The Influence of wine storytelling on the global wine tourism experience

From Firenze University Press Journal: Wine Economics and Policy

Vasco Santos, ISLA Santarém, Santarém, Portugal and CiTUR

Alvaro Dias, Universidade Lusófona/TRIE and ISCTE-IUL

Paulo Ramos, CBQF, Porto, Portugal and Fernando Pessoa University

Arlindo Madeira, Tourism and Hospitality Management School, Universidade Europeia, Portugal and ESCAD-School of Science and Administration

Bruno Sousa, IPCA — Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Barcelos, Portugal and CiTUR

Wine tourism has long ceased to be just a visit to wine producing regions and wineries, just to taste or buy wine. In fact, wine tourism has become more complex as a tourist product, due to the requirement of visitors to obtain a differentiated experience, composed of multiple elements. It is unquestionable that wine is an important cultural and heritage element, especially for the wine-producing regions of the ‘Old World’(Europe).The tourist’s involvement with the region visited results in a state of “wine excitement”, which starts with decision-making about the trip and extends throughout the visit.

This wine excitement makes the visitor more receptive to absorbing the stories that make the wines, the producer and the region stand out in their minds and make it a memorable experience.It is widely accepted that the wine tourism experiences should involve not only the wines and local gastronomy, but also the surrounding environment and its culture and traditions.One of the factors that wine tourists value is the interaction with the staff involved in the wine tourism process, not only due to their know-how about the wines and the region, but mainly through the narratives around the wine, its production, and its surrounding environment.

These narratives are composed of stories that involve the producers and their wines, as well as local myths and legends, its culture, and its traditions. Thus, it is essential that all staff involved in complementary services to the wine experience consider the importance of storytelling as an enhancing factor in the holistic experience that constitutes a wine visit and tasting in a wine-producing region.In fact, wine tourists, and in particular the wine lovers, value not only wine as a draw for the visit, but also all moments of interaction with the owner, managers, winemaker, and line staff. Visitors want to know more, want to know exclusive stories that they have not yet read anywhere, the secrets of the winemaker in the design of a particular wine or the history of the estate, and to meet the producer’s family and discover the surrounding region.

Wine tourism storytelling happens in parallel with the sensorial immersion of the visitor in the culture of the region, the winescape that surrounds him and the experiences in the wine producer facilities.This interaction between the stories, the local myths and legends and the sensory immersion of visitors is a factor that need to be further explored by researchers. The visitor, when immersed in the region through his senses, is not only more likely to accept the narrative that involves the visit but will also enjoy the experience more.

Therefore, the use of the narrative that involves the wine tourism experience can be used to position the region, its wines, and its producers in the minds of visitors and consumers.This study aims to evaluate the role of wine storytelling as an antecedent in the wine tourism experience. More specifically, intends to explore the influence of wine experience elements (winescape attributes, sensorial attraction, wine excitement and cultural experience) on wine excitement and cultural experience.Furthermore, this study also aims the indirect effects in the relation between storytelling and the same outcome variables (on wine excitement and cultural experience).

A literature review relating construct domain, scale items and hypothesis development is followed by the methodology approach applied and then the results obtained. Finally, the conclusions, implications, and future research directions are presented.Data was collected in Madeira and Porto wine cellars, obtained from two convenience samples of 647 international wine tourists, and structural equation modelling (SEM-PLS) was applied.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/wep-11454

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