Can Geographical Indications foster local development? Evidence from Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG

One of the main goals in the establishment of Geographical Indications (GIs) for European agri-food products was to help foster development in rural communities. Given the cultural and economic importance of wine production in Italy, this paper aims to understand how a wine GI in the Umbria region may have influenced local socio-economic development and, if so, its perceived magnitude among local stakeholders. By conducting semi-structured interviews and carrying out a qualitative analysis through the grounded theory model, results indicate a mirroring ascent, during the last three decades, in the pursuit of a unique identity, for both the territory and the wine product.