Wine tourism has the capacity to play a significant role in national and regional sustainable tourism development plans through its contribution to sustaining the economic and social bases of regions as well as, increasingly, environmental dimensions. Wine-related tourism is a significant factor in sustainable rural development, most obviously through the creation of jobs and the sale of local merchandise. Wineries are the archetypal small business in rural economies where small-scale businesses dominate and which are most affected by the effects of economic restructuring. From the perspective of economic sustainability, wine tourism can be the core business for many smaller wineries, especially those who have chosen winemaking as a lifestyle option. Newly established wineries sell most of their wine at the cellar door, and gain an essential source of cash-flow in these early stages. For established wineries, visitors provide a test-bed for new products. Wine tourism also facilitates producer-consumer interaction and involves education about and experience of wine products and wine regions - including local cultures and winescapes. Viticulture also has the capacity to provide sustainable land use in previously uneconomic areas while tourism can help supports the viability of land diversification and maximises the returns on existing viticulture.