Residents’ Perceptions of Geographical Indication Benefits, Pride, and Support in an Emerging Brazilian Wine Region: Evidence from São Joaquim

This study examines how Geographical Indications (GIs) contribute to territorial development and social legitimacy in emerging wine regions, focusing on residents’ perceptions of the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the GI for high-altitude fine wines in São Joaquim, Brazil. Drawing on a survey with 181 residents, the study employs Structural Equation Modeling using the Robust Diagonally Weighted Least Squares estimator to test a model linking perceived impacts, benefits, pride, and support for the GI. The results indicate that social and economic factors are positively associated with perceived benefits, while environmental factors do not show a significant effect. Perceived benefits significantly increase residents’ pride, which, in turn, strongly predicts support for the GI, suggesting that pride may operate as an affective mechanism linking perceived benefits to support. These findings suggest that the consolidation of GIs in emerging wine regions depends not only on economic performance, but also on residents’ perceived benefits, pride, and support. The study contributes to the literature on wine tourism and Geographical Indications by highlighting the role of residents’ perceptions in shaping the sustainability and long-term support of territorial valorization strategies.