Wine and the "Spirit" of the Territory: The Langhe Case as a Successful Wine Tourism Destination "System"

Abstract

The emerging importance of wine tourism clearly affects not only wineries but also, and above all, wine territories. When this happens, the territory can become not only a wine tourism destination but also a wine tourism destination "system." Thus, the article's focus is to deeply analyze the successful and internationally famous Italian case of Piedmont (Italy) as a wine tourism destination and more specifically the area of Langhe as a wine tourism destination "system." There are two main findings of this research. First, we have verified why the Langhe is more than an emerging wine tourism destination through a theoretical/empirical framework and the natural systemic functioning for the normal essence of this territory. In addition, we have also verified how the "business model" of this wine tourism destination system is sustainable, considering that this area has been able to reengineer its way of surviving and growing, putting wine at the center of this restructuring. This research has several theoretical and practical implications. First, it emphasizes the role of different common goods in the creation of a successful wine tourism destination system. Practical implications may involve various types of stakeholders, and the main implications concern both private and public operators.