What is the impact of GI wines on territorial development? A qualitative study from two regions in France

One of the main goals in the establishment of Geographical Indications (GIs) for European agri-food products was to help fostering development in rural communities. Due to the cultural and economic importance of wine production in France, this paper aims to understand how wine GIs in the Quercy and Vendée regions (located in southwestern and northwestern France, respectively) may have influenced territorial socio-economic development. By conducting semi-structured interviews with local winemakers and institutional officers, and carrying out a qualitative analysis through the grounded theory model, preliminary results indicate that, in both cases, the wine GI has not completely met the expectations of producers in terms of economic development and opportunities. Instead, it is now considered by many a constraint that does not allow for entrepreneurial growth and opportunities.