BERLIN, July 2026 – So much for ‘dry-tripping’! Summer bookings for expert-led wine experiences on GetYourGuide are up 25% year on year globally, as travelers increasingly add something they can swirl, sniff, and sip to their itinerary. Curious palates are seeking out the people pouring the real thing — and GetYourGuide is connecting them.
UK travelers are leading the charge, with bookings up 44% between summer 2024 and summer 2025, followed by German and US customers at 18% and French customers at 13%.
"While sober tourism might be getting column inches, we're seeing a growth in travelers wanting to taste wine," said Dan Evans, GetYourGuide's European travel expert. "But they're not just looking for a standard tasting. They're looking for an expert, local to the area, who can change the way they think about what's in the glass and where it’s from."
GetYourGuide’s wine experts Maxime Barreau and Seynabou Yade, Paris
In Paris, sommelier Maxime and his wife Seynabou run a wine shop and tasting experience at Canons Canons. Since 2024, the couple have welcomed both locals and visitors — a mix Maxime describes as "the real Paris."
Their mission: "We want to make wine accessible. Not intimidating. Not for people who already know. But for everyone," Seynabou said. The community runs deep enough that two regulars met at a tasting and later married wine — the wine, of course, was supplied by none other than Maxime and Seynabou.
The shop's refillable bottle model cuts out the glass, cork, label, and packaging — leaving only the wine, sourced from independent producers and poured from nine rotating barrels. Maxime reveals prices only after opinions are formed. "The reaction is always: oh, it's so affordable. And the quality is incredible," he said.
The evening's highlight is a blind tasting served in an opaque black glass — no color, no label, no assumptions. Guests who arrive convinced they hate red wine sometimes finish the whole glass.
Maxime has spent years watching people discover that their misconceptions about wine were the only thing in the way. Strip back the label, the price, the expectation, and what's left tends to surprise them. As summer kicks off, here's what he wants anyone sitting down with a glass du vin to know:
A cheat’s guide to wine know-how this summer
- Don’t be fooled by the price
The assumption that more expensive means better is the single biggest misconception they encounter, Maxime said. "You have very, very good wine for 15 euros. You don't have to spend a lot to have something good," he said. In the tasting, Maxime deliberately withholds prices until the end. The most affordable wine on the table regularly surprises people most. - Ice cubes? Non, merci!
On a hot summer’s day? Ice is never the answer. "No, no, no. It kills the flavor,” Maxime explained. “You’ll smell nothing. And basically drink water." The rule for the ideal drinking temperature is simpler than most people think. “Darker wine, with more tannins, can be served a little warmer. Lighter wine, with more acidity, is better colder,” he said. - Some fromage with your red wine?
Cheese and red wine is a beloved pairing in French culture, but, technically, the wrong call, said Maxime. "White wine is better with cheese. The fat content, the acidity, they fit together. Red wine with cheese brings out the wrong notes."
"But if you love it, do it,” he said. - Serving wine
Remember to cut the foil under the ring of the bottle. “It’s more hygienic as that
protects where the wine comes out,” Maxime said. “And it just looks nicer!” - Restaurant etiquette
Contrary to widespread belief, when a sommelier pours you a small amount to try, you're not being asked whether you like it. You're being asked whether it's faulty. “Smell it, check it's clean, no cork, and say yes or no,” said Maxime. If the sommelier chose the wine for you, you can send it back on preference. If you chose it yourself and there's nothing wrong with it, that's your glass. - Where should I buy?
“Go to an independent wine shop. Tell them the occasion, the food, the price you want, and what you liked last time, ideally with a photo of the label on your phone,” said Maxime. "You don't need specific vocabulary. You can say what you like and what you dislike. There are no wrong answers."
Press Contact
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Maxime and Seynabou’s Paris wine tasting experience on GetYourGuide: https://www.getyourguide.com/paris-l16/paris-5-wines-1-sommelier-anything-can-happen-t1016008/?preview=BLSR72BW59MRXCFHMGKW7JTD3IOQAQ8W
Photos available for download here.
About the data
- GetYourGuide booking data analyzed performance from May 1 to September 30 across 2024 and 2025.
- Increase of bookings of wine tasting experiences on GetYourGuide by consumers from the following countries. Growth comparison between 2024 and 2025 - May 1 to September 30:
UK: +43%
Germany: +18%
United States: +17.6%
France: +12.6%
Global: +26.1%
About GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide is a leading global online marketplace to discover and book experiences worth traveling for. Travelers can use GetYourGuide to find things to do in more than 18,000 cities, including tours from local experts, exclusive access to must-see attractions, as well as immersive bucket-list experiences. More than 50,000 supply partners leverage GetYourGuide’s easy-to-use platform to grow their businesses, offering 200,000 experiences to travelers around the world. For more information, follow GetYourGuide on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok and visit getyourguide.com.
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