The Impact of Climate Change on the Regulation of Italian DOCG Wines
通过分析2015至2025年间意大利DOCG葡萄酒生产规范的修订，评估监管框架是否在应对气候变化，揭示高端葡萄酒产业在适应性与传统身份之间的张力。
ABSTRACT Climate change threatens the delicate balance between the natural environment, terroir, and economic sustainability that underpins the identity and competitiveness of Italian wine. This study focuses on Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), the highest classification level for Italian wines, which ensures a close link between the product and its territory of origin. The objective of this work is to assess whether the regulatory framework for DOCG wines is evolving in response to climate change and what actions, if any, are being taken to address it. This is a qualitative study based on document analysis. DOCG wine regulations serve as an important source of data to understand how the regulatory and institutional framework of the wine sector is adapting to climate change and, indirectly, to gauge the level of awareness regarding the significance of climate change in the wine industry. The analysis of updated DOCG production specifications in Italy between 2015 and 2025 reveals a cautious awareness of the need to adapt to climate change within the institutional framework of high‐quality viticulture. The analysis is based exclusively on officially approved modifications to DOCG production specifications, which represent a small portion of Italian wine production. Furthermore, the study intentionally focuses only on changes that have already been approved, excluding those still under discussion or pending approval This study opens several avenues for future research. By shedding light on the evolving relationship between climate change and regulatory governance in the wine sector, it encourages deeper reflection on how institutional systems can foster resilience without compromising identity, a tension at the core of sustainability transitions in traditional agro‐ecosystems. Despite growing attention to the agronomic and economic implications of climate change in viticulture, its specific impact on the regulatory frameworks governing premium wines remains largely underexplored in academic literature. The significance of this study lies in the inseparable bond between a DOCG wine and its territory of origin. By its very nature, the DOCG system is committed to protecting ecosystems and biodiversity and is particularly sensitive to the challenges posed by climate change.