The territorial dimension of transactions in the Canary Islands’ grape market

Abstract

The territorial dimension of transactions between grape growers and wine producers in the Canary Islands’ grape market is examined. This is a market fragmented into different wine-grape zones and institutionally organised through protected designations of origin (PDOs) which, except in the case of one that is regional in scope, restrict the spatial mobility of grapes. We use information from the harvest declarations submitted by grape growers, which indicate the location of the vineyard plots, and production declarations submitted by the wine producers, which indicate the grape grower who supplies grapes to their winery, as well as from harvest reports, which contain a record that facilitates the traceability of the grape's journey from the plot of origin to the winery of destination. The results obtained show that there are hardly any inter-island movements of grapes and that inter-zone transactions were selectively intensified between the wine-grape zones of the island of Tenerife following the creation of a regional PDO.