The rise of sustainability in Italian wineries: key dimensions and practices

Previous studies on sustainability support the idea that the introduction of specific projects and certifications on sustainability increase the quality of wine production while specific requirements enhance environmental biodiversity and efficiency considering several aspects, such as water consumption and fertilizer use. These studies are mainly based on case studies and focus in particular on the new world and the USA. Despite this increasing attention, little is still known on Italian wineries considering the country context. The present study sheds the light on the emerging attention on sustainability paid by the Italian wineries presenting their novel dimensions and practices. Empirical evidences are collected through an explorative field study carried out through 21 interviews. The results show a recent rise of sustainable practices in Italian wineries in which the main focus is on environmental issues. The study also presents a comprehensive picture of the sustainability‐related peculiarities in the context as the Italian culture on wine.