The influence of size on winery performance: Evidence from Italy

The aim of this paper is to analyse the influence of firm size on the economic performance of wineries. To achieve this, the paper employs both different traditional profitability and productivity measures and a non-parametric technique to estimate efficiency as indicators of performance. Further, several parametric and non-parametric tests are used to analyse the influence of firm size on these performance indicators. Overall, the results obtained with a sample of 723 Italian wineries (limited companies and cooperatives) in 2013 show that size has a positive influence on the economic performance of wineries. Managers should be aware of the importance of monitoring their own performance in order to guarantee the competitiveness of their wineries

Italian wines and Asian markets: opportunities and threats under new policy scenarios and competitive dynamics

The world wine market is facing a particularly difficult situation. Both the EU and New World (NW) Countries are trying to manage this critical moment by filling reciprocal gaps in order to increase their competitiveness at a global level and to strengthen their position in key strategic markets. On the EU side, one of the fundamental aspects of this changing framework is the evolution of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) for the wine sector. The first pivotal change is the fact that a parcel of land cannot host more than one designation of origin (either Geographical Indication – GI – Denominazione di Origine Controllata – DOC – or Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita – DOCG), thus completely changing the approach to vintage choices, which characterised the Italian production in the last 50 years. A second important variation is the introduction of the possibility to show grape varieties and the vintage year on table wines (a strategy often used by NW producers). Conversely, on the NW side, the changes are mainly relative to the increase in the use of European grape varieties and the emphasis on the region-grape combination as an element of excellence.International Relations/Trade, Marketing,

The role of the Consortia in the Italian wine production system and the impact of EU and national legislation

AbstractThe EU legislation has undergone a radical change in 2008, handling the Italian legislature the necessity to rethink on fundamental aspects of the national legislation. The changes were focused on the procedure of formation and revision of the designations of origin, opening up new and important perspectives for Consortia since, as inter-branch organizations, they can be acknowledged as representatives of the economic activities linked to the production and at least to one of the phases of processing or trade. The Consortium has become responsible for production specification, stock managing, new registration of the vines to a DO, supervision and protection

Mitigation of socio-economic damage due to climate change: a fuzzy cognitive map optimisation for the tuscan viticulture sector

Climate change is considered one of the main potential causes for socio-economic damages in viticulture in the future. The analysis of such systems has to be carried out adopting a methodology able to link different spatial and temporal variables, as well as evaluating the uncertainty related to climatic scenario. Thus, the Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) approach was adopted to analyse potential viticulture trends under climate alteration in the Tuscany region (Italy). Best allocation of policy resources and incentives for mitigation of socio-economic impacts were tested through the application of nonlinear programming (NLP). Best policy scenario were depicted applying a multicriteria approach. Results highlighted the importance of regulation measures and the maintenance of quality brand.Climate change is considered one of the main potential causes for socio-economic damages in viticulture in the future. The analysis of such systems has to be carried out adopting a methodology able to link different spatial and temporal variables, as well as evaluating the uncertainty related to climatic scenario. Thus, the Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) approach was adopted to analyse potential viticulture trends under climate alteration in the Tuscany region (Italy). Best allocation of policy resources and incentives for mitigation of socio-economic impacts were tested through the application of nonlinear programming (NLP). Best policy scenario were depicted applying a multicriteria approach. Results highlighted the importance of regulation measures and the maintenance of quality brand

Productivity growth in the winery sector: evidence from Italy and Spain

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to estimate total productivity change in the winery sector, decomposing it into efficiency change and technical change. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is based on the estimation of the Malmquist productivity index for a sample of Spanish and Italian wineries between 2005 and 2013. Findings – The results show very low efficiency levels for the wineries under study. Further, Spanish and Italian wineries show a decrease in their average annual productivity for the period of time analysed. Practical implications – The analysis of the efficiency and the productivity of the wineries is crucial to improve their competitiveness and guarantee their survival. Originality/value – For the first time, a comparative analysis is carried out with data from two major wine-producing countries

The role of the raw materials in the development of a Tuscan craft beer chain

Over the past two decades, the craft beer sector has developed significantly both in Europe and Italy. Through a SWOT analysis, the research highlights the main critical points of the Tuscan craft beer chain, in particular the use of local raw materials, which are mainly linked to the cereal malting process currently carried out by large non-regional plants. The research also shows that the high quality and the strong product differentiation are the main strength of the sector, since they meet the preferences of a niche of consumers attracted by products characterized by a strong bond with the territory. The major risks concern the introduction of “craft” lines by multinationals and the entry of new craft breweries, which are not in line with the microbreweries’ quality standards

Il ruolo della vite nella caratterizzazione del territorio e degli ordinamenti produttivi per lo sviluppo delle aziende agrituristiche in Toscana

The paper proposes a georeferred analytical model in order to verify at what extent the territorial element, in particular the role played by vine, represents a resource that is able to orientate the local development. The analysis has been done in different subsequent steps: firstly, it has been examined the relation between each of the 1.600 regional farm tourisms with the spatial distribution of viticulture, than, at county level, it has been examined the relation between the local farm tourism offer with the territorial diffusion of viticulture. The analytical model proposed gives an useful approach for the application of the most recent directions of communitarian, national and regional agricultural policies, because it allows to point out the relationships between territory-enterprise and territory-product and suggests an integrated model for rural development

Visual perception of the rural landscape: a study case in Val di Chiana aretina, Tuscany (Italy)

The aim of the paper is to assess the perceived visual quality of the rural landscape in the Valdichiana aretina, Italy, through a survey conducted on a sample of ordinary people. The research comprises of three steps. First, the territory under study is divided into homogeneous landscape units through the implementation of GIS-based methodologies. Second, a photo-sampling of the area is carried out and a direct survey is conducted using the photographic material collected. Lastly, the information gathered is processed with the Multiple Factor Analysis technique. The results reveal that the visual quality of the landscape units is perceived differently according to the sets of variables summarized by the extracted components: composition and structure, stewardship and individual experience

Winescape perception and big data analysis: an assessment through social media photographs in the Chianti Classico region

Quantifying and mapping the relevant landscape attributes of winescape is difficult due to both the complex identity characterization of the places and the multidimensionality of the pursued perceptive experience on the emotional level. Although the quality of the rural landscape is recognized as an essential element of winescape, in the literature there are no methodological and applicative studies on the identification of the most significant characteristics of a wine region that are fundamental attributes in the preferences of visitors. The aim of the work is to propose a methodology to link the environmental and cultural landscape characteristics of the territory with the concept of winescape to improve the image of wine tourism adopting a systematic approach for territorial branding starting from the analysis of the visitors' preferences. The analysis is conducted through the geographical information data shared on the social media Flickr. Different methods of analysis are applied in an integrated way to: a) analyze the demand for winescape in its different dimensions; b) identify the territorial variables that are part of the winescape supply; c) build a spatial relationship model between winescape demand and supply to quantify the territorial suitability and provide useful information for rural development strategies. Keywords: Winescape, Big data, Landscape quality, Image clustering, Maxent, Wine tourism: territorial marketin