Keywords

Introduction

Wine tourism (WT) is understood as a typology of tourism that can be employed as a means of regional growth, connecting primary (viticulture), secondary (wine business) and tertiary (tourism) industries.

WT is characterized by its link with nature, local gastronomy and local products, becoming one of the preferred options for travelers who wish to avoid the negative externalities associated with mass tourism. This type of tourism acts as a distribution channel for the sale of wine in the winery, generates economic wealth in the region in which it is located, and favors the care and promotion of the winemaking heritage and biodiversity, thus improving Sustainable Performance (SP), as well as the environmental management and heritage of the winery.

The WT-SP link can be enhanced by the Circular Economy Practices (CEP) developed by wineries, since they favor the optimization of resources, the reduction of raw material consumption and the use of waste, recycling it or giving it a new life to turn it into new products (Martínez-Falcó et al. 2023a). This can be translated into the improvement of SP through practices aimed at reduction, reuse and recycling, on the one hand, and in the improvement of WT activity, on the other, since CEPs act as a pole of attraction for wine tourists with a high level of environmental awareness. WT can also enhance the winery’s hospitality offer, with the winery restaurant being a strategic mechanism for improving the winery’s economic results and disseminating the winery’s commitment to society and the environment.

The research therefore aims to answer the following three Research Questions (RQs): (RQ1) does WT positively influence the SP of wineries? (RQ2) Do CEPs moderate the relationship between WT and SP of wineries? and (RQ3) does hospitality activity mediate the relationship between WT and SP of wineries? To answer the above RQs, a case study is conducted. This analysis has focused on the context of WT in Spain, as it represents a flourishing typology of tourism that enhances the economic and social welfare of the Iberian country (Martínez-Falcó et al., 2023b).

After this brief introduction, section “Literature Review” presents the propositions to be contrasted, section “Methodology” the steps followed to achieve the proposed research objectives, section “Results” the analysis of the interview content and, finally, section “Conclusion” the main conclusions, limitations, and future lines of research.

Literature Review

Wine Tourism and Sustainable Performance

WT can present itself as an appealing distribution channel from an economic perspective due to the fact that direct sales in wineries have become the go-to indicator for academics when measuring the economic contribution of this activity (Smyczek et al., 2020). Through this, cost savings can be achieved, as there is no need for intermediaries, and the winery is able to receive immediate financial gain as opposed to other methods. Additionally, it enhances up-selling and cross-selling opportunities and also enables wineries to build direct relationships with customers, which is a way to guarantee future sales and, at the same time, generate an emotional bond with the brand.

From the social perspective, WT could be seen as a major response to the problem of depopulation and the advancement of the welfare of society as a whole. It has been shown that WT has the potential to bring about economic growth in terms of diversification of activities which can improve the stability and conditions of work for those employed in wineries. WT can also positively influence the environment, creating externalities such as making the streets look better and providing a greater ‘cultural’ and ‘leisure’ range of activities (Duarte-Alonso et al., 2021).

From an environmental standpoint, WT can be a powerful tool to reinforce the ecological sustainability of wineries. There are both endogenous and exogenous motivating factors that can influence this merit such as the ability for a winery to set itself apart from competitors, augmenting gastronomic wealth, and protecting biodiversity. Moreover, it is likely that WT may draw in wine tourists with a sensitive view on the environment, increasing the stock of ecological knowledge within a winery. Employees in charge of such tourism activities interact with other staff to more clearly express the winery’s sustainable actions, and continuously seek training to advance their knowledge of sustainable practices (Karagiannis and Metaxas, 2020).

WT is becoming an increasingly important activity to promote economic, social, and environmental development. Despite its potential, there is still insufficient research focusing on the effects of this activity on economic, social, and environmental performance in wineries. This chapter aims to contribute to this line of research by exploring the following proposition:

  • P1. WT Has a Positive Influence on SP of Wineries

Wine Tourism, Circular Economy, Sustainable Performance

CEPs offer an alternative to the current production and consumption model to mitigate the effects of climate change in the context of the wine industry. They consist of sharing, reusing, repairing, renewing and recycling existing materials and products, involving the three R’s: recycle, reduce and reuse. Benefits to the organization associated with CEPs include increased investor interest and access to financing, higher customer satisfaction, better adaptation to environmental regulations and a strengthened reputation, amongst others (Minunno et al., 2020).

CEPs can be applied to the wine industry in many ways. For instance, green supply chain management as a form of CEP can significantly cut operating costs and reduce emissions, as well as improve the financial performance of wineries. As CEPs provide tools for environment-friendly practices such as recycling, reduction, and reuse, they can attract tourists with sustainability-conscious behaviors to wineries (Bag et al., 2022).

Investigation into the wine industry has shown that many businesses within the sector are following the principles of CEPs. Recent literature on the subject shows that PECs have the capacity to improve both WT activities and winery performance. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there are no previous studies that have analyzed the moderating role of PPCs in the WT-SP linkage. This presents an opportunity to further explore this relationship and contribute knowledge to related fields. Thus, this chapter proposes the following proposition:

  • P2. CEPs Moderate the Relationship Between WT and SP of Wineries

A Framework for Environmental Management in the Wine Tourism Sector

The framework presented in Fig. 6.1 illustrates the associations between WT, environmental management and hospitality outcomes, given that WT actions have direct implications for consumer experiences and thus implications for hospitality management.

Fig. 6.1
A flow diagram. It includes relationship between wine tourism, environmental management, economic, social and environmental performance, macro level, micro level, and winery restaurant.

Framework for understanding the relationship between WT, environmental management, hospitality and sustainable winery performance. Source: own elaboration

Full size image

WT can catalyze wineries’ environmental practices, since, on the one hand, it increases the stock of ecological knowledge held by employees by encouraging interaction between workers in order to develop WT activities satisfactorily and, on the other hand, environmental management favors the attraction of environmentally conscious wine tourists, which in turn leads wineries to intensify their efforts to protect the environment.

Such environmental management can be developed at two levels. The first level refers to the overall opportunities represented by the wine region, while the second refers to individual opportunities (the winery). On the one hand, wine regions at the aggregate level can take a number of measures to improve environmental management, including developing and promoting the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, which helps to minimize environmental damage to the territories, such as soil erosion, water pollution, and poor air quality. These actions can be driven by the Designations of Origin in question, as they are the guarantors of the policies developed in a given wine region. On the other hand, as explained in the previous section, individual wineries can develop their environmental management, highlighting the role of CEPs, in order to improve their SP.

The framework highlights the key role of wineries in providing memorable experiences for consumers and visitors, with an implicit link to the hospitality environments in which wine is consumed. WT favors the attraction of visitors, increasing the likelihood that they will remain as diners after the activity is completed. In fact, often the WT activity itself includes, depending on the tourist package contracted by the wine tourist, lunch/dinner. This has an impact, therefore, on improving economic results by allowing the wine tasting to be combined with the winery’s gastronomic offer (economic performance), generating new jobs linked to the hotel and catering industry and promoting the local gastronomy of the wine-growing areas (social performance), as well as improving the environmental awareness of diners through the explanation of the environmental management practices developed by the winery (environmental performance). Winery restaurants therefore play a crucial role in transmitting the quality of the wines, as well as the social and environmental practices developed by the wineries to the visitors who come to their premises, being these higher as wine tourism intensifies in their facilities. Based on the above ideas, we put forward the following proposition:

  • P3. Winery Restaurant Activities Mediate the Relationship Between WT and SP of Wineries

Methodology

A qualitative approach based on the single case study method was used for the study. Thus, although the sample was selected by non-probability sampling, it was chosen very carefully. In particular, four criteria were considered: (1) that it was a winery with WT activities, (2) that it developed and implemented actions linked to environmental management, (3) that it had a restaurant service (winery restaurant), and (4) that it was a benchmark for its commitment to society and the environment. Finally, the Casa Sicilia winery was selected for meeting the established criteria.

A triangulation using interviews, direct observation and internal and external documentation was carried out to collect data, improving the quantity and quality of the information. On July 19, 2022, a 1-hour interview was conducted with the head of WT Susana Arias Paredes, and was completed with a visit to the winery to observe the actions developed, as well as through access to internal documentation (newsletters, manual of good practices, code of ethics, etc.) and external documentation of the winery (press releases, corporate website, promotional videos, etc.).

The case study is a widely used method in social sciences, which allows us to generate new scientific knowledge. The analysis began by exploring the existing academic literature on WT, environmental management, hospitality and SP. To understand how these variables are linked, an in-depth interview was conducted at the Casa Sicilia winery and structured in four blocks linked to the variables mentioned above. This was recorded in its entirety and subsequently shared to obtain the consent of the interviewee. Finally, the interview was transcribed and content analyzed.

Results

Casa Sicilia is a winery located in the municipality of Novelda, located in the region of Medio Vinalopó. It was founded in 1707 and has its origin in the Heretat de Cesilia created by the Marquis de la Romana. At present, the estate where the winery is located is still on the outskirts of Novelda, in the same place where the heretat of the Marquis de la Romana was born, extending over four areas of the town: Alcaidías, Ledua, La Mola and Sicilia, being located in a gorge, a short distance from the hill of “La Mola”, where the Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena and the Castle of La Mola are located.

WT activities carried out by the winery make it possible to capitalize on the territory’s winemaking heritage, while offering a unique experience to wine tourists who come to its facilities. Casa Sicilia promotes responsible behavior among its visitors, since it stresses the importance of responsible wine consumption during the WT activity. This awareness is of utmost importance considering that more than 90% of its visitors arrive at the winery by private car. In the words of Arias: “During the wine tourism activity, the importance of responsible consumption and the need not to drink excessively if they have come with their private car is emphasized”.

Casa Sicilia also explains through its WT activities how it saves water and energy resources, since, on the one hand, they explain that the cultivation is rainfed, with the consequent water savings that this entails and, on the other hand, they explain how they take advantage of the open spaces (through their windows), as well as the use of low-consumption lights, thus reducing the energy consumption of the winery. In these terms Arias expresses herself in this respect: “During the wine tourism visit, it is explained how the winery saves water resources. For example, it is explained that the crop is rainfed. Therefore, we use almost no water.” […] “We try to take advantage of natural light as much as possible, creating diaphanous spaces for this purpose, as well as turning off lights when they are not necessary. Recently, we changed all the lights to low consumption.”

WT allows the members of Casa Sicilia to interact with each other, since those in charge of this activity must be in contact with other members of the winery (winemakers, quality and environmental managers, etc.) to be able to adequately transmit to wine tourists the production process, the quality of the vintages, the certificates obtained and the awards received, among other aspects. In the same way, teamwork is encouraged in the winery and workers are trained under the pillars of sustainability, so that they can subsequently transmit the organization’s awareness of environmental and territorial care. In this sense, as Arias points out: “For the success of the wine tourism activity we have to work as a team, because we have to be in contact with all our colleagues to know what is being done in the winery and be able to transmit it properly to tourists.” […] “From the winery we try to make sure that all the workers know the processes and sustainable practices that are carried out so that we can then transmit them adequately to the visitors who come to our facilities.”

Casa Sicilia is committed to the use of indigenous grape varieties from Alicante for the production of its wines (Monastrell grapes for red wine and Moscatel for white wine), as well as organic vineyards to ensure the quality and sustainability of the wines it produces. These actions are transmitted to wine tourists so that they can learn about the winery’s commitment to the use of native grapes and organic vineyards for the production of its wines. In the words of Arias: “We use the native varieties Monastrell for the reds and Moscatel for the whites. In addition, we have two garnachas that we use for a rosé wine and a red wine that we produce.” […] “The entire vineyard area has been organic for several years now.” In the same way, the winery’s WT manager stress the importance of preserving the vineyard landscape, given that it is a fundamental identity element to enhance the value of the wine-growing territories, also allowing to value the biodiversity that surrounds the winery, as well as the local gastronomy of the area. In this regard, it should be noted that Casa Sicilia conceives WT as a tasting activity that enhances the service offered in its restaurant, which is located on the same premises as the winery. In this way, the WT activity acts as a pole of attraction for wine tourists who can then stay to eat at the winery restaurant, being able to improve the knowledge of wine tourists about the wines offered by the winery, as well as their pairing. As Arias emphasizes: “wine tourism allows us to have a constant flow of diners in our restaurant, allowing visitors to get to know our wines and the typical gastronomy of the region better”.

Conclusion

This research allows confirming the research propositions raised for the case of Casa Sicilia, since it shows the role of WT in catalyzing the economic, social and environmental performance of the winery, as well as the mediating and mediating role of CEPs and winery restaurant activity, respectively, in this linkage.

WT can improve the economic performance of the winery under study by representing a distribution channel for the sale of wine, as well as improve its social and environmental performance by generating new employment in the territory where the activity is carried out, publicizing the environmental management practices carried out, disseminating the history and gastronomy of the wine-growing territory and preserving biodiversity and wine heritage.

Despite the important contributions of this chapter, it should be noted that it has limitations. In this sense, it is worth mentioning the limitation of the methodology used, given that by using the case method the results derived from the study cannot be extrapolated to the target population. In order to overcome this deficiency, as a future line of research, it is proposed to collect primary information through a questionnaire addressed to Spanish wineries in order to subsequently contrast the relationships proposed in this research by means of structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).