Los vinos de calidad como recurso para la innovación en territorios periféricos: el caso de la denominación de origen «Arribes»

Abstract

[EN] This chapter conceptualizes the efforts towards economic modernization promoted by the production of quality wines in the Arribes del Duero region (Spain), according to the most recent geographical insights on innovation. Innovation and periphery are no longer antithetical terms. Instead, the unique conditions of peripheral territories can be challenged through smart connections with central spaces. Therefore, singularities in the periphery can be reinterpreted as opportunities to capitalize on specific resources that lead into sustainable territorial development. Thus, wines with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and other quality foods produced in the Arribes del Duero region compete in the markets supported –and differentiated– by the specific geographical conditions, while at the same time complying with the productive standards of the national and international market due to the formal and informal links established between local and exogenous actors, both private and public. The tourism that Arribes strives to attract seeks direct contact with these products and the territory that makes them possible, a strategy already tested in many places and that seems to enjoy some success also in this region, in view of the most recent data. Accordingly, it is important to highlight the task of institutional and organizational coordination and dynamization promoted by actors in the territory, among which the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Duero-Douro stands out for its cross-border glance.