Filling up the sustainability glass: wineries’ initiatives towards sustainable wine tourism

In considering various premises of stakeholder theory, this study enhances the understanding of sustainable practices among wineries offering wine tourism experiences. Face-to-face interviews carried out with winery owners-managers operating in three wine regions of emerging economies highlight adherence to the four pillars of sustainability at various levels, and reveal four key dimensions, each associated with the level of involvement in sustainable practices. Accordingly, the most fulfilling, the ‘full-glass’ dimension, illustrates observance to environmental, social, economic, and cultural sustainability. Several proposed frameworks illustrate conceptually and empirically the significance of the four pillars in the context of sustainable wine tourism.