Wine and cultural heritage. The experience of the Alto Douro Wine Region

The Demarcated Douro Region is one of the oldest demarcated wine regions, and the largest and the most heterogeneous mountainous wine region in the world. Viticulture covers 44,000 ha, and since 2001 an area covering 24,600 ha has been designated as the most representative territory of the Demarcate...

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Main Authors: Lina Lourenço-Gomes, Lígia M.C. Pinto, João Rebelo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Firenze University Press 2015-12-01
Series:Wine Economics and Policy
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212977415000277
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author Lina Lourenço-Gomes
Lígia M.C. Pinto
João Rebelo
author_facet Lina Lourenço-Gomes
Lígia M.C. Pinto
João Rebelo
author_sort Lina Lourenço-Gomes
collection DOAJ
description The Demarcated Douro Region is one of the oldest demarcated wine regions, and the largest and the most heterogeneous mountainous wine region in the world. Viticulture covers 44,000 ha, and since 2001 an area covering 24,600 ha has been designated as the most representative territory of the Demarcated Douro Region, the Alto Douro Wine Region. This region is included in the list of World Heritage Sites as an evolving and living cultural landscape. The Demarcated Douro Region fits the terroir model, as its economy is based on wine (Porto wine and Douro still wines), supplemented by tourism. During recent decades, both activities have witnessed deep and structural changes, with consequences for the maintenance of the traditional characteristics of the cultural landscape that drove the UNESCO classification. With this issue in mind, the goal of this paper is to describe the recent evolution of the main economic activities of the Demarcated Douro Region. In particular, we aim to deepen the knowledge about the preferences of Portuguese visitors towards the Alto Douro Wine Region and its attributes, thus determining those that deserve preservation and, consequently, public attention. The results of a mixed logit model show that visitors assign highest utility to the preservation of vineyards supported by schist walls, followed by the agglomerations and the characteristic mosaic nature of the landscape. Additionally, respondents who are richer, employed, better educated, better informed regarding the culture of the site and more influenced by the listing are more willing to participate in preserving the cultural heritage of the region.
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spelling doaj-art-e1fec5dbc3d84e79b18a2b68751632b82025-08-20T03:39:25ZengFirenze University PressWine Economics and Policy2212-97742015-12-0142788710.1016/j.wep.2015.09.001Wine and cultural heritage. The experience of the Alto Douro Wine RegionLina Lourenço-Gomes0Lígia M.C. Pinto1João Rebelo2Department of Economics, Sociology and Management (DESG), Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5001-801 Vila Real, PortugalSchool of Economics and Management (EEG), Applied Microeconomics Research Unit (NIMA), University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, PortugalDepartment of Economics, Sociology and Management (DESG), Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5001-801 Vila Real, PortugalThe Demarcated Douro Region is one of the oldest demarcated wine regions, and the largest and the most heterogeneous mountainous wine region in the world. Viticulture covers 44,000 ha, and since 2001 an area covering 24,600 ha has been designated as the most representative territory of the Demarcated Douro Region, the Alto Douro Wine Region. This region is included in the list of World Heritage Sites as an evolving and living cultural landscape. The Demarcated Douro Region fits the terroir model, as its economy is based on wine (Porto wine and Douro still wines), supplemented by tourism. During recent decades, both activities have witnessed deep and structural changes, with consequences for the maintenance of the traditional characteristics of the cultural landscape that drove the UNESCO classification. With this issue in mind, the goal of this paper is to describe the recent evolution of the main economic activities of the Demarcated Douro Region. In particular, we aim to deepen the knowledge about the preferences of Portuguese visitors towards the Alto Douro Wine Region and its attributes, thus determining those that deserve preservation and, consequently, public attention. The results of a mixed logit model show that visitors assign highest utility to the preservation of vineyards supported by schist walls, followed by the agglomerations and the characteristic mosaic nature of the landscape. Additionally, respondents who are richer, employed, better educated, better informed regarding the culture of the site and more influenced by the listing are more willing to participate in preserving the cultural heritage of the region.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212977415000277Wine economicsCultural heritageVisitors׳ preferences
spellingShingle Lina Lourenço-Gomes
Lígia M.C. Pinto
João Rebelo
Wine and cultural heritage. The experience of the Alto Douro Wine Region
Wine Economics and Policy
Wine economics
Cultural heritage
Visitors׳ preferences
title Wine and cultural heritage. The experience of the Alto Douro Wine Region
title_full Wine and cultural heritage. The experience of the Alto Douro Wine Region
title_fullStr Wine and cultural heritage. The experience of the Alto Douro Wine Region
title_full_unstemmed Wine and cultural heritage. The experience of the Alto Douro Wine Region
title_short Wine and cultural heritage. The experience of the Alto Douro Wine Region
title_sort wine and cultural heritage the experience of the alto douro wine region
topic Wine economics
Cultural heritage
Visitors׳ preferences
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212977415000277
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