Designations of Origin and world development in wine production systems and wine markets

Abstract The worldwide wine market is rapidly changing, and perhaps even more so if seen from the viewpoint of the world's biggest wine exporter, Italy. For Italy, VQPRD wines represent about one fourth of its exports by quantity. In value, the VQPRD wines totalled 1.5 billion euro, equal to 44.0% of Italy’s worldwide wine, “spumante”, and must exports in 2007. The paper presents an overview of the dynamics of Italian wine exports, with special attention to the Designation of Origin wines, and describes both the factors of continuity and the changes that have taken place over the years. It then offers a specific study on the Value of Designations of Origin in one of the dedicated territories of the Emilia-Romagna region, whose history and economic-social importance have developed down through the centuries. In light of the results that have emerged from the fieldwork on the economic, environmental, and social welfare effects of Designations of Origin on the territory that generates them, the subsequent analysis of the Meaning of “Designation of Origin” as we progressively move away from the specific territory: in the towns surrounding the territory, but, with the work that is being carried out now, for wine consumers at the international level also, and in light of the information we have on the development of dedicated wine-producing areas in New World, it will attempt to outline their development in the coming years and their impact on the international wine market.