France's wine theme park is the stuff of grown-up dreams
Admission includes a glass of wine
Admission includes a glass of wine
Admission includes a glass of wine
Close your eyes and picture your happy place. If you're surrounded by bottles and bottles of good wine, glass in hand, good news: That figment of your imagination actually exists.
It's called — The City of Wine — and you'll find it in Bordeaux, one of France's most-storied wine regions. The cost over $98 million to construct, but it was well worth it: It's become a veritable mecca for oenophiles.
There aren't any zero-to-60 roller coasters or 20-story drops, but the destination's not completely without thrills. Brace yourself: Eight hundred varieties of wine from 70 different countries are stored at La Cité du Vin's restaurant, and they're all available for tasting and ordering. Plus there are 20 wine-themed sections and exhibits, including a totally immersive, simulated boat ride. It shows what it was like to be a globe-trotting, sailing wine merchant.
Even the building's design speaks to what's inside: The twisted metal structure is supposed to evoke wine swirling around a glass, according to the architects. Consider the whole experience to be a wine-loving adult's — minus the steep entrance cost. Tickets start at around just $25— and include a glass of wine.
To learn more about how wine can be great for your brain and overall health, check out the video above.