This paper analyzes the factors that explain the origin and development of wine tourism in Italy. A key element is the role played by public institutions which, from the seventies to the crisis of traditional agriculture, looked to rural tourism to promote economic development. Businessmen have also helped change the image of wine by building a revolutionary generation of wineries designed by world-famous architects. The result in Italy is the birth of a new type of rural landscape with modern and sophisticated buildings that become a source of attraction for tourists seeking culture and relaxation. This resulted in a mixed system of governance in which private initiatives, such as wine tours, are part of an overall context regulated by the state.