The landscape in the development of vineyard regions: an application to the ACO Dão and ACO Bairrada (Central Portugal)

The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of landscapes in the notoriety and marketing of wines and in tourism promotion, specifically in the case of two centenary Portuguese demarcated regions – ACO Dão and ACO Bairrada. These two demarcations have a very long history in wine production and have remarkable wines. Nevertheless theire wines aren’t even close to being fully recognised in the international market or national one, as are the wines of Douro, Vinhos Verdes or Alentejo, the other Portuguese demarcated regions under evaluation. This lack of notability is linked not only to past fluctuations in the quality of the wine but also to the lack of recognition of other development factors, such as the landscape. Conserning the landscape, the centre of Portugal has a particular vineyard mosaic and a rich historical and archaeological patrimony that should be seen as a commodity by the producers and the tourism promoters.
This paper shows results from the first author’s PhD thesis, specifically the identification of territorial symbolic elements (landmarks), which are potential tools for the creation of a singular image for the regions and the wines’ differentiation in the global market. A compared research is made, among the five most relevant Portuguese demarcated regions: Douro, Vinhos Verdes, Dão Bairrada and Alentejo. An integrative methodology has been used, combining: a) a perception study, sustained in the opinions of producers, tourism promoters, official entities, residents and tourists, achieved through surveys analysed by using Multiple Correspondences Factorial Analysis (MCFA); b) a market study, joining the producers and the consumers’ opinions about the use of the landscape and the commercial labelling in the wine selection and promotion, analysed through surveys treated by descriptive statistics; c) a representation study, supported in promotional brochures of both economic activities (the wine market and tourism), whose images are classified through Cohen’s Textual Theory and analysed with the support of two other MCFAs.