Hospitality and wine tourism in Andradas (MG)

case Winery Casa Geraldo

Abstract

Wine tourism is a modality of Gastronomic Tourism and consists of the displacement of people motivated by the tasting and elaboration of wines, as well as the appreciation of traditions, gastronomy, natural landscapes and the typical characteristics of the producing regions. In Brazil, the most renowned wine tourism destinations are found in Rio Grande do Sul, although initiatives in other locations are gaining prominence in the national market. Among these new destinations is Andradas (MG), which currently has six wineries open for visitation. Of these, due to the volume of drink produced and the prizes obtained in national and international awards, the Vinícola Casa Geraldo stands out. This article aims to analyze the visiting activities offered by Casa Geraldo Winery based on the concepts of hospitality, welcoming and commensality. It is a qualitative research developed from bibliographic review, direct non-participant observation and semi-structured interview with the manager of the winery in question. Among the main results: it offers a good structure and attentive and friendly service to visitors, incorporating aspects of hospitality and welcome without specific planning for this; commensality materializes from the tastings that take place at different times of the visitation and through the services of its restaurant; hospitality is prioritized over technical knowledge when hiring attendants. Considering the visitation options offered, Vinícola belongs to the “differentiated” category of visitation programs (Castro et al.; 2017) and seems to be oriented to serve tourists from the categories “interested in wine” and “new to wine” (Charters and Ali-Knight, 2002).