective.
- AOC Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur SyndicateminorLocal Bordeaux wine syndicate partnership supporting the regional wine offerings and education programs.
- InterLoire (Loire Wine Interprofession)minorLoire Valley wine interprofession partnership providing wines for tastings and supporting educational programs.
- Château Cheval BlancminorExceptional patron (Grand Mécène) - Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion estate contributing to the Foundation's cultural mission.
- Château Cos d'EstournelminorExceptional patron - Saint-Estèphe Grand Cru Classé estate supporting the Foundation through private philanthropy.
- Crédit AgricoleminorExceptional patron - Major French banking group supporting the Foundation's cultural and educational mission.
- MillesimaminorExceptional patron - Online wine merchant supporting the Foundation's wine culture mission.
- Domaine de ChevalierminorGrand Cru Classé de Graves estate providing exceptional patron support.
- Domaines Barons de Rothschild LafiteminorGrand Mécène - Premier Grand Cru Classé Lafite Rothschild estate contributing to construction and ongoing programs.
- Château d'YquemminorPremier Grand Cru Supérieur Sauternes estate participating as a Mécène patron.
- American Friends of la Cité du VinminorUS-based non-profit organization supporting the Cité du Vin and promoting wine culture internationally.
- Sotheby's FrancecoreInternational auction house partnering for charity wine auctions to support the Foundation's cultural mission, with three successful auctions completed.
- SNCF ConnectminorTransportation partner facilitating visitor access through promotional and information partnerships.
- TBM (Transports Bordeaux Métropole)minorPublic transit operator providing transportation information and access for museum visitors.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Guinness Storehouse: Iconic Dublin visitor experience for a single beverage brand combining self-guided museum, immersive storytelling, gravity bar and F&B. Demonstrates the large-scale 'single-category beverage attraction' model that Cité du Vin replicates for wine.
- Edinburgh Scotch Whisky Experience: Visitor attraction near Edinburgh Castle offering whisky heritage tour, sensory tasting room, bar, retail and multilingual guided experiences. Category analogue applying the same paid 'beverage culture' attraction model to whisky rather than wine.
- Heineken Experience: Amsterdam brewery-turned-experience combining heritage tour, multimedia, tasting and rooftop bar. Same recipe of converting a flagship beverage brand into a paid cultural/leisure attraction with comparable ticketing and F&B economics.
Emerging players
- Bodegas Ysios: Calatrava-designed Rioja winery with on-site tasting room and visitor program. Useful emerging comparator showing how architectural landmarks convert Spanish wine tourism into paid experiences competing for the same international visitor flow as Cité du Vin.
- Bodega Marqués de Riscal: Frank Gehry-designed Rioja winery featuring a luxury hotel, restaurant, spa and visitor center. Useful benchmark for how an iconic flagship building can transform a single producer into a destination attraction and experience revenue line.
Direct peers
- Moët & Chandon Champagne Cellars: Épernay visitor experience combining underground cellar tours, tasting sessions and brand storytelling. Same monetization model (ticketed tour + tasting + retail) on a comparable scale in a competing French wine region.
- Pommery Champagne Cellars: Reims-based Champagne house with a major heritage cellar tour and contemporary art program run as a paid visitor destination. Closest French analogue to La Cité du Vin at the experiential/wine-tourism layer, although tied to a single producer brand.
- Château Mouton Rothschild (Musée du Vin dans l'Art): Bordeaux-based Premier Cru classé operating a small wine-and-art museum in its cellars alongside visitor tours and tastings. Closest intra-Bordeaux peer, although at smaller scale and integrated with a single producer brand.
- Musée du Vin de Paris: Wine-focused museum in Paris operating inside historic limestone cellars, presenting wine history, tools and tastings. Closest direct competitor in category—a standalone cultural venue dedicated to wine rather than a working winery.
- Veuve Clicquot: Reims-based Champagne house operating a curated 'Clicquot Experience' visitor journey with tastings and gastronomy. Direct peer for tasting-led premium wine tourism with comparable ticket and F&B economics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin social profiles
Digital presenceLa Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin
What does La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin do?
La Cité du Vin is a wine culture museum and discovery center operating an interactive Permanent Exhibition across 19 thematic modules covering world vineyards, winemaking know-how, and the history of wine civilizations, complemented by a panoramic Belvédère tasting experience overlooking Bordeaux. The museum also offers sensory tasting journeys (Via Sensoria), expert-led wine workshops, on-site restaurants and wine bar, a gift boutique, corporate event privatization, and oenocultural engineering consulting services.
Is La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin a public or private company?
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin founded?
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin was founded in 2016. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin based?
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin is headquartered in Bordeaux, France, in the Europe region.
How does La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail - La Boutique, food & Beverage - Restaurants, event Privatization, oenocultural Engineering and private Donations & Sponsorship (Mécénat).
Who are La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Guinness Storehouse, Edinburgh Scotch Whisky Experience and Heineken Experience. Emerging players are Bodegas Ysios and Bodega Marqués de Riscal. Direct peers are Moët & Chandon Champagne Cellars, Pommery Champagne Cellars, Château Mouton Rothschild (Musée du Vin dans l'Art), Musée du Vin de Paris and Veuve Clicquot.
Does La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin have an API?
No public API is recorded for La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin.
What industry is La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin in?
La Cité du Vin - Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin's product category is Wine Heritage Cultural Museum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAGAD, Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours. Its NAICS code is 7121.